WARNING

WARNING

THIS SITE IS MEANT FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS MEANT TO BE FRANK DISCUSSION OF HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WITH SPECIAL PAPERS ON ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND WALEFARE.

THE PAGES CONTAINS PHOTOS, DIAGRAMS AND SKETCHES OF HUMAN SEXUAL ORGANS, AND ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY INCLUDING CHEMISTRY OF IT. SO SOME ARTICLES ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR BOYS / GIRLS UNDER 12 YRS OF AGE.

SOME MAY FIND IT OFFENSIVE.
SO I SUGGEST THE PARENTS TO GO THROUGH THE LABELES FIRST AND DECIDE ON ITS DEGREE AND GUIDE THEIR WARDS ACORDINGLY.

AND IF YOU ARE NOT 18

PARENTAL SUPERVISION IS ADVISED.

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE PLEASE QUIT THE SITE AND GO BACK NOW.

SEXUAL HEALTH.......PART 3

SEXUAL HEALTH………PART 3



Menstruation (a period) is a major stage of puberty in girls; it's one of the many physical signs that a girl is turning into a woman. And like a lot of the other changes associated with puberty, menstruation can be confusing. Some girls can't wait to start their periods, whereas others may feel afraid or anxious. Many girls (and guys!) don't have a complete understanding of a woman's reproductive system or what actually happens during the menstrual cycle, making the process seem even more mysterious.

Puberty and Periods

When girls begin to go through puberty (usually starting between the ages of 8 and 13), their bodies and minds change in many ways. The hormones in their bodies stimulate new physical development, such as growth and breast development. About 2 to 2½ years after a girl's breasts begin to develop, she usually gets her first menstrual period.
About 6 months or so before getting her first period, a girl might notice an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This discharge is common. There's no need for a girl to worry about discharge unless it has a strong odor or causes itchiness.
The start of periods is known as menarche. Menarche doesn't happen until all the parts of a girl's reproductive system have matured and are working together.
Baby girls are born with ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus. The two ovaries are oval-shaped and sit on either side of the uterus (womb) in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. They contain thousands of eggs, or ova. The two fallopian tubes are long and thin. Each fallopian tube stretches from an ovary to the uterus, a pear-shaped organ that sits in the middle of the pelvis. The muscles in a female's uterus are powerful and are able to expand to allow the uterus to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.
As a girl matures and enters puberty, the pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have many effects on a girl's body, including physical maturation, growth, and emotions.
About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries — a process called ovulation — and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it travels to the uterus and attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.

If the egg isn't fertilized, though — which is the case during most of a woman's monthly cycles — it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the vagina on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.

Just as some girls begin puberty earlier or later than others, the same applies to periods. Some girls may start menstruating as early as age 10, but others may not get their first period until they are 15 years old.
The amount of time between a girl's periods is called her menstrual cycle (the cycle is counted from the start of one period to the start of the next). Some girls will find that their menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30-day cycle, or even longer. Following menarche, menstrual cycles last 21–45 days. After a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21–34 days.
Irregular periods are common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate. It may take the body a while to sort out all the changes going on, so a girl may have a 28-day cycle for 2 months, then miss a month, for example. Usually, after a year or two, the menstrual cycle will become more regular. Some women continue to have irregular periods into adulthood, though.
As a girl gets older and her periods settle down — or she gets more used to her own unique cycle — she will probably find that she can predict when her period will come. In the meantime, it's a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar.
The amount of time that a girl has her period also can vary. Some girls have periods that last just 2 or 3 days. Other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer. The menstrual flow — meaning how much blood comes out of the vagina — can vary widely from girl to girl, too.
Some girls may be concerned that they're losing too much blood. It can be a shock to see all that blood, but it's unlikely that a girl will lose too much, unless she has a medical condition like von Willebrand disease. Though it may look like a lot, the average amount of blood is only about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) for an entire period. Most teens will change pads 3 to 6 times a day, with more frequent changes when their period is heaviest, usually at the start of the period.

Especially when menstrual periods are new, you may be worried about your blood flow or whether your period is normal in other ways. Talk to a doctor or nurse if:
your period lasts longer than a week
you have to change your pad very often (soaking more than one pad every 1–2 hours)
you go longer than 3 months between periods
you have bleeding in between periods
you have an unusual amount of pain before or during your period
your periods were regular then became irregular
Cramps, PMS, and Pimples

Some girls may notice physical or emotional changes around the time of their periods. Menstrual cramps are pretty common — in fact, more than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods. Doctors think that cramps are caused by prostaglandin, a chemical that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.
Depending on the girl, menstrual cramps can be dull and achy or sharp and intense, and they can sometimes be felt in the back as well as the abdomen. These cramps often become less uncomfortable and sometimes even disappear completely as a girl gets older.
Many girls and women find that over-the-counter pain medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) can relieve cramps, as can taking a warm bath or applying a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen. Exercising regularly throughout the monthly cycle may help lessen cramps, too. If these things don't help, ask your doctor for advice.
Some girls and women find that they feel sad or easily irritated during the few days or week before their periods. Others may get angry more quickly than normal or cry more than usual. Some girls crave certain foods. These types of emotional changes may be the result of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

