2. INTRODUCTION
1. WHAT IS PUBERTY
2. PHYSICAL CHANGES
3. EMOTIONAL CHANGES
4. PHYCOLOGICAL CHANGES
5. HOW DO OUR REPRODUCTION WORKS
3. WHAT IS PUBERTY
THE PERIOD DURING WHICH ADOLESCENTS REACH SEXUAL
MATURITY AND BECOME CAPABLE OF REPRODUCTION. BOYS
START PUBERTY IN AGE 12 TO16 AND 10 TO 12 TO GIRL
GIRLS PRODUCE OVERMS BOYS PRODUCE
SPERM
4. PHYSICAL CHANGES(BOYS)
BRODING OF CHEST AND SHOULDER
ONSET OF PUBERTY BRINGS MANY PHYSICAL CHANGES IN BOYS. THEIR
CHEST AND SHOULDERS BROADEN AND THEIR MUSCLES START TO
DEVELOP.
. DEEPENING OF VOICE AND APPEARANCE OF FACIAL HAIR
THE VOICE GETS DEEPER. HAIR BEGINS TO GROW ON THE FACE THAT
LATER DEVELOP INTO MOUSTACHE AND BEARD
APPEARANCE OF BODY HAIR AND PUBIC HAIR
HAIR BEGINS TO GROW ON THE CHEST, IN THE ARMPITS, HANDS, LEGS
AND IN THE GROIN AREA. HAIR IN THE GROIN REGION IS CALLED PUBIC
HAIR.
5. PHYSICAL CHANGES (CON BOYS)
INCREASE IN SIZE OF GENITALS
THE PENIS AND THE TESTICLES GROW BIGGER IN SIZE.
GROWTH SPURT
DURING PUBERTY BOYS EXPERIENCE A RAPID GROWTH IN HEIGHT OVER A SPAN OF 2 TO 3 YEARS. THIS
RAPID GROWTH IN HEIGHT IS CALLED GROWTH SPURT.
6. ABILITY TO EJACULATE
BOYS BECOME CAPABLE OF EJACULATING WHICH IS EJECTION OF SEMEN THROUGH THE PENIS. THE FIRST
EJACULATION MARKS THE ATTAINMENT OF SEXUAL MATURITY IN A BOY'S LIFE.
6. PHYSICAL CHANGES(GIRLS )
• . DEVELOPMENT OF BREASTS
• BETWEEN THE AGES OF 8-13 YEARS, GIRLS START DEVELOPING BREASTS. MORPHOLOGICALLY
(THAT IS IN TERMS OF FORM AND SHAPE), BREASTS LOOK LIKE A CONE WITH THE BASE AT THE
CHEST WALL AND THE APEX AT THE NIPPLE. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE OF THE BREASTS GROWS
FASTER THAN THE OTHER BUT BY THE TIME THE BREASTS ARE FULLY DEVELOPED THE
DIFFERENCES IN THEIR SHAPE AND SIZE ARE REDUCED. FOR A MAJORITY OF GIRLS THERE IS A
SMALL DIFFERENCE IN SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE TWO BREASTS WHICH IS PERMANENT AND IS
TOTALLY NORMAL. THE SIZE OF THE BREASTS AND THE TIME WHEN IT STARTS TO GROW ALSO
VARIES ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
•
• 2. APPEARANCE OF HAIR IN THE ARMPIT
• DURING PUBERTY, HAIR BEGINS TO GROW IN YOUR ARM PITS.
7. . WIDENING OF HIPS AND APPEARANCE OF PUBIC HAIR
THROUGH THE YEARS OF PUBERTY, THE HIPS OF A GIRL WIDEN AND HAIR BEGINS TO
GROW IN THE GENITAL REGION. HAIR IN THE GENITAL REGION IS KNOWN AS PUBIC HAIR.
4. GROWTH SPURT
DURING PUBERTY GIRLS EXPERIENCE A SHARP GROWTH IN THEIR HEIGHT. THIS IS
KNOWN AS GROWTH SPURT. BY THE TIME SHE IS 16 YEARS OLD, SHE ATTAINS ABOUT
98% OF THE FINAL HEIGHT THAT SHE WILL EVENTUALLY GROW TO.
5. ONSET OF MENSTRUATION
MENSTRUATION IS A PROCESS IN WHICH A SEXUALLY MATURE GIRL'S OR A WOMAN'S
BODY RELEASES OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF BLOOD AND TISSUE THROUGH HER VAGINA.
