Inter-Disciplinary Journal of Science Education (IJ-SED) Vol. 3(1), December 2021 1 Journal of the Department of Social Science Education, Faculty of Education, University of Calabar, Calabar - Nigeria MENARCHE AWARENESS AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS’ IN JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA Dan, Felicia Agbor-Obun (Ph.D), Edet, Itam Ben & Lale, Peniel. Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, University of Calabar Abstract This study assessed awareness of menarche among female students in Junior Secondary Schools of Calabar Municipal Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. One research question was formulated to guide the study. Literature review was carried out based on the variables under study. Cross sectional research design was utilized. Stratified random sampling technique was used in selecting the respondents sampled for the study. A validated 6 items semi-structured questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The reliability estimate of the instrument was 0.75 using Cronbach Alpha reliability method. Data was analysed using the descriptive analysis of frequency and percentages. The result of the study revealed that the awareness level of menarche among students in Junior Secondary School in poor. It was recommended that all mothers irrespective of their educational status should be taught to break their inhibitions about discussing with their daughters regarding menstruation much before the age of menarche. Key words: Menarche, Awareness, Knowledge, Menstrual cycle, Students, Introduction Menarche is the onset of menstruation, and it is one of the most significant milestones in the reproductive life of a woman. It is the hallmark of adolescence, marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood. The mean age at menarche varies from population to population, and is known to be sensitive indicator of various characteristics of populations, including nutritional status, geographical location, environmental conditions, and magnitude of socioeconomic inequalities in a society. For most females, it occurs between the ages of 10 and 16 years, with remarkable variation (Kapowitz, 2016). Studies however suggest that menarche tends to appear earlier in life as the sanitary, nutritional, and economic conditions of a society improves (Abioye- Kuteyi, Ojofeitimi, Aina, Kio, Alulo & Mosuro, 2017). The normal range for menstrual cycles is between 21 and 35 days. While most periods last from 3 to 5 days, duration of menstrual flow normally ranges from 2 to 7 days. For the first few years after menarche, irregular and longer cycles are common (Adams, 2012). This period is very critical in the life of an adolescent girl because it is mostly associated with so many physical, emotional and physical changes. This period is marked by increase in hormonal secretion, physical differentials etc, and thus any misinformation or lack of information or awareness could be dangerous and detrimental to the evolving adolescent girl. Awareness of menstruation among adolescent girls is significantly lacuna. Several research studies exposed this discrepancy, and showed a low level of knowledge among girls about menstruation when they first encountered it (Khanna, Goyal & Bhawsar, 2015). Social prohibitions and the parents ‘negative attitude in openly discussing the related issues have blocked adolescent girl’s access to the right kind of information, particularly in rural and