PMS is related to changes in the body's hormones. As hormone levels rise and fall during a woman's menstrual cycle, they can affect the way she feels, both emotionally and physically. Some girls, in addition to feeling more intense emotions than they usually do, notice physical changes along with their periods — some feel bloated or puffy because of water retention, others notice swollen and sore breasts, and some get headaches.
PMS usually goes away soon after a period begins, but it can come back month after month. Eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising may help relieve some of the symptoms of PMS. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your premenstrual symptoms.
It's also not uncommon for girls to have an acne flare-up during certain times of their cycle; again, this is due to hormones. Fortunately, the pimples associated with periods tend to become less of a problem as girls get older.
Pads, Tampons, and Liners
Once you begin menstruating, you'll need to use something to absorb the blood. Most girls use a pad or a tampon. But some use menstrual cups, which a girl inserts into her vagina to catch and hold the blood (instead of absorbing it, like a tampon).
There are so many products out there that it may take some experimenting before you find the one that works best for you. Some girls use only pads (particularly when they first start menstruating), some use only tampons, and some switch around — tampons during the day and pads at night, for example.
Girls who worry about leakage from a tampon often use a pantiliner, too, and some girls use liners alone on very light days of their periods.
Periods shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. Girls who are very active, particularly those who enjoy swimming, often find that tampons are the best option during sports.

If you have questions about pads, tampons, or coping with periods, ask a parent, health teacher, school nurse, or older sister.

Some girls worry that if they use tampons, they will no longer be virgins. The truth is, a virgin is someone who has never had sexual intercourse. Inserting a tampon is definitely not the same as having sex!
So why do girls ask this question so often? Girls who are virgins usually have a hymen, a very thin piece of skin-like tissue that stretches partly across the opening of the vagina. A lot of people mistakenly think that a girl is still a virgin if her hymen has not been broken. Most of the time a girl's hymen breaks after having sex for the first time.
But a girl's hymen can tear in ways that have nothing to do with having sex. For example, it is possible that inserting a tampon might tear the hymen (although that usually doesn't happen). So even if a tampon does break a girl's hymen, she is still a virgin until she has had sexual intercourse.

Normal vaginal discharge has several purposes: cleaning and moistening the vagina and helping to prevent and fight infections. Although it's normal for the color, texture, and amount of vaginal fluids to vary throughout a girl's menstrual cycle, some changes in discharge may indicate a problem.
If you think you may have a problem, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. First, though, it helps to learn some of the differences between normal and abnormal vaginal discharge. This will help you to recognize changes that may occur.
Normal vaginal fluids can vary somewhat in texture and color. They can be somewhat thin, sticky, and elastic or thick and gooey. Vaginal fluids should be clear, white, or off-white in color.
It's important to keep an eye out for changes in vaginal fluids. The following changes may indicate a problem:
change in odor (especially an unpleasant odor)
change in color or texture (especially greenish, grayish, or anything looking like pus)
vaginal itching, burning, swelling, or redness
change in color that is caused by vaginal bleeding or spotting that is not a menstrual period
Vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis (yeast infection), and trichomoniasis are common causes of abnormal vaginal discharge. Some infections are transmitted by having sex, such as gonorrhea. Other infections can occur with or without having sex, such as bacterial vaginosis or yeast infection.

Although the symptoms of these infections can be very similar, there are some differences to look for:
Yeast infections may cause your discharge to become very white and thick, resembling cottage cheese. A yeast infection usually does not cause a strong odor, but it may cause severe itching and burning.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) may cause your discharge to be heavier than usual. The fluids may become foamy or frothy and grayish in color. BV often causes vaginal fluids to have an unpleasant, fishy odor.
Trichomoniasis, a common sexually transmitted disease (STD), may cause a musty, stale odor. Discharge may become grayish or yellow-green and may become thicker. Trichomoniasis also often causes vaginal itching and pain during urination.
It's very important to see a doctor or go to a teen clinic if you have any of the symptoms of abnormal vaginal discharge. This is really important for girls who have had sex, especially those who have had sex without using a condom. Many STDs cause changes in vaginal discharge or cause other infections that affect discharge as well.


The examination girls need:

Your mom just made an appointment for your first gynecologic exam and you're feeling:
Totally panicked. You start praying for an avalanche, four flat tires on the car, anything to avoid that appointment.
Pretty calm. You don't really mind going to the doctor that much, and if your friends can handle it, so can you.
Confused. You don't feel sick at all, and you just had some vaccinations for school and a physical for sports. Why waste time going to a doctor when you're OK?
These are just some of the feelings that girls may have before their first gynecologic (or "gyn") exam, and it's not surprising. You might be asking yourself "Why me? Why now?" The answer is that you're older and have gone through puberty, so you need to have a physical exam appropriate for a young woman. That's where breast and pelvic exams come in.

Why You Need These Exams
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a girl make her first visit to a gynecologist when she is between the ages of 13 and 15. Not all girls will need a pelvic exam during this initial visit, though. Many gynecologists will just do a regular health exam and talk to the girl about her development.
Yearly gyn visits are important for a number of reasons, including:
as a routine check. You'll want to be sure you're developing normally.
to prevent pregnancy or infection. If you have ever had sex, you are probably going to need a pelvic exam. Girls should have a pelvic exam before having sex to discuss methods of birth control and preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
to deal with a problem. There may be a number of concerns that lead to a pelvic exam. For example, if you have problems with your periods, missed periods, pain, signs of infection, and worries about development, it's a good idea to see a doctor.
If you're going to be involved in deciding who you'll see for your pelvic exam, you have a few choices. Many family doctors and pediatricians perform pelvic and breast exams and advise teens on birth control and STD prevention. So you may be able to see a doctor you already know and feel comfortable with for your first pelvic exam.