MENSTRUATION IS A NORMAL PROCESS THAT EVERY HEALTHY AND SEXUALLY MATURE
GIRL AND WOMAN UNDERGO GENERALLY ONCE EVERY MONTH. FIRST OCCURRENCE OF
MENSTRUATION IS CALLED MENARCHE AND IT MARKS THE AGE WHEN GIRLS BECOME
SEXUALLY MATURE. GENERALLY MENARCHE OCCURS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 9 AND 14
YEARS AND VARIES ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
8. EMOTIONAL CHANGES
1. FEELING OVERLY SENSITIVE
DURING PUBERTY, SINCE YOUR BODY UNDERGOES MANY CHANGES, IT IS COMMON TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THEM AND BECOME
OVERLY SENSITIVE ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE. AS A RESULT YOU MAY FEEL IRRITATED QUITE EASILY, LOSE YOUR TEMPER OR
FEEL DEPRESSED. IT WILL BE USEFUL TO BE AWARE OF THE CHANGES IN YOUR BEHAVIOR AND TALK ABOUT IT WITH SOMEONE THAT YOU'RE
COMFORTABLE TALKING TO.
2. LOOKING FOR AN IDENTITY
SINCE YOU ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING AN ADULT, YOU MAY FEEL INCLINED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE AS A
PERSON. THERE IS ALSO A GENERAL TENDENCY THAT YOU ASSOCIATE MORE WITH YOUR FRIENDS THAN YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
PSYCHOLOGICALLY, IT MAY BE BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDS ARE GOING THROUGH A SIMILAR PHASE AS YOU. YOU MAY TRY TO FIGURE OUT
HOW YOU ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS AND HOW YOU FIT INTO THE WORLD. THIS MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SOME SORT OF A
STRUGGLE TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT OF YOUR PARENTS AND FAMILY.
3. FEELING UNCERTAIN
SINCE YOU'RE NOT COMPLETELY AN ADULT AND ARE NOT A CHILD ANYMORE, PUBERTY CAN POTENTIALLY LEAD TO UNCERTAIN TIMES. AS A
TRANSITION PHASE, YOU MAY BEGIN TO WONDER AND THINK ABOUT NEW AND UNFAMILIAR ASPECTS OF LIFE SUCH AS CAREER,
LIVELIHOOD AND MARRIAGE. SINCE, ALL OF THIS IS NEW AND UNFAMILIAR WHEN YOU START THINKING ALONG THESE DIRECTIONS, YOU MAY
FEEL UNCERTAIN ABOUT THE FUTURE.
9. EMOTINAL CHANGES
THIS UNCERTAINTY BECOMES MORE EVIDENT WHEN THE EXPECTATIONS THAT PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU HAVE
FROM YOU ALSO CHANGE. YOU MAY BE EXPECTED TO TAKE ON GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES THAN WHAT WAS
EXPECTED FROM YOU AS A CHILD. EVENTUALLY YOU WILL GROW INTO YOUR NEW ROLES AND BECOME MORE CERTAIN
ABOUT YOURSELF, BUT THIS PROCESS WILL TAKE ITS OWN TIME DEPENDING ON HOW YOU RESPOND TO THIS
SITUATION.
4. PEER PRESSURE
WITH THE ONSET OF PUBERTY, YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR FRIENDS WILL INCREASE. YOUR PEER GROUP
AND YOU ARE LIKELY TO BE INFLUENCED BY WHAT YOU SEE AROUND YOU IN POPULAR MEDIA AND THE CULTURE THAT
IS REPRESENTED THROUGH THEM. YOU MIGHT OFTEN PICK UP ON WHAT'S IN AND WHAT'S OUT IN TERMS OF THE WAY
YOU DRESS, YOUR LANGUAGE AND EVEN YOUR BEHAVIOUR DEPENDING UPON WHAT YOU SEE.
THIS MAYBE UNCOMFORTABLE AT TIMES AND WOULD PROBABLY EVEN CHANGE YOUR LIKES AND DISLIKES. IT'S
ALSO ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU STRUGGLE TO FIT IN WITH YOUR PEERS. THESE EVENTS CAN LEAD TO A GAP
BETWEEN WHAT IS PERCEIVED AS APPROPRIATE BY YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR FRIENDS.
