Influence of hormonal contraception on the maturation process of the hypothalamo-pituitary- ovarian axis

Abstract

We know that the onset of menarche has been occurring progressively earlier over the last decades. For example, in Norway, from 1840 to 1950, the average age of menarche fell from 17 to 131/2 years of age (Figure 1). This trend has been observed in all developed countries. Precocious menarche may lead to precocious maturation of secondary sexual organs, which in turn may explain precocious sexuality. In Geneva, for instance, increasingly younger adolescents have been asking for contraception, and their average age has dropped from 16.5 to 15.9 years of age, over the last 2–3 years (Figure 2).