All About Puberty
Time to Change
OK, so it's a funny
word — but what is puberty, anyway?
Puberty (say:
PYOO-ber-tee) is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and
change as you move from kid to adult. We're talking about stuff like girls
developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men. During puberty,
your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for when
you were a baby.
It helps to know
about the changes that puberty causes before they happen. That way, you know
what to expect. It's also important to remember that everybody goes through
these changes. No matter where you live, whether you're a boy or a girl,
whether you like vanilla or double-fudge-chunk ice cream, you will experience
them. No two people are exactly alike, but one thing everyone has in common is
that we all go through puberty.
Usually, puberty
starts between ages 8 and 13 in girls and ages 9 and 15 in boys. This wide
range in ages may help explain why some of your friends still look like young
kids whereas others look more like adults.
When your body is ready to begin
puberty, your pituitary (say: pih-TOO-uh-ter-ee) gland (a pea-shaped gland
located at the bottom of your brain) releases special hormones. Depending on whether you're
a boy or a girl, these hormones go to work on different parts of the body.
Changes for Boys and Girls
For boys, the
hormones travel through the blood and tell the testes (say: TES-teez), the two
egg-shaped glands in the scrotum (the sac that hangs under the penis), to begin
making testosterone (say: tess-TAHS-tuh-rone) and sperm. Testosterone is the
hormone that causes most of the changes in a boy's body during puberty, and men
need sperm to be able to reproduce (be the father of a baby).
In girls, these hormones target the two
ovaries (say: OH-vuh-reez), which contain eggs that have been in the girl's
body since she was born. The hormones cause the ovaries to start making another
hormone, called estrogen. Together, these hormones prepare a girl's body to
start her periods and be able to become
pregnant someday.
Boys and girls both
begin to grow hair under their arms and their pubic areas (on and around the
genitals). It starts out looking light and thin. Then, as kids go through
puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, curlier, and darker. Eventually,
boys also start to grow hair on their faces.
It's Just a Growth Spurt
A spurt is a short
burst of activity or something that happens in a hurry. And a growth spurt is
just that: Your body is growing and it's happening really fast!
When you go through
puberty, it might seem like your sleeves are always getting shorter and your
pants are creeping up your legs. That's because you're having a growth spurt
that lasts for about 2 to 3 years. When that growth spurt is at its peak, some
kids grow 4 or more inches (10 or more centimeters) in a year! At the end of
your growth spurt, you'll have reached your adult height — or just about.
But your height isn't
the only thing that changes during puberty.
With all this quick growth, it can seem like one part of
your body — your feet, for instance — are growing faster than everything else.
This can make you feel clumsy or awkward. This is normal, too! The rest of your
body will eventually fill out and shape up, and you'll feel less klutzy.
Taking Shape
Your body also fills
out and changes shape during puberty. A boy's shoulders will grow wider and his
body will become more muscular. He may notice a bit of breast growth on his
chest. Don't worry, this is normal — and it goes away for most boys by the end
of puberty.
In addition, boys'
voices crack and eventually become deeper, their penises grow longer and wider,
and their testes get bigger. All of these changes mean that their bodies are
developing as they should during puberty.
Girls' bodies usually become curvier.
Their hips get wider and their breasts develop, starting with
just a little swelling under the nipples. Sometimes one breast grows more
quickly than the other, but most of the time they even out. Girls may start
wearing bras around this time, especially if they are involved in sports or
exercise classes.
With all this growing
and developing going on, some girls may be uncomfortable with how their bodies
are changing, but it's unhealthy for girls to diet to try to stop any
normal weight gain. If you have any questions about puberty or are
worried about your weight, talk to your parent or doctor.
One question a girl will have is: When
will I get my first period? This usually happens about 2 years after her
breasts start to develop. The menstrual (say: MEN-strul) period, or monthly cycle, is when
blood is released through the vagina. That may sound alarming, but it's normal
and it signals that a girl is growing up and her body is preparing so that she
can have a baby someday.
Here's what's going on: Each of a
girl's two ovaries holds thousands of eggs. During the menstrual cycle, an egg
is released from one of the ovaries and begins a trip down the fallopian (say:
fuh-lo-pee-un) tube to the uterus, also called the womb. A
girl has two fallopian tubes, one connecting each ovary to the uterus.
Before the egg even
leaves the ovary, though, hormones stimulate the uterus to build up its inner
lining with extra blood and tissue. If the egg gets to the uterus and is
fertilized by a sperm cell, it may plant itself in that lining and grow into a
baby. The extra blood and tissue nourishes and protects the baby as it
develops.