10. EMOTIONAL CHANGES ( CON)
• FEELING CONSCIOUS ABOUT SELF
• THE ONSET OF PUBERTY CAN VARY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. THEREFORE THE WAY YOU GROW
MAYBE DIFFERENT FROM THE WAY YOUR FRIENDS GROW. THIS CAN MAKE YOU CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE
WAY YOU'RE GROWING UP AND YOUR BODY.
• THESE EXPERIENCES ARE MORE PRONOUNCED FOR GIRLS BECAUSE THEY DEVELOP FASTER AND
EARLIER THAN BOYS. ALSO THE CHANGES IN THEIR BODIES SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT OF BREASTS AND
WIDENING OF HIPS ARE MORE NOTICEABLE. THIS MAY MAKE THEM FEEL MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THEIR
BODY IN PRESENCE OF THEIR PEERS OF THE SAME AGE GROUP.
•
• 8. GETTING SEXUAL FEELINGS
• PUBERTY IS ALSO THE PHASE AFTER WHICH YOU DEVELOP SEXUAL MATURITY. SEXUAL MATURITY IS
THE STAGE OF YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU CAN HAVE CHILDREN. ONE ASPECT OF SEXUAL MATURITY IS
BEING CURIOUS ABOUT SEX AND
11. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
WHAT ARE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES DURING PUBERTY?
PUBERTY CAN BE A TUMULTUOUS TIME FOR BOTH GIRLS AND BOYS. ALONG WITH BODILY CHANGES THEY ALSO
EXPERIENCE A SEARCH FOR THE SELF AND IDENTITY. THIS IS A TIME WHEN GIRLS AND BOYS FEEL CONSCIOUS AS THEIR
BODIES CHANGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS. THEY ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING SEXUAL GROWTH AND MAY FEEL ATTRACTED TO
THE OPPOSITE SEX. THIS LEADS TO NEW EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS.
BOYS AND GIRLS EXPERIENCE VARIED MOOD SWINGS RANGING FROM AGGRESSION TO DEPRESSION. TEENAGERS
EXPERIENCE MANY FRUSTRATIONS DURING THIS STAGE DUE TO RAGING HORMONES, IDENTITY CRISES AND EXPLORING
THEIR SEXUALITY. PARENTS AND CARERS MUST BE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING DURING THIS PERIOD.
12. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM WORK
LABIA MAJORA: THE LABIA MAJORA ENCLOSE AND PROTECT THE OTHER EXTERNAL
REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. LITERALLY TRANSLATED AS "LARGE LIPS," THE LABIA MAJORA ARE
LARGE AND FLESHY, AND ARE COMPARABLE TO THE SCROTUM IN MALES. THE LABIA MAJORA
SWEAT AND OIL-SECRETING GLANDS. AFTER PUBERTY, THE LABIA MAJORA ARE COVERED
LABIA MINORA: LITERALLY TRANSLATED AS "SMALL LIPS," THE LABIA MINORA CAN BE VERY
SMALL OR UP TO 2 INCHES WIDE. THEY LIE JUST INSIDE THE LABIA MAJORA, AND SURROUND THE
TO THE VAGINA (THE CANAL THAT JOINS THE LOWER PART OF THE UTERUS TO THE OUTSIDE OF
AND URETHRA (THE TUBE THAT CARRIES URINE FROM THE BLADDER TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE
BARTHOLIN'S GLANDS: THESE GLANDS ARE LOCATED BESIDE THE VAGINAL OPENING AND
PRODUCE A FLUID (MUCUS) SECRETION.
CLITORIS: THE TWO LABIA MINORA MEET AT THE CLITORIS, A SMALL, SENSITIVE PROTRUSION
THAT IS COMPARABLE TO THE PENIS IN MALES. THE CLITORIS IS COVERED BY A FOLD OF SKIN,
PREPUCE, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE FORESKIN AT THE END OF THE PENIS. LIKE THE PENIS, THE
VERY SENSITIVE TO STIMULATION AND CAN BECOME ERECT.
13. REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM( BOYS )
PENIS: THIS TUBULAR, MUSCULAR ORGAN FILLS WITH
BLOOD DURING AROUSAL, THUS MAKING SEXUAL
INTERCOURSE POSSIBLE.
SCROTUM: THIS POUCH-LIKE SAC HANGS BELOW THE PENIS
AND ENCASES THE TESTES, OR TESTICLES.
TESTICLES: THESE TWO OVAL SHAPED ORGANS PRODUCE
SPERM CELLS AND TESTOSTERONE.
