The Authority has now clarified the matter by deciding to use the term particularized need consistent with its use by the D.C. Circuit in later decisions, such as United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C. v. FLRA, 1 F.3d 19 (D.C.
Menarche marks the commencement of the reproductive phase of a woman's life. Records suggest that there was a secular decline in the average age at menarche in developed countries across the 19th and 20th Centuries until the 1950s, with an average age at menarche of 15-17 years reported in the mid-19th Century.
Normal Menstrual Cycle - Menarche and the Teenage Menstrual Cycle. Menarche (say MEN-ar-kee) is a girl's first menstrual period. A first period usually happens after breasts, pubic hair, and underarm hair have begun to grow. Menarche is a sign of growing up and becoming a woman. It can happen as early as about age 9 or up to age 15. The first few periods are usually light and irregular. About 2 out of 3 girls have a regular pattern of menstrual periods within 2 years of menarche. During the teen years, periods may become longer and heavier.