Assessing Effects of Life History Antecedents on Age at Menarche and Sexual Debut Using a Genetically Informative Design

Life history derived models of female sexual development all propose menarche timing as a key regulatory mechanism driving subsequent sexual behavior. The current research utilized a twin subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n =520) to comprehensively evaluate effects of life history antecedents on menarche timing and sexual debut, and extend understanding of these life history models with a genetically informative design. The results show mixed support for each life history model and did not provide evidence any effect on age at menarche. Results of this research call to question the underlying assumptions of life history derived models of sexual development and highlight the need for more behavior genetic research in this area.