Here we will talk about:

What is puberty?
When changes happen to girls?
What are the sex organs?
What are periods and why do they happen?
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Whats Happening?
What is uberty?

!t is the time when our bodies change toward an

adult body"

#tart to develop new feelings

and interests

#tart to make sperm cells or
start to make egg cells
$he cells necessary to make a new human:
What is uberty?
%gg & #perm ' (aby
We will talk about the changes that
happen that others can see"
)nd changes that are private"
When we talk about these things
it is normal to feel
*omfortable *urious
%mbarrassed
+isgust
%xcited #hy
When do changes happen?

)nywhere between , and -."

/ost people begin between the ages of -0 and -1"

When you start makes no difference to how you develop"

2o age is better than any other one"

For some3 most of the changes happen in a few years"
For some3 changes happen slowly over lots of years"
When do changes happen?
This is normal.
What changes happen to girls?
4et taller and heavier
(ones grow bigger and heavier
Hips get wider and more curvy
Face changes shape
5oice gets a little deeper
Hair grows under the armpits3
around the genitals 6pubic hair7
Hair on arms and legs grows
darker
(reasts and nipples get larger
(ody sweats more
!nternal and external sex organs
grow
/ay have mood swings3 sexual
thoughts and feelings
What changes happen to girls?
What causes these changes?
Hormones 8 chemical messengers
that travel in the blood stream from the
place where they are made 6called
glands7 to the place where they do
their work"
%ach hormone has a specific 9ob"
$he pituitary gland3 deep inside your
brain3 gets things started" !t sends out
hormones to our sex organs to get
them to start making sex hormones"
!t is the sex hormones that make the
changes that cause childrens bodies
grow into adult bodies"
(oth boys and girls make the same
sex hormones" $he main ones are
testosterone and estrogen"
(oys make lots of testosterone3 not so
much estrogen"
4irls make lots of estrogen3 not so
much testosterone"
What causes these changes?
What will ! look like when ! grow up?
$hat depends mostly on your heredity3 the genes you got when an egg cell and
a sperm cell from your birth parents came together to make the cells that
developed into you"
What will ! look like when ! grow up?
4enes mostly determine how tall you will grow3 the colour of your hair3 the si:e and shape of
your breasts and your overall body shape"
;ther things that affect our body are the foods we eat3 how active we are and how much
sleep we get"
What are the sex organs?
$hese parts are also called the reproductive organs and genitals"
$he parts on the outside are:
Vulva

$he area of soft skin between a females legs"

Clitoris

#mall organ made of nerves and tissue"

)t the top where the lips 9oin"

;nly the tip is on the outside3 the rest is

hidden inside"

#ensitive to touch" *an feel tingly and

pleasurable"
Inner and Outer Labia

#oft folds of skin that cover the inner parts

4row darker and bigger at puberty"

Urethra

2ot a sex organ"

$iny opening that urine comes out from

the bladder"
Vaginal opening

%ntrance to the vagina"

Hymen

$hin piece of skin that may cover part of

the opening to the vagina"

;ften small or missing"

Anus

(etween the two cheeks of the buttocks"

!t is where bowel movements come out"

What are the sex organs?
$he parts on the inside are:
Uterus

#ometimes called the womb"

/uscular organ about the si:e of

a pear"

Where developing baby3 called a

fetus3 grows and is fed"

Where the period comes from.

Vagina

Warm3 soft3 moist passageway

9oining outside and uterus"
allopian tubes

2arrow tubes between the uterus

and the ovary"
Ovaries

4lands that make egg cells and

female sex hormones"
Cervix

$he lower part of the uterus"

/akes mucus to keep sperm alive"

Has opening where sperm enter

uterus and where the baby comes
out of the uterus"
$he parts on the inside are:
4irls are born with hundreds of thousands of
tiny eggs3 called ova 8 one is called an ovum"
$hese egg cells are only half formed"
)t puberty3 hormones tell the ovaries it is time
to start releasing ova"
<sually one egg at a time matures 6develops7
and is released from an ovary"
#o what are periods
and why do they happen?
)t the same time3 the uterus starts to grow a
thick lining on the inside wall"

$he lining has lots of tiny blood vessels"

