If you started your period at 14 and a half

[JadeandGreen]

This might be a stupid question with regard to dropping fertility, but lets say fertility drops drastically at 45, if someone started their periods at 14 and a half, compared to someone who started at 12, does that mean that the person who started their period later could be two years behind in terms of egg quality? So the 45 year old person who started their period later could technically be 43 regarding egg quality in comparison with the person who started their period at 12? In a general sense. Hope I've explained that clearly. I'm probably being stupid but I've often wondered about this.

But are you not born with all the eggs you will ever have ? So the eggs will age from birth rather than when you start your periods I think?

You are born with all your eggs. They remain in your body in an immature state until you ovulate. When you ovulate the egg goes through some changes which can negatively affect the egg quality. This is a really difficult thing to study but there are studies which show that the older you are, the poorer the egg quality . Research has also shown that late onset of periods ( over 14) is very slightly associated with fertility problems, which would perhaps indicate that the person who starts their periods at 14 would have slightly worse egg quality than the person who started their periods at 12.

I’ve wondered similar, not about egg quality but age of menopause - do women who start their periods later also stop later...?

I thought maybe, that although you're born with all your eggs, if they were lying dormant until puberty let's say, then the decline might start with the onset of puberty.

I started my periods at 14 but I've never had any problems with fertility when I was younger, only now that I'm older, which is to be expected, just clinging on to any bit of hope I can.

DukeofEarlGrey I don't know, but I'm 49 and the only sign of it is, very occasionally I ovulate a bit early, other than that regular as clockwork, so I think it's going to be a good while yet before I have come through it.

I started at 12.5..have had many dc effortlessly even at 43. At 50 still have regular normal periods... My dm had a hysterectomy at 42 so am not sure of family gyne history. But my eggs are now 50. Yours are your age..

To answer gourmet question, no. A girl is born with all the eggs she will ever have. They don't appear at puberty.

Where did my phone get gourmet from?! I meant "your", sorry!

I’m of the impression women who start their menses later usually begin menopause sooner.
But I’ve also listened to a podcast that suggested the implant preventing ovulation extends and delays menopause.
So my initial comment would only apply to women who have not used the implant.

We are born with different amount of eggs e.g some women have 2million and some have 1million and in-between which decreases dramatically when we get to puberty. Those born with around 1million are more likely going to reach menopause quicker or have fertility issues.

There are very few modern studies done on normal menstration so I suspect the real answer is that we just don't know. And since periods are getting earlier and earlier due to changes in diet and obesity and any data looking at the start and end of menses will naturally be on older women so 'out of date' for younger women. Oh, and there are differences between racial groups as well.

My anecdote is that my period started just before my 14th birthday, I got pregnant easily at 36, 38 and 41, I still have regular periods at 51, my Mum's periods stopped at 55 after a straightforward menopause.

Even if your eggs were two years younger, they’d still be 47, which wouldn’t suggest they’re amazing quality.

Are you the poster with two older kids that’s been trying to conceive for a number of years already?

@TerribleCustomerCervix

Even if your eggs were two years younger, they’d still be 47, which wouldn’t suggest they’re amazing quality.

Are you the poster with two older kids that’s been trying to conceive for a number of years already?

No, that's not me, why?

It doesn't matter when you started. What matters is the quality which can be influenced by so many things (lifestyle, diet, etc.)
It's hard to measure but you could have started your periods at 11 and be still fertile well into your 40's if you're fit as a fiddle or you could start at 18 and egg quality be on the floor at 35 due to poor health, drug use, STIs, etc.

Sadly I don't think there is an easy way to answer that question x