Puberty

Tuesday 23rd March 2021

Puberty, something everyone will go through, is when a child's body develops into an adult's. Different changes happen depending on your gender - gender also decides when puberty starts, which will commonly start from age eight to fourteen. This blog will, hopefully, inform and prepare you about the impact (positive and negative) puberty has on you.

Impact on females

When girls start puberty, which can, as said before, start from eight to fourteen, they start their period. A period is blood that comes from the vagina when there is an unfertilised egg inside a female body. This happens monthly. Girls also develop breasts along with breast buds, this happens so it can prepare females for when they have a child - when you're pregnant, your breast will produce milk. If you don't want a child, that's fine. The breasts may feel tender, but that is normal. Girls will start to grow pubic hair, as well as arm and leg hair. By the end of puberty, pubic hair will have spread to the inner thigh, and genitals should be fully developed. A later sign of puberty is white vaginal discharge, this is also completely normal.

Impact on males

When boys start puberty, their testicles begin to expand, and the scrotum begins to thin and redden. Similar to girls, boys begin to grow pubic hair, however, boys pubic hair will grow at the base of the penis. During puberty, underarm hair will start to grow and pubic hair gets thicker and curlier. They start to sweat more and breasts can swell temporarily. Their voice will break every now and then (one minute a male's voice could go very high, then go very deep). Boys also go through growth spurts and may have 'wet dreams' - involuntary ejaculations of semen as they sleep. Once puberty is over, boys will start growing facial hair, meaning they may start shaving. Genitals look like an adults, and pubic hair will have spread to the inner thigh.

Impact on both

During puberty (for both genders), you may suffer mood swings, low self-esteem and, possibly, depression. Mood swings - for example, one minute you could be happy and the next you could be crying over nothing. You might also experience a common face condition known as acne. This can be prevented by drinking plenty of water, and can be semi-healed with cream, so don't worry.

Although it doesn't seem it, this is all completely normal. However, telling a trusted adult could help with comfort.

Grace D.