Also, a number of different kinds of doctors and nurses have special training in women's reproductive health:
Gynecologists are doctors who have been specially trained in women's health issues. Gynecologists are one of the doctors who can prescribe birth control and teach patients how to use it.
Adolescent medicine doctors have been trained in the health and management of teen issues. They are familiar with the concerns most young women have about their reproductive systems and can advise them on birth control and STD prevention.
Nurse practitioners have had advanced training that allows them to give gynecological exams and pay special attention to women's reproductive health.

Whether you want to see a male or female health care professional is up to you. Some women say that they prefer being examined by a female doctor or nurse because it puts them more at ease and they feel like they can talk more openly about women's health problems and sexuality issues. Other women feel comfortable being examined by a male doctor or nurse. If the doctor or nurse is male, he will usually have a female assistant in the room with him during all parts of the exam.
It's best to involve your parents in your health care. If you want to go to a doctor's office for your exam, you may need to involve an adult for insurance purposes (it may be expensive otherwise).
If for some reason you can't involve your parents, you can take advantage of health clinics like Planned Parenthood or your local teen clinic. These clinics have fully trained staff who often can care for you at a lower cost and respect your need for confidentiality. Each state has different guidelines on which medical issues teens can get confidential care for. Your doctor should be able to explain these issues to you.
The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the person who is examining you. You want to be able to talk with him or her about important personal health and relationship issues, including birth control.

What Happens When You Go for Your Pelvic Exam

You don't need to do anything special before going for your exam. When you make the appointment, try to schedule the exam for a time when you won't have your period. For many young women, that can be hard to predict, though — lots of girls have irregular periods at first. Ask the doctor's office or clinic when you make the appointment what you should do if you get your period. Some doctors say it's OK to come for an exam if your period is just beginning or just ending and it's very light, but everyone has a different policy.
When you arrive for your appointment, you may be asked to fill out some forms while you wait. These forms ask questions about any illnesses or conditions you have, your health habits (like whether you drink or smoke), any family illnesses that you know of, and your history regarding sexual activity, pregnancy, and birth control. You might also be asked for the date of your last period (or a doctor or nurse will ask during your exam).

When you first go into the exam room, a nurse or medical assistant will do a few things that your doctor has probably done a million times before, such as recording your weight and taking your blood pressure. You'll then be left alone to change out of your clothes. It may feel weird taking off even your underwear because you may not have had to undress completely for a medical exam before. The nurse or medical assistant will leave you a paper sheet or gown — or maybe both — to cover you. If you're cold, most doctors and nurses won't mind if you keep your socks on.
After a few minutes, the doctor (or nurse practitioner, if that is who you choose to see) will knock on the door to make sure you're in your gown. If you're ready, he or she will come in and start the exam. The doctor may start by going over anything you wrote down on your forms, or you may talk about these things later.
If this is your first gynecologic exam, let the doctor know. That way, he or she will know to go slowly and explain everything that's going on. Now is also the time to ask about birth control or sexuality if you need to. Some doctors like to discuss these things before the exam, and some like to do it after. Your aim is to make sure you get your questions answered.

The Breast Exam
During the physical part of the gynecologic exam, you'll be asked to lie on your back on the table. You'll have the paper sheet or gown covering you, and the doctor will only uncover the parts of your body being examined.
The doctor will give you a breast exam by lightly pressing on different parts of your breasts. After finishing, he or she may show you how to examine your own breasts. This helps you become familiar with how your breasts feel so you know which lumps are normal and which may be the result of a change.

