Early puberty has been shown to raise the risk of breast cancer; high risk adolescent behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, unprotected sex, and crime; mental and physical health problems such as depression and anxiety; and lower academic education.

The childhoods of U.S. girls have been significantly shortened. Girls get their first periods today, on average, a few months earlier than did girls 40 years ago, but they get their breasts one to two years earlier. Early puberty hits girls in low-income communities of color even harder. Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in everyday products can increase the risk of early puberty.

To slow early puberty we need public health policies that protect our children from harmful chemical exposures.