Sexual Precocity in Girls

Abuse in Childhood and Risk of Uterine Leiomyoma

“…Hypothetically, early development of secondary sexual characteristics—which may increase fibroid risk through enhanced sex hormone exposure—may be associated with risk for childhood sexual abuse. 65 Also, childhood adversities tend to co-occur. 14 Children in families with neglect, parental substance abuse, marital violence, and housing insecurity are also more likely to experience victimization in childhood.…”

Pubertal Timing and Tempo: Associations With Childhood Maltreatment

“…Both theoretical mechanisms described above are supported by a number of studies that find that child maltreatment is associated with early pubertal timing (Costello, Sung, Worthman, & Angold, 2007;Foster, Hagan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2008;Romans, Martin, Gendall, & Herbison, 2003). Many studies have found that sexual abuse, in particular, is a distinct and dominant risk factor for early puberty or early menarche in girls (Brown, Cohen, Chen, Smailes, & Johnson, 2004;Herman-Giddens, Sandler, & Friedman, 1988;Turner, Runtz, & Galambos, 1999;Zabin, Emerson, & Rowland, 2005), although most of these studies lack the design to draw conclusions about the causal sequence between sexual abuse and early puberty.…”

Timing of Pubertal Maturation in Girls: An Integrated Life History Approach.

“…It is likely that all four of the preceding conditions are often met in the case of sexual abuse of stepdaughters. Four studies have investigated relations between sexual abuse and timing of pubertal development (Herman-Giddens, Sandler, & Friedman, 1988; Jorm et al, 2004; Romans et al, 2003; Turner, Runtz, & Galambos, 1999), and in each investigation a history of sexual abuse was associated with earlier puberty. Jorm et al (2004) and Romans et al (2003) both used large, random community samples, which are useful for establishing effect sizes.…”

“…Both Jorm et al and Turner et al (1999) used measurement procedures that encompassed some postmenarcheal experiences of sexual abuse. Although Herman-Giddens et al (1988) and Romans et al both assessed sexual abuse prior to menarche, early pubertal changes would have already been under way in many of the girls they studied.…”

“…In sum, the direction of causation remains an open question. Herman-Giddens et al (1988) speculated that early development of secondary sexual characteristics may increase the probability of a child becoming a victim of sexual abuse. In Romans et al (2003), most cases of sexual abuse occurred prior to menarche but during the early stages of the pubertal transition.…”