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Menarche, menopause and reproduction in the Kipsigis of Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
Monique Borgerhoff Mulder
Affiliation:
Evolution and Human Behavior Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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Summary

Among the Kipsigis, a population of south-western Kenya who do not use contraception, age at menarche and age at last live birth could be determined for a cohort of post-menopausal women, through reference to clitoridectomy ceremonies that can easily be dated. While a woman's age at last live birth was strongly associated with the length of her reproductive lifespan, completed family size was better predicted by age at menarche. The demographic implications of variation in menarcheal age are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , April 1989 , pp. 179 - 192
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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