PUBERTY!!!!

What is Puberty? When your body begins to develop and change Your body will grow faster than any other time in your life( except when you were a baby) Everybody goes through it, at different times

Time to Change The brain releases a special hormone that starts the change in puberty The hormone is gonadotropin- releasing hormone Gonadotropin reaches the pituitary gland (sits under the brain)

Male Hormones In boys, the hormone that causes most of the changes in the body during puberty is TESTOSTERONE!

Female Hormone In girls, the hormone that causes a girl’s body to mature and prepares her for pregnancy is ESTROGEN

When does puberty start???? Puberty usually starts some time between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 10 and 15 in boys. Some people start puberty a bit earlier or later (everyone is different)

Delayed Puberty Delayed puberty is when people pass this age range without showing signs of body changes A boy or girl may find that his or her parent, brothers, sisters, aunt, or uncle may also have developed later than normal

These teens will eventually develop normally, just later than most of their peers Chronic illnesses such as diabetes, kidney disease, or asthma may cause some to go through puberty at an older age These illness can make it harder for their bodies to grow and develop

Someone who is malnourished (not eating enough food or without the proper nutrients) may develop later

Growth Spurt Your body is growing and it is happening really fast This will last about 2-3 years Some people will grow 4 or more inches in one year! This is the last time your body grows taller

Taking Shape In addition to getting taller, you will gain weight causing changes in your overall shape

What happens to boys? Shoulders will grow wider in boys and their bodies will become more muscular Boys’ voices become deeper In some boys, the breasts may grow a little bit (goes away at the end of puberty) Their penis will lengthen and become wider and their testicles (testes) will get bigger

What happens to girls?? Bodies become curvier Gain weight in the hips Their breasts start to develop (sometimes one breast might develop more quickly than the other) Most of the time the breasts even out Girls will notices an increase in body fat (gaining this weight is normal and expected)

Secondary Sex Characteristics One of the first signs of puberty is hair growing where it didn’t grow before. Both girls and boys begin to grow hair under their arms and in their pubic areas (on and around the genitals) The hair starts out looking light and sparse

Secondary Sex Characteristics Continued… As puberty continues, the hair becomes longer, thicker, and darker Eventually, guys also start to grow hair on their faces

Speaking of Faces… Another thing that comes with puberty is acne (pimples) Pimples are triggered by hormones They usually start at the beginning of puberty and can stick around during adolescence (the teenage years)

Faces Continued… You may notice pimples on your face, your upper back, or your upper chest The good news about pimples is that it usually gets better or disappears by the end of adolescence

There’s More Boys will begin to get erections where the penis fills with blood and becomes hard Erections may happen for no reason at all Boys may also experience nocturnal emissions (wet dreams) These wet dreams occur when the penis becomes erect while the boy is sleeping and he ejaculates

Ejaculation is when semen comes out of the penis Semen is a fluid that contains sperm Wet dreams become less frequent as boys process through puberty Boys will also notice that their voices may “crack” and eventually get deeper

Change can feel kind of strange While your body is adjusting to hormones, so is your mind During puberty, you might feel confused or have strange emotions that you never experienced before

You may feel anxious about how your changing body looks (overly sensitive or upset) Some lose their temper more than usual and get angry at their friends or family

Putting the P.U. In Puberty Teens notice that they have a new smell under their arms and elsewhere on their bodies, and it’s not a pretty one! That smell is body odor and everyone gets it! During puberty, hormones affect glands in your skin, making chemicals that smell bad

What can you do to be less stinky? Keeping clean will help lessen the smell You might consider taking a shower every day, either in the morning before school, or the night before Using deodorant (especially after Physical Education class) can keep body odor in check