But most of the time
the egg is only passing through. When the egg doesn't get fertilized, or if the
fertilized egg doesn't become planted in the lining, the uterus no longer needs
the extra blood and tissue, so the blood leaves the body through the vagina.
This blood is known as a girl's period. A period usually lasts from 2 to 7
days. About 2 weeks after the last period, a new egg is released as the cycle
repeats itself.
Face Up to Changes
Another thing that may come with
puberty is acne (say: AK-nee) — or pimples —
caused by all those hormones at work in the body.
Skin gets oilier and
pimples sometimes start showing up when puberty begins, and you may get them
throughout the teenage years. You might see pimples on your face, your upper
back, or your upper chest.
To help control
pimples, wash your face twice a day with warm water and a mild soap or
cleanser. Don't squeeze, pick, or pop your pimples. Your doctor can also offer
suggestions for clearing up acne. The good news is that acne usually gets a lot
better as you get older.
PERTEMUAN KEDUA
Putting the P.U. in Puberty
P.U.! A lot of kids
notice that they have a new smell under their arms and in other places when
they hit puberty — and it's not a pretty one. That smell is body odor (you may
have heard people call it B.O.) and everyone gets it.
As you enter puberty,
the puberty hormones stimulate the glands in your skin, including the sweat
glands under your arms. When sweat and bacteria on your skin get together, it
can smell pretty bad.
So what can you do to
feel less stinky? Well, keeping clean can stop you from smelling. You might
want to take a shower every day, either in the morning before school or at
night before bed. Wearing clean clothes and showering after you've been playing
sports or exercising is also a good idea.
Another way to cut
down on body odor is to use deodorant. If you use a deodorant with
antiperspirant, it will cut down on sweat as well.
There's More?
Boys and girls will
also notice other body changes as they enter puberty. Girls sometimes might see
and feel white or clear stuff coming from the vagina. This doesn't mean
anything is wrong — it's called vaginal discharge and is just another
sign hormones are changing your body.
Boys will begin to
get erections (this is when the penis fills with blood and becomes hard).
Sometimes erections happen when boys think about sexual things or they can
happen for no reason at all. Boys also may experience something called
nocturnal emissions (or wet dreams). This is when the penis becomes erect when
a boy is sleeping and he ejaculates. When a boy ejaculates, semen — the fluid
that contains sperm — comes out of the penis. That's why they're called wet
dreams — they happen when you're sleeping and your underwear or the bed might
be a little wet when you wake up. Wet dreams occur less often as boys move
through puberty and they eventually stop.
Change Can Feel Kind of Strange
Just as those
hormones change the way your body looks on the outside, they also create
changes on the inside. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong
emotions that you've never had before. You might feel overly sensitive or
become upset easily.
Some kids lose their tempers more often and get angry with their
friends or families. You also may feel anxious about how your changing body
looks.
Sometimes it can be
hard to deal with all these new emotions. It's important to know that while
your body is adjusting to the new hormones, so is your mind. Try to remember
that people usually aren't trying to hurt your feelings or upset you on
purpose. It might not be your family or friends — it might be your new
"puberty brain" trying to adjust.
You might also have
sexual feelings that you've never felt before. And you will probably have lots
of questions about these new, confusing feelings about sex.
It's easy to feel
embarrassed or nervous when talking about sex. It's important to get your
questions answered, but you need to be sure you have all the right information.
Some kids can talk to their parents about sex and get all their questions
answered.
But if you feel funny
talking to your parents about sex, there are many other people you can talk to,
like your doctor, a school nurse, a teacher, a school counselor, or some other
adult you feel comfortable talking with.
Developing Differently
People are all a little different from
each other, so it makes sense that they don't all develop in the same way.
During puberty, everyone changes at his or her own pace. Maybe some of your
friends are getting their period, and you haven't developed breasts yet. Maybe
your best friend's voice has changed, and you think you still sound like a kid.
Or maybe you're sick of being the tallest girl in your class or the only boy
who has to shave.
In a few cases, kids
who are developing very early or who are very late in starting have a problem
that may need to be checked or treated. If you are concerned about that
possibility, talk with your parents and schedule a visit with your doctor. Your
doctor knows all about puberty and can help determine if you are developing
normally.
But just about
everyone catches up eventually, and most differences between you and your
friends will even out. Until then, hang in there. Puberty can be quite a wild
ride!
