Hi I’m 12 and I haven’t gotten my period yet. I’ve had pubic hair and arm hair since I was 10 and I’ve had discharge for over a year. What does the type of discharge I get mean for how close my period is?

No type of discharge works as a countdown to a first period.

Clear, white or off-white discharge is normal in puberty and can start some months before a first period, and it can look a bit yellow once it dries on your underwear. That timing is only a rough guide, not a countdown, so having it for more than a year does not on its own mean anything is wrong. Normal discharge can be thin and stretchy or thick and gooey, but neither kind tells you how close your period is.

What your body signs mean

You are already checking off big puberty signs right on track. A first period can come anywhere from about 9 to 15, sometimes later, and the average is around 12.

Here is how things usually line up, though the timing varies a lot:

• Breasts starting to grow is usually the first sign, and a period often comes about 2 years later, and that varies a lot
• Pubic hair usually shows up around the same time or soon after, and getting hair first is common and normal too
• A growth spurt, and the period often comes about a year after the fastest growing, and that varies a lot too
• Clear or white discharge may start some months before

When to check in with a grown-up

Tell a grown-up if your discharge comes out a different colour (like deep yellow, green or grey), smells strong or bad, changes texture, suddenly gets much heavier, or comes with itching, soreness, pain when peeing or tummy pain. Also, no period by 15, or no breast growth or other puberty signs by 13 means telling a grown-up so a doctor can check.

Btw if you want to find out roughly where you are in the whole process, there is a quiz on this site: how close is my first period?