The Pelvic Exam

During the pelvic part of the exam, the doctor or nurse practitioner will ask you to move down so your behind is at the end of the table. You'll bend your knees and rest your feet in two stirrups, which are metal triangular loops that stick out from the end of the table. These might look a little scary, but they're just there to rest your feet in and keep you more comfortable. The doctor will ask you to relax your knees out to the sides as far as they will go. It might feel a little funny to be lying with your legs opened like this, but everyone feels that way at first.
The doctor will put on gloves and examine the outside of your vagina to make sure that there are no sores or swelling and that everything looks OK on the outside.
Next, the doctor will want to look at the inside of your vagina and will do so with the help of a speculum (pronounced: speh-kyuh-lum). A speculum is a thin piece of plastic or metal with a hinged piece on one end that allows it to open and close. The doctor or nurse will warm the speculum with water (some offices keep the speculum warmed in a drawer with a heating pad). The doctor or nurse will then slide the speculum into your vagina. Usually the doctor will tell you when he or she is about to place the speculum inside you so it doesn't come as a surprise.
Once the speculum is in the vagina, it can be opened to allow the doctor to see inside. Putting in and opening the speculum should not be painful, although some women say that it can cause a bit of pressure and discomfort. Naturally, if this is your first exam, you might feel a little tense. Because the vagina is surrounded by muscles that can contract or relax, the exam can be more comfortable if you try to stay calm and relax the muscles in that area.
If you feel like you're tensing up the muscles in your vagina, try breathing deeply or doing some breathing exercises to help you stay relaxed. Sometimes humming your favorite song or making small talk can distract you and allow you to feel more relaxed.
After the speculum is in place, the doctor will shine a light inside the vagina to look for anything unusual, like redness, swelling, discharge, or sores. He or she may then do a Pap smear, which involves touching the cervix to pick up cells from that area.
The cervix is the opening to the uterus, and it's located at the very top of the vagina. The Pap smear should not hurt, but it might be uncomfortable, especially if this is your first pelvic exam. The good news is this part of the exam is over quickly.
The cells that have been collected are sent to a laboratory where they are studied for any abnormal cells, which might indicate infection or warning signs of cervical cancer. (Like breast cancer, cervical cancer is very unusual in teen girls.)
If you have had sex, the doctor or nurse practitioner may test for STDs. He or she will swab the inside of the cervix with what looks like a cotton swab. The speculum is then slid out of the vagina. As with the Pap smear, the sample is sent out to a laboratory where it is tested for various STDs.
Talk to your doctor or a nurse about how you want to be contacted with results, and what they should do if they are unable to reach you. Again, doctors and nurses will do their best to maintain confidentiality, but they need to be able to reach you.

Because the ovaries and uterus are so far inside a girl's body that they can't be seen at all, even with the speculum, the doctor will need to feel them to be sure they're healthy. While your feet are still in the stirrups, and after the speculum is removed from the vagina, the doctor will put lubricant on two fingers (while still wearing the gloves) and slide them inside your vagina. Using the other hand, he or she will press on the outside of your lower abdomen (the area between your vagina and your stomach). With two hands, one on the outside and one on the inside, the doctor can make sure that the ovaries and uterus are the right size and free of cysts or other growths.
During this part of the exam, you may feel a little pressure or discomfort. Again, it's important to relax your muscles and take slow, deep breaths if you feel nervous.

At this point, the physical part of the exam is usually over. Your own doctor may do the exam in a different order, but it will probably include all these steps.

After the Exam:

Although reading this article may make it seem long, the entire pelvic exam (the parts involving your vagina, cervix, uterus, and ovaries) really only takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
Afterward, you'll be left alone to get dressed. Some women say that they bleed a tiny bit from the Pap smear after the exam, so they like to put a pantiliner in their underwear as they get dressed. If you bleed a tiny bit, it's no big deal — it's nothing like a period and it won't last.
If you haven't discussed your questions before the exam, now's the time. Don't be afraid of questions that sound stupid or silly — no question about your body is stupid, and this is the best time to get answers.
The Pap smear is almost always normal in teen girls. But if for any reason the doctor or nurse practitioner needs to see you again, the office or clinic will let you know. Unless you notice any health problems, you won't need to go for an exam for another 6 months to a year.
It's very important to go for pelvic exams on a yearly basis — even when you're feeling good — because they help detect any problems early on. If you don't want to return for another exam because you didn't like the doctor or nurse practitioner, look into finding a new doctor or clinic.
And if the physical discomfort of the exam left you not wanting another, remember that each time it gets easier and easier to relax. Naturally, no one loves getting an exam, but having a doctor or nurse practitioner you trust can really help.


Making breasts bigger:
Although many products (from special creams to exercise techniques) claim to boost breast size, you should save your money: They don't work. The truth is that the only way to permanently change breast size is cosmetic surgery.
Most doctors won't perform breast enlargement surgery until a girl reaches 18 because the body takes time to develop and some girls develop (and have changes in the size of their breasts) later than others. Even after 18 there are certain physical and psychological risks involved with breast implants.
Everyone goes through times when they don't like parts of their bodies. These feelings are part of normal development and the process of adjusting to our changing bodies. Even girls with large breasts can be unhappy about them. Some find that their backs or shoulders hurt or that the large breasts attract unwanted attention and they may wish their breasts were smaller.
If you're unhappy with the size or development of your breasts, talk to your doctor or gynecologist, who can probably reassure you that you're developing normally.

Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex during her period?
A lot of people think that if a girl has sex during her period, she can't get pregnant. But it is possible for a girl to get pregnant while she is bleeding. This can happen for a couple of reasons:
Not all vaginal bleeding is the result of a menstrual period. Sometimes a girl will have a small amount of vaginal bleeding at the time of ovulation — the time when she is most fertile. During ovulation, an egg is released from one of the ovaries and travels down a fallopian tube to the uterus. It's common for girls who are ovulating to have some vaginal bleeding that can be mistaken for a period.
Sometimes ovulation can occur before the bleeding from a girl's period has stopped, or it may occur within a few days after her period is over. Sperm can fertilize an egg for several days after ejaculation. So in both cases, having sex before the period is finished can result in pregnancy.
Having unprotected sex at any time is very risky. Along with the chance of becoming pregnant, there is also the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as chlamydia, genital warts, or HIV. The only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is abstinence. If you do have sex, use a condom every time to protect against STDs. And talk to your doctor about additional forms of contraception.

