This document discusses adolescent growth and development. It begins by defining key terms like adolescence, puberty, and growth and development. It then describes the physical, physiological, behavioral, emotional, and sexual changes that occur during adolescence. Factors that can affect growth and development are also outlined, including genetic, nutritional, environmental, and health factors. The document discusses common myths around adolescent development and how adults typically react to adolescent changes. It concludes by examining how socio-cultural values and practices can positively or negatively influence adolescent reproductive health.

1. ADOLESCENT GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT

2. Learning objectives
By the end of the session, students will be able to:
1. Define the following terms: Adolescence, Young
Person, Youth Puberty.
2. Discuss the changes that occur during adolescence
3. Discuss the factors affecting growth and development
4. Discuss adults’ and adolescents’ reactions towards
adolescent changes and behaviour
5. Discuss the misconceptions/myths associated with
growth and development in adolescents

3. Definitions
Growth and Development:
• Growth implies principally changes in size of the
body as a whole as a result of increase in the size
and number of cells.
• Development denotes acquisition of function by a
tissue, an organ or the individual i.e. ability to
perform tasks.
• Growth and development refer to the process by
which the fertilized ovum becomes an adult
person.

4. Definitions continued
• Adolescent
– is a boy or girl aged between 10-19 years old.
• Adolescence
– is a gradual process when a child grows and
develops into an adult. It begins at 10 - 12 years
and continues until the age of 18 - 19 years. It
occurs at different speeds in different people and
is always marked by profound changes in the
individual.

5. Defn cont’d
• Young Person
– is a boy or girl aged between 10 - 24 years old.
• Puberty
– describes the reproductive changes that occur during
adolescence.
– Male
• Starts between 10 - 14 years and stops between 15 - 17
years of age
• External genitalia enlarges

6. Puberty cont’d
• Testes enlarge
• Pubic hair grows and increases
– Females
• Can start as early as 9 years of age
• Breast development, 9 - 13 years
• Pubic hair growth starts at 9 - 14 years and is complete
at
• 12 - 16 years.
• Menarche (start of periods) occurs later between 11 -
15 years old.

7. Changes That Occur During
Adolescence
1. Physical changes
– Pubic hair and armpit hair
– Voice change
– Penile growth and erections
– Weight gain
– Enlargement of sexual organs and change in body
shape
– Enlargement of breasts

8. Changes cont’d
Physiological changes
– Menstruation
– Wet dreams
– Production of sperms
– Acne
Behavioral changes
– Peer group formation
– Independence from family members
– Habit formation e.g. – smoking and alcohol ingestion

9. Changes cont’d
Emotional changes
• Swinging moods (withdrawal)
• Self conscious
• Opposed feelings towards opposite sex
• Anxiety
• Less dependent on family

10. Changes cont’d
Sexual changes
– Sexual arousal is awakened
– Masturbation
– Sexual Experimentation
– Attraction to opposite/same sex
– Towards sexual behaviour change

11. Factors affecting Growth and
Development
• Genetic
• Sex
• Birth weight
• Nutrition
• Physical injury: can occur:
– Before birth
– During or after birth
• Chemical injury can also affect growth and
development
• Infections

12. Factors continued
• Social and emotional factors include:
– Sex of child, position of child in family or child
with siblings, parents and other people;
– The personal concerns and needs of the parents
– The child rearing patterns of the parent and the
community
– Emotional deprivation.
• Mal-absorption - body not able to take up and
utilize food eaten.

13. Factors cont’d
• Severe chronic diseases like:
– Asthma, heart disease, liver and kidney disease.
• Prolonged drug treatments like:
– corticosteroid medication.
• Intelligence - this is influenced by both genetic
and environmental factors. Children with high
intelligence tend to develop faster than those
with low intelligence.

14. Misconceptions/myths associated with
growth and development
Females
• Girls with big bums are having a lot of sex
• Small breasts can't breast feed
• Menstrual cramps can be healed by having sex
• Menstrual cramps mean infertility
• The vagina is hollow and something can
disappear in it.

15. Misconceptions/myths cont’d
• Girls can only get pregnant if they have
menstruated for one year
• Girls can depend on safe days as a contraception
Girls with big lips are sexy
Males
• Big penises are better
• Erections mean one should have sex
• Wet dreams mean one should have sex

16. Misconceptions/myths continued
• Boys who do not grow beards are not men
• It is abnormal to have slight breast
enlargement
• Hairy chests are only for sexy boys
• Girls only get attracted to tall, masculine boys
• Boys can only make girls pregnant at age of 18
years
• Boys with big toes have big penises.

