I worked as the health education supervisor for a public health center in eastern NC for 3 years. One aspect of my job was teaching puberty classes to 5th grade students. Consistently during that time, about 50% of white girls had already started their periods, and about 75% of African American students had started. This was in the spring of 5th grade so the students would have been at least 10.5 yrs old. I felt the curriculum was outdated and too late but the powers to be in North Carolina had decided this class was appropriate at this grade level. I had students write questions that I may or may not have been able to answer within the  boundaries of what my job was. Based on the questions asked, I would say 3-4 girls in each class was already sexually active. 
The NC Center for Health Statistics report that in 2005, one 10 yr old, one 11 yr old, five 12 yr olds, and thirty six 13 yr olds gave birth in our state. In my experience, I have seen girls as young as 7 already having a period, and public health clinics are seeing pregnancies at 12  years of age. I have seen an 8 yr old, 3rd grader who was pregnant. I guess study results would vary among different  populations.
 
Barbara Whitehead, BS, IBCLC, RLC
eastern NC
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