$he lining is there to protect and feed an

egg that has combined with a sperm to form
a fertili:ed egg"
#o what are periods
and why do they happen?
!f an egg does not meet a sperm3 the lining is not
needed"
!t breaks up"
/ixed with some blood it comes out the
uterus into the vagina and then out the
vaginal opening"
$his is called menstruation but lots of females
9ust call it their period.
!f a woman is not pregnant then her ovary
will release another egg3 the lining build up
and3 if the egg is not fertili:ed3 she has
another period"
$his is called the menstrual cycle.
#o what are periods
and why do they happen?
How do girls feel about having periods?
2ervous
#cared
%xcited
*urious
Weird
/ature
All !eelings are normal
When will ! get my period?
2o one can tell exactly when it will start"
/any girls get some white or yellow stuff on their underwear"
!t is mucus and tells the girl that her period is coming sometime within
the next year"
How long will the bleeding last?
%ach female is different" !t can vary from = 8 , days"
+uring a period we only lose a few tablespoons to about half a cup of
blood in that time 8 not a lot"
How often will ! get a period?
)t first there may not be any pattern to
when you will get your next period"
#ome women never have a regular
pattern"
/ost women eventually have a regular
cycle 8 they know approximately when
their next period will happen"
$he length of a cycle is from the first day of
bleeding one month to the first day of
bleeding the next time it happens"
%ach person is different so some women
may have a period every >= days3 some
every >, days and some every =? days"
Lots o! girls "eep a calendar
to help them "eep trac" o! #hen they
have their period
and ho# long it lasts.
Will it hurt?
$he bleeding is like a nosebleed 8 we dont know it is happening until we
become aware that we have blood on our underwear"
#ome girls get cramps 8 tight pains around the uterus 8 before and for a
day or two during their period"
#ome girls get cramps every period3 some once in awhile and some never"
!f you get them3 talk to your mom or another woman about what to do for
them"
Will people know when ! get my
period?
2ot unless you tell them"
$he blood usually dribbles out a bit at a time3 it doesnt gush out in a
puddle"
What do ! do when ! get my period?
Females use pads or tampons to catch the blood that comes from the
vagina"
#anitary pads are made of material that absorbs the blood"
/ost have a sticky strip on one side to hold the pad to the underwear"
ads come in a variety of si:es and shapes"
) tampon is a small plug of material that fits inside the females vagina to
absorb the blood"
#ome girls like to use tampons3 especially if they are doing physical
activities"
#ome girls only use pads"
It is up to you.
What do ! do when ! get my period?
eople say you get /# with periods"
What is it and will ! get it?
/# stands for premenstrual syndrome"

#ome females start to feel weepy3 @headachyA and bloated"

(efore and when their period comes" !t happens because the hormones
are changing"
#ome females never have /#"
%veryone is differentB
!f this happens to you talk to an adult you trust"
#o what about (reasts?
Cots of girls feel nervous when their breasts
start to grow3 other girls are thrilled"
Will they be too big or too
small?,
Will they be the
right shape?
YES - finally they
are growing!
Dour genes determine the si:e and shape of
breasts"
$he si:e does not affect how much milk a
mother can make to feed a baby"
$he first thing you may notice is a bump
behind the nipple"
$hen there will be swelling underneath
$he nipple are gets darker"
(reasts grow slowly and one side may be
bigger for awhile"
$hey may feel sore at times while they are
developing"
#o what about (reasts?
+o ! have to wear a bra?
$hat is up to you"
#ome girls never wear bras"
#ome girls feel more comfortable wearing one"
!m worried that ! will get fat when ! go
through puberty" *an ! stop it?
Females body shape changes and hips widen to make
more space for a fetus to develop"
)t puberty3 both guys and girls gain weight and develop
different strengths"
4uys put on more muscle" *ompared to a girl of the
same height3 weight and build3 the guy may be able to
lift more weight and run faster"
4irls build up @adipose tissueA 8 fat3 which is energy stored
in our body in our upper arms3 breasts3 thighs and
buttocks"
%nergy is needed for breast feeding and looking after a
newborn child"
4irls can survive things3 like hunger and extreme heat and
cold3 better than a guy of her si:e"
!m worried that ! will get fat when ! go
through puberty" *an ! stop it?
What about feelings?
(oth girls and guys can experience lots of feelings as they grow up"
Dou may have mood swings 8 happy one day3 sad the next"
Dou may love your friends or family at times and not want to have anything to
do with them at other times"
#ometimes you may feel grownEup3 other times like a kid
$here may be lots of tears and arguments"
*hanging hormones cause some of these feelings"
What about feelings?
#exual feelings
Dou may think about or have dreams about things such as:

Fissing someone

2aked bodies

(eing touched

Flirting

Falling in love
!t could be someone your age3 someone older3 someone you know or
someone you dont know like a celebrity"
!t might be someone of your sex or someone of the opposite sex or
both"
When females get sexual feelings they can have a tingly feeling around
their sex organs"

$he vagina gets wet"

#ome females touch their sex parts to get the intense feeling called
orgasm" $his is called masturbation" #ome girls do it3 some dont"
#exual feelings
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your changing body please visit: