Fifteen female adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) and 33 female controls without this syndrome were surveyed on age of menarche, menstruation, sexual relations and contraception. All probands and controls were born between 1 January 1965 and 31 December 1970. The day of census was December 31, 1985. All probands and controls were living permanently in the Danish county of Aarhus on this day. Persons close to the DS patients (parents/foster-parents/permanent staff) were interviewed on the above-mentioned topics. All controls were interviewed themselves. The average age of menarche was 13.6 years for probands and 13.5 years for controls. The average duration of the bleeding was 5.5 days for probands and 5.4 days for controls. The average length of the cycle was 28.3 days for probands and 28.6 days for controls. Thirteen DS patients had not had sexual intercourse (no information was available for 2 probands). Twenty-four controls had and 9 had not had sexual intercourse. There is a significant difference between probands and controls concerning use of oral and other contraceptives.
PIP: The age of menarche, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, sexual activity and contraception of 15 Danish Down syndrome adolescents and 33 controls matched for age and residence were compared. The girls were born between January 1965 and December 1970 in Aarhus county, averaging 18.2 and 18.1 years old. The cohort of 15 Downs syndrome females, ascertained from Danish mental retardation and cytogenetic registers, was considered complete. Controls were randomly selected from medical clinic lists. The mean age of menarche was 13.6 (SD 20.9 months) for Downs patients, and 13.5 (SD 13.8) for controls. 86.7 and 87.9% of the groups had menstruated regularly since. Mean duration of bleeding was 5.5 and 5.4 days; mean length of the cycle was 28.3 and 28.6 days. 3 of the Downs patients were incapable of managing menstrual hygiene. No Downs syndrome subjects had, according to the interviewed person, with certainty, had sexual intercourse. 77.2% of the controls had been sexually active, according to their own statements. 3 of the Downs subjects used oral contraception, and 1 Depo-Provera, compared to reports of use of pills by 19, diaphragm by 3 and condom by 16 controls. This is a high incidence of regular ovulation among Downs syndrome females compared to some reports in the literature.