SEXUAL HEALTH FOR ADOLESCENT.....PART 2

SEXUAL HEALTH…….PART 2

OK, so it's a funny word . . . but what is puberty, anyway?
Puberty is the name for when your body begins to develop and change. During puberty, your body will grow faster than any other time in your life, except for when you were an infant. Back then, your body was growing rapidly and you were learning new things — you'll be doing these things and much more during puberty. Except this time, you won't have diapers or a rattle and you'll have to dress yourself!
It's good to know about the changes that come along with puberty before they happen, and it's really important to remember that everybody goes through it. No matter where you live, whether you're a guy or a girl, or whether you like hip-hop or country music, you will experience the changes that occur during puberty. No two people are exactly alike. But one thing all adults have in common is they made it through puberty.

When your body reaches a certain age, your brain releases a special hormone that starts the changes of puberty. It's called gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH for short. When GnRH reaches the pituitary gland (a pea-shaped gland that sits just under the brain), this gland releases into the bloodstream two more puberty hormones: luteinizing hormone (LH for short) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH for short). Guys and girls have both of these hormones in their bodies. And depending on whether you're a guy or a girl, these hormones go to work on different parts of the body.

For guys, these hormones travel through the blood and give the testes the signal to begin the production of testosterone and sperm. Testosterone is the hormone that causes most of the changes in a guy's body during puberty. Sperm cells must be produced for men to reproduce.

In girls, FSH and LH target the ovaries, which contain eggs that have been there since birth. The hormones stimulate the ovaries to begin producing another hormone called estrogen. Estrogen, along with FSH and LH, causes a girl's body to mature and prepares her for pregnancy.

So that's what's really happening during puberty — it's all these new chemicals moving around inside your body, turning you from a teen into an adult with adult levels of hormones.

Puberty usually starts some time between age 8 and 13 in girls and 10 and 15 in guys. Some people start puberty a bit earlier or later, though. Each person is a little different, so everyone starts and goes through puberty on his or her body's own schedule. This is one of the reasons why some of your friends might still look like kids, whereas others look more like adults.

"Spurt" is the word used to describe a short burst of activity, 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 enter puberty, it might seem like your sleeves are always getting shorter and your pants always look like you're ready for a flood — that's because you're experiencing a major growth spurt. It lasts for about 2 to 3 years. When that growth spurt is at its peak, some people grow 4 or more inches in a year.
This growth during puberty will be the last time your body grows taller. After that, you will be at your adult height. But your height isn't the only thing that will be changing.

As your body grows taller, it will change in other ways, too. You will gain weight, and as your body becomes heavier, you'll start to notice changes in its overall shape. Guys' shoulders will grow wider, and their bodies will become more muscular. Their voices will become deeper. For some guys, the breasts may grow a bit, but for most of them this growth goes away by the end of puberty.

Guys will notice other changes, too, like the lengthening and widening of the penis and the enlargement of the testes. All of these changes mean that their bodies are developing as expected during puberty.

Girls' bodies usually become curvier. They gain weight on their hips, and their breasts develop, starting with just a little swelling under the nipple. Sometimes one breast might develop more quickly than the other, but most of the time they soon even out. With all this growing and developing going on, girls will notice an increase in body fat and occasional soreness under the nipples as the breasts start to enlarge — and that's normal.

Gaining some weight is part of developing into a woman, and it's unhealthy for girls to go on a diet to try to stop this normal weight gain. If you ever have questions or concerns about your weight, talk it over with your doctor.
Usually about 2 to 2 1/2 years after girls' breasts start to develop, they get their first menstrual period. This is one more thing that lets a girl know puberty is progressing and the puberty hormones have been doing their job. Girls have two ovaries, and each ovary holds thousands of eggs. During the menstrual cycle, one of the eggs comes out of an ovary and begins a trip through the fallopian tube, ending up in the uterus (the uterus is also called the womb).
Before the egg is released from the ovary, the uterus has been building up its lining with extra blood and tissue. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it stays in the uterus and grows into a baby, using that extra blood and tissue to keep it healthy and protected as it's developing.
Most of the time, though, the egg is only passing through. When the egg doesn't get fertilized, the uterus no longer needs the extra blood and tissue, so it leaves the body through the vagina as a menstrual period. A period usually lasts from 5 to 7 days, and about 2 weeks after the start of the period a new egg is released, which marks the middle of each cycle.

Hair, Hair, Everywhere:

Well, maybe not everywhere. But one of the first signs of puberty is hair growing where it didn't grow before. Guys and girls both begin to grow hair under their arms and in their pubic areas (on and around the genitals). It starts out looking light and sparse. Then as you go through puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, and darker. Eventually, guys also start to grow hair on their faces.

Another thing that comes with puberty is acne, or pimples. Acne is triggered by puberty hormones. Pimples usually start around the beginning of puberty and can stick around during adolescence (the teen years). You may notice pimples on your face, your upper back, or your upper chest. It helps to keep your skin clean, and your doctor will be able to offer some suggestions for clearing up acne. The good news about acne is that it usually gets better or disappears by the end of adolescence.
A lot of teens notice that they have a new smell under their arms and elsewhere on their bodies when they enter puberty, and it's not a pretty one. That smell is body odor, and everyone gets it. As you enter puberty, the puberty hormones affect glands in your skin, and the glands make chemicals that smell bad. These chemicals put the scent in adolescent!
So what can you do to feel less stinky? Well, keeping clean is a good way to lessen the smell. You might want to take a shower every day, either in the morning before school, or the night before. Using deodorant (or deodorant with antiperspirant) every day can help keep body odor in check, too.