17. How do adults react to the
various changes in adolescents

18. Common problems experienced by
adolescents as a result of growth and
development
• Menstrual related problems
• Acne
• Over sweating
• Vaginal discharge
• Wet dreams
• Size and shape of body parts change
• Size and shape of body increase
• Frequent erections

19. SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUES AND
PRACTICES THAT INFLUENCE
ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE
HEALTH

20. learning Objectives
By the end of the lecture, students will be able to:
1. Define society, culture, norms, values, & beliefs.
2. Discuss socio-cultural practices that affect
adolescent reproductive health
3. Discuss factors that influence adolescent
practices and behaviours
4. Discuss positive strategies that can promote
positive cultural practices

21. Definition of terms
• Culture
- is a set of values, attitudes, norms, beliefs and
practices that influence people’s behaviour in a
given society and are usually passed on from one
generation to another.
• Norms
– Are societal regulations put in place to control
people’s behaviour. These regulations are composed
of the dos and don’ts and these regulations should be
followed by societal members.

22. Definitions continued
• Values
– Refers to things which people attach a lot of
importance to. They are principles or standards or
ones judgment of what one considers as being
desirable or beneficial.
• Beliefs
– Refer to feelings which people take to be true and real
and at times value it with fear of punishment or hope
of reward
• Society
– Refers to a group of people who live together and
share common culturally value and practices

23. Factors that have an impact on
Adolescent Reproductive Health
• Transitionary nature of society.
• Mass media e.g. films, print media, Internet,
radio.
• Infiltration of foreign cultures which have
either positive or negative influences.
• Educational level

24. Factors cont’d
• Environment:
– the situation in which one lives may determine
his/her behaviour e.g. if a girl lives in an
environment of prostitutes, she may end up being
one and thinking it is the order of the day.
• Socio-cultural & economic status
• Peer pressure

25. Socio-cultural practices that influence
adolescent Reproductive Health
• Food taboos
• Preservation of virginity
• Early sexual activity
• Bride price/dowry
• Early marriage
• Forced marriage
• Incest

26. Practices cont’d
• Polygamy
• Spouse sharing
• Wife inheritance
• Cultural festivities e.g. twin dancing
ceremonies
• Circumcision in both males and females
• Pulling the labia minora

27. What health consequences occur
• Food taboos
– these may deprive them of some food nutrients
thus resulting in malnutrition
• Gender discrimination
– this may be in relation to boy preference over
girls. These deprive the girls of future
opportunities. This practice is against the rights of
children and should not be promoted.

28. Health consequences cont’d
• Early child bearing
– there are some cultures that promote child
bearing at an early age and this can be followed by
health complications e.g. complications of
adolescent pregnancy.
• Increased spread of HIV/AIDS
• Increased incidence of familial abnormalities

29. What Practices are considered
negative
• Early marriages coupled with bride price.
• Early sexual activity exposes adolescents to
HIV/AIDS/STIs and early and unwanted
pregnancies
• Wife inheritance
• Spouse sharing
• Polygamy

30. Negative practices cont’d
• Cultural festivities e.g. ‘twin dancing’ and
circumcision. This is accompanied by
festivities and adolescents are expected to
participate. This may lead to having of
indiscriminate sex and consequently girls may
become victims of unwanted pregnancies.
• Wife beating
• Gender discrimination
• Ostracizing pregnant adolescents etc

31. What are some of the cultural
values and practices positively affect
the adolescents

32. • Preservation of virginity before marriage;
– this prevents them from contracting STIs and
getting unwanted pregnancies.
• Story-telling and superstitions
– these bear positive implications for adolescents.
Some of them instill fear in them and control their
behaviour like moving in the dark to the well and
failing to find your way back. These can protect
them from the vulnerability of sexual abuse that
may arise hence promoting responsible behaviour

33. Positive values cont’d
• Community parenting
– this gives collective responsibility to all persons to
take care of the young people in the community
Class contribution

34. Strategies to help promote positive
cultural practices
• Sensitizing the community leaders about the
need to promote positive cultural practices
and discouraging the negative ones.
• Use popular theatre for sensitizing the
adolescents and the community.
• Use peer parents and adolescents to educate
the communities on the effects of cultural
practices on adolescent reproductive health

35. Strategies cont’d
• Incorporating youth, gender and health policies in
the community through sensitization.
• Advocate for school curriculum to take on
reinforcing stories that are related to ARH in a
positive way.
• Adolescents should engage in a campaign to
eradicate cultural practices that negatively affect
their health e.g. female genital mutilation
Class contribution