Periods not started age 15 - normal?

[TerribleGardener]

Prompted by a thread about erratic teenage periods, my daughter is 15 and has not yet had a period. NHS website says that they will usually start by age 17 but see GP if not started by age 15. GP (by phone) advised to bring her in if nothing happened in next 6mnths. All other signs of puberty are there. Am I being unreasonable to be worried that there maybe an underlying health condition? Anyone have any experience of periods starting age 15+ with there being no underlying cause/condition?

Yes it’s normal. My friend was normal weight and started aged 17.

What age were you when you started yours OP? Like me, DD was a late bloomer when she started her periods and was behind all of her friends. She didn’t start until she was almost 15 and didn’t have them regularly whatsoever until she was 17.

I was 15 and 10 months if I remember correctly. No conditions, underlying causes, no subsequent issues or problems. It’s a normal age to start.

Thanks for replies. I was 13, I think that's why I'm a bit worried. Also I know weight can play a part, she is quite skinny but not unhealthily so.

I was 16 when mine started. No underlying issues that I'm aware of, and two healthy pregnancies with no issues conceiving so no sign of any fertility problems.

My mum was a bit worried because she (and my younger sister) started at an earlier age. In fact I think my younger sister got hers about a year before I got mine, despite being 2 years younger.
But I take after my dad's side of the family more, and am physically more like dad's sister. So my mum asked her, and she also started late.

So many useful replies in such a short space of time! So glad I posted, thank you. @DancingPhantomsOnTheTerrace thanks for the info about healthy pregnancies etc that's actually a huge relief.

Don't let GP fob you off if your DD has low body fat. My niece was a top junior athlete and her periods hadn't started by age 15. GP sent her and her mum away. And then the foot fractures started - not starting periods had led to low bone density. She saw a specialist and eventually periods started after adjusting her diet - but she couldn't run for quite a while and gas never recovered her speed.

I think GPs don't tend to take these issues seriously enough.

My DD was 15 and a few months when she started which was a few months ago. She is athletic and was fairly petite, but now the growth spurt has arrived! My younger DD started at aged 10.

DD1.. Week of her 16th birthday. DD2 was 12. I was 12.

No underlying issues.

Interesting to see the replies about weight and being athletic, she is on the slight side and plays a lot of sport.

Hope you niece is ok now.

My DDs both very sporty. One slender. One skinny. Very careful with diet too.

It's not "normal" in the correct sense of the word - in that it's the norm to start periods between (eg, I'm not sure) 10 and 14.
However, it's not something to worry about - yet. DDs friend started her periods when she was 16.

Unusual - not abnormal. I think I started at 15 - behind all my friends. No discernible reason for it.

I was 15, doctor wasn’t concerned at that point. Had no fertility problems.

For those mentioning periods/weight/sporty - relative energy deficiency in sports - formerly known as the female athlete triad. Please don’t be fobbed off by the statement that it’s normal for an athlete. As @VickyEadieofThigh wrote, there can be serious consequences. No period by 15, or even on and off, merits further investigation. A regular period is a sign of a healthy body

What age did her father's mother/sisters/neices start?

Thanks for reply, unfortunately no way of knowing, her dad only has brothers and his mum died when our children were very small.

Ah i see!

It could be that she is more like her paternal family line

I wouldn’t worry too much yet as I know others personally who didn’t start until 16/17 and don’t seem to have had any problems. I started mine the second week of secondary school so dealt with the misery of it all the way through school so it may be a blessing in disguise.

Weight shouldn’t be too much of a factor unless she’s underweight or has a low body fat percentage, which sounds like it could be a possibility if she’s skinny and athletic? I’d definitely give that some thought but wouldn’t stress it for another 6 months until the Dr gets involved.

I started mine a week before my 16th birthday!

My period started age 15.

She's never returned to her potential after an enforced 2 year layoff from running. She's well otherwise, however - thank you for asking!

My GP said not to worry until 17. My dd periods started the week before she hit 17, so just about in normal time frame. Interesting she was low fat & athletic. No problems as far as I know resulted from periods starting late and she is 19 now.

I think I was 15, a month or two off 16. My mum's friend was 17 apparently-we're both tall which I think is why, we just kept growing til periods finally started!

I was 16
Mum was 17
Maternal grandma 19

No fertility issues anywhere, in fact we all seem v fertile.

I was the last of my friends to start and I remember being so worried I wasn't 'normal'. In the end nothing to worry about at all.

That she has clearly entered puberty would reassure me.