Guys and girls will also notice other body changes as they enter puberty, and they're all normal changes. Girls might see and feel a white, mucous-like discharge from the vagina. This doesn't mean anything is wrong — it is just another sign of your changing body and hormones.
Guys will begin to get erections (this is when the penis fills with blood and becomes hard) sometimes. Erections happen when guys fantasize and think about sexual things or sometimes for no reason at all. They may experience something called nocturnal emissions (or wet dreams). This is when the penis becomes erect while a guy is sleeping, and he ejaculates. When a guy ejaculates, semen comes out of the penis — semen is a fluid that contains sperm. 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 become less frequent as guys progress through puberty, and they eventually stop. Guys will also notice that their voices may "crack" and eventually get deeper.
Change Can Feel Kind of Strange
Just as those hormones create changes in the way your body looks on the outside, they also create changes on the inside. While your body is adjusting to all the new hormones, so is your mind. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong emotions that you've never experienced before. You may feel anxious about how your changing body looks.
You might feel overly sensitive or become easily upset. Some teens lose their tempers more than usual and get angry at their friends or families.
Sometimes it can be difficult to deal with all of these new emotions. Usually people aren't trying to hurt your feelings or upset you on purpose. It might not be your family or friends making you angry — it might be your new "puberty brain" trying to adjust. And while the adjustment can feel difficult in the beginning, it will gradually become easier. It can help to talk to someone and share the burden of how you're feeling — a friend or, even better, a parent, older sibling, or adult who's gone through it all before.
You might have new, confusing feelings about sex — and lot of questions. The adult hormones estrogen and testosterone are signals that your body is giving you new responsibilities, like the ability to create a child. That's why it's important to get all your questions answered.
It's easy to feel embarrassed or anxious when talking about sex, but you need to be sure you have all the right information. Some teens 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 to talk to, like your doctor, a school nurse, a teacher, a school counselor, or another adult you feel comfortable talking with.

Developing Differently:

People are all a little different from one another, so it makes sense that they don't all develop in the same way. No two people are at exactly the same stage as they go through puberty, and everyone changes at his or her own pace. Some of your friends may be getting curves, whereas you don't have any yet. Maybe your best friend's voice has changed, and you think you still sound like a kid with a high, squeaky voice. Or maybe you're sick of being the tallest girl in your class or the only boy who has to shave.

But eventually everyone catches up, and the differences between you and your friends will even out. It's also good to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to look. That's what makes us human — we all have qualities that make us unique, on the inside and the outside.

What Is the Male Reproductive System?

Most species have two sexes: male and female. Each sex has its own unique reproductive system. They are different in shape and structure, but both are specifically designed to produce, nourish, and transport either the egg or sperm.

Unlike the female, whose sex organs are located entirely within the pelvis, the male has reproductive organs, or genitals (pronounced: jeh-nuh-tulz), that are both inside and outside the pelvis. The male genitals include:
the testicles
the duct system, which is made up of the epididymis and the vas deferens
the accessory glands, which include the seminal vesicles and prostate gland
the penis

In a guy who's reached sexual maturity, the two testicles (pronounced: tes-tih-kulz), or testes (pronounced: tes-teez), produce and store millions of tiny sperm cells. The testicles are oval-shaped and grow to be about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in length and 1 inch (3 centimeters) in diameter. The testicles are also part of the endocrine system because they produce hormones, including testosterone (pronounced: teh-stass-tuh-rone). Testosterone is a major part of puberty in guys, and as a guy makes his way through puberty, his testicles produce more and more of it. Testosterone is the hormone that causes guys to develop deeper voices, bigger muscles, and body and facial hair, and it also stimulates the production of sperm.
Alongside the testicles are the epididymis (pronounced: eh-puh-dih-duh-mus) and the vas deferens (pronounced: vass de-fuh-runz), which make up the duct system of the male reproductive organs. The vas deferens is a muscular tube that passes upward alongside the testicles and transports the sperm-containing fluid called semen (pronounced: see-mun). The epididymis is a set of coiled tubes (one for each testicle) that connects to the vas deferens.
The epididymis and the testicles hang in a pouch-like structure outside the pelvis called the scrotum. This bag of skin helps to regulate the temperature of testicles, which need to be kept cooler than body temperature to produce sperm. The scrotum changes size to maintain the right temperature. When the body is cold, the scrotum shrinks and becomes tighter to hold in body heat. When it's warm, the scrotum becomes larger and more floppy to get rid of extra heat. This happens without a guy ever having to think about it. The brain and the nervous system give the scrotum the cue to change size.
The accessory glands, including the seminal vesicles and the prostate gland, provide fluids that lubricate the duct system and nourish the sperm. The seminal vesicles (pronounced: seh-muh-nul veh-sih-kulz) are sac-like structures attached to the vas deferens to the side of the bladder. The prostate gland, which produces some of the parts of semen, surrounds the ejaculatory ducts at the base of the urethra (pronounced: yoo-ree-thruh), just below the bladder. The urethra is the channel that carries the semen to the outside of the body through the penis. The urethra is also part of the urinary system because it is also the channel through which urine passes as it leaves the bladder and exits the body.
The penis is actually made up of two parts: the shaft and the glans (pronounced: glanz). The shaft is the main part of the penis and the glans is the tip (sometimes called the head). At the end of the glans is a small slit or opening, which is where semen and urine exit the body through the urethra. The inside of the penis is made of a spongy tissue that can expand and contract.
All boys are born with a foreskin, a fold of skin at the end of the penis covering the glans. Some boys have a circumcision (pronounced: sur-kum-sih-zhun), which means that a doctor or clergy member cuts away the foreskin. Circumcision is usually performed during a baby boy's first few days of life. Although circumcision is not medically necessary, parents who choose to have their children circumcised often do so based on religious beliefs, concerns about hygiene, or cultural or social reasons. Boys who have circumcised penises and those who don't are no different: All penises work and feel the same, regardless of whether the foreskin has been removed.

What Does the Male Reproductive System Do?

The male sex organs work together to produce and release semen into the reproductive system of the female during sexual intercourse. The male reproductive system also produces sex hormones, which help a boy develop into a sexually mature man during puberty (pronounced: pyoo-bur-tee).
When a baby boy is born, he has all the parts of his reproductive system in place, but it isn't until puberty that he is able to reproduce. When puberty begins, usually between the ages of 10 and 14, the pituitary (pronounced: puh-too-uh-ter-ee) gland - which is located in the brain - secretes hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone. The production of testosterone brings about many physical changes. Although the timing of these changes is different for every guy, the stages of puberty generally follow a set sequence.
During the first stage of male puberty, the scrotum and testes grow larger.
Next, the penis becomes longer, and the seminal vesicles and prostate gland grow.
Hair begins to appear in the pubic area and later it grows on the face and underarms. During this time, a male's voice also deepens.

Boys also undergo a growth spurt during puberty as they reach their adult height and weight.

Once a guy has reached puberty, he will produce millions of sperm cells every day. Each sperm is extremely small: only 1/600 of an inch (0.05 millimeters long). Sperm develop in the testicles within a system of tiny tubes called the seminiferous tubules (pronounced: seh-muh-nih-fuh-rus too-byoolz). At birth, these tubules contain simple round cells, but during puberty, testosterone and other hormones cause these cells to transform into sperm cells. The cells divide and change until they have a head and short tail, like tadpoles. The head contains genetic material (genes). The sperm use their tails to push themselves into the epididymis, where they complete their development. It takes sperm about 4 to 6 weeks to travel through the epididymis.
The sperm then move to the vas deferens, or sperm duct. The seminal vesicles and prostate gland produce a whitish fluid called seminal fluid, which mixes with sperm to form semen when a male is sexually stimulated. The penis, which usually hangs limp, becomes hard when a male is sexually excited. Tissues in the penis fill with blood and it becomes stiff and erect (an erection). The rigidity of the erect penis makes it easier to insert into the female's vagina during sexual intercourse. When the erect penis is stimulated, muscles around the reproductive organs contract and force the semen through the duct system and urethra. Semen is pushed out of the male's body through his urethra - this process is called ejaculation (pronounced: ih-jah-kyuh-lay-shun). Each time a guy ejaculates, it can contain up to 500 million sperm.
When the male ejaculates during intercourse, semen is deposited into the female's vagina. From the vagina the sperm make their way up through the cervix and move through the uterus with help from uterine contractions. If a mature egg is in one of the female's fallopian tubes, a single sperm may penetrate it, and fertilization, or conception, occurs.

This fertilized egg is now called a zygote (pronounced: zy-goat) and contains 46 chromosomes - half from the egg and half from the sperm. The genetic material from the male and female has combined so that a new individual can be created. The zygote divides again and again as it grows in the female's uterus, maturing over the course of the pregnancy into an embryo, a fetus, and finally a newborn baby.
Things

That Can Go Wrong With the Male Reproductive System

Guys may sometimes experience reproductive system problems. Below are some examples of disorders that affect the male reproductive system:
Disorders of the Scrotum, Testicles, or Epididymis

Conditions affecting the scrotal contents may involve the testicles, epididymis, or the scrotum itself.
Testicular injury. Even a mild injury to the testicles can cause severe pain, bruising, or swelling. Most testicular injuries occur when the testicles are struck, hit, kicked, or crushed, usually during sports or due to other trauma. Testicular torsion (pronounced: tor-zhun), when one of the testicles twists around, cutting off the blood supply, is also a problem that some teen guys experience - although it's not common.
Varicocele (pronounced: var-uh-koh-seal). This is a varicose vein (an abnormally swollen vein) in the network of veins that run from the testicles. Varicoceles commonly develop while a guy is going through puberty. A varicocele is usually not harmful, although in some people it may damage the testicle or decrease sperm production, so it helps for a guy to see his doctor if he's concerned about changes in his testicles.
Testicular cancer. This is one of the most common cancers in men younger than 40. It occurs when cells in the testicle divide abnormally and form a tumor. Testicular cancer can spread to other parts of the body, but if it's detected early, the cure rate is excellent. All guys should perform testicular self-examinations regularly to help with early detection.
Epididymitis (pronounced: eh-puh-dih-duh-my-tus) is inflammation of the epididymis, the coiled tubes that connect the testes with the vas deferens. It is usually caused by an infection, such as the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, and results in pain and swelling next to one of the testicles.
Hydrocele. A hydrocele (pronounced: high-druh-seel) occurs when fluid collects in the membranes surrounding the testes. Hydroceles may cause swelling of the testicle but are generally painless. In some cases, surgery may be needed to correct the condition.
Inguinal hernia. When a portion of the intestines pushes through an abnormal opening or weakening of the abdominal wall and into the groin or scrotum, it is known as an inguinal hernia (pronounced: in-gwuh-nul her-nee-uh). The hernia may look like a bulge or swelling in the groin area. It can be corrected with surgery.

Disorders of the Penis

Disorders affecting the penis include the following:
Inflammation of the penis. Symptoms of penile inflammation include redness, itching, swelling, and pain. Balanitis occurs when the glans (the head of the penis) becomes inflamed. Posthitis is foreskin inflammation, which is usually due to a yeast or bacterial infection.
Hypospadius is a disorder in which the urethra opens on the underside of the penis, not at the tip.
Sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that can affect guys include human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), human papilloma virus (HPV, or genital warts), syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes genitalis, and hepatitis B. They are spread from one person to another mainly through sexual intercourse.

If you think you have symptoms of a problem with your reproductive system or if you have questions about your growth and development, talk to your parent or doctor - many problems with the male reproductive system can be treated.

A minute ago your voice sounded normal. You could talk and laugh with no worries. But now when you open your mouth, it's a completely different story. The noise coming from your throat kind of sounds like you, but it's croaking, squeaking, honking, and peeping. You can barely get through a sentence without your voice sounding like it's out of control: high one minute, low the next, then high again. You don't have a cold or a sore throat. In fact, everything feels normal — but nothing sounds right.
Your voice is changing! It's one of the many developments that happen to both girls and guys when they reach puberty. A guy's voice gets way deeper than a girl's, though.

At puberty, guys' bodies begin producing a lot of the hormone testosterone (pronounced: tes-tass-tuh-rone), which causes changes in several parts of the body, including the voice. For starters, a guy's larynx (pronounced: lar-inks), also known as the voice box, grows bigger.
The larynx, which is located in the throat at the top of the trachea (pronounced: tray-kee-ah) or windpipe, is like a hollow tube about 2 inches (5 centimeters) high. The larynx is responsible for creating the sound of your voice.
Stretched across your larynx are two muscles, your vocal cords, which are kind of like rubber bands. When you breathe, your vocal cords relax against the walls of the larynx and completely open to allow air to get in and out of your lungs. When you speak, though, your vocal cords close together by stretching across the larynx. Air from your lungs is then forced out between your vocal cords, causing them to vibrate and produce the tone of your voice. When you lower your voice, your vocal cords are lengthened and relaxed. When you make your voice higher, your vocal cords become shortened and tightened. (You can notice this difference in how they feel as you adjust your speech.)
As your larynx grows, your vocal cords grow longer and thicker. Also, your facial bones begin to grow. Cavities in the sinuses, the nose, and the back of the throat grow bigger, creating more space in the face that gives your voice more room to echo. All of these factors cause your voice to get deeper.
Think of a guitar. When a thin string is plucked, it vibrates and produces a high-sounding tone. When a thicker string is plucked, it sounds much deeper when it vibrates. That's kind of what happens to your voice. Before your growth spurt, your larynx is relatively small and your vocal cords are relatively thin. So your voice is high and kid-like. But as bones, cartilage, and vocal cords grow, your voice starts to sound like an adult's.
Along with all the other changes in your body, you might notice that your throat area looks a little different. For guys, when the larynx grows bigger, it tilts to a different angle inside the neck. Part of it sticks out in the part of the neck at the front of the throat and forms the Adam's apple. For girls, the larynx also grows bigger but not as much as a guy's. That's why girls don't have Adam's apples.

While your body is getting used to these changes, your voice can be difficult to control. A guy's voice "cracks" or "breaks" because his body is getting used to the changing size of his larynx. Fortunately, the cracking and breaking is only temporary. It usually lasts no longer than a few months. And even during that time, your voice won't crack every time you speak.
Some guys' voices might drop gradually, whereas others' might drop quickly. You may feel concerned, stressed, or embarrassed about the sound of your voice, but people usually understand — especially friends or brothers who've gone through it, too. Everyone goes through it, and once it happens, it takes a while to adjust to your larger larynx and the new sound of your voice.

You may have noticed that some of your friends have cracking and breaking voices, some might already have deep voices, and some still have the same voice they've always had. Everyone's timetable is different, so some voices might start to change earlier and some might start a little later. Generally, a guy's voice will start to change somewhere between the ages of 11 and 15 — although it can be earlier or later for some people. It all depends on when a guy goes through puberty, and some normal guys enter puberty earlier or later than others.
How deep a guy's voice gets depends on his genes: The larger a guy's larynx, the thicker the vocal cords, and the bigger the resonating area, the deeper his voice will be.
Once your larynx has grown, your voice will be more stable and easier to control. But even then your voice hasn't finished developing! Even after the quick change that happens in your teens, your voice continues to develop. Although the squeaking and cracking stage doesn't last long, most guys' voices don't fully mature until they're in their twenties.