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 hormones that starts the change in puberty. - Gonadotropin = releasing hormone Gonadotropin reaches the pituitary gland (sits under the brain)

Male Hormones In boys, the hormone that causes most of the change 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 sometime between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 10 to 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, aunts, or uncles may 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 illnesses can make it harder for their bodies to grow and develop. Delayed Puberty

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

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 might 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 Boys? Semen begins to be formed in the testes. This contains sperm which is the male sex cell.

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 notice an increase in body fat (gaining this weight is normal and expected)

What happens to Girls? A girls menstrual cycle will begin. This is the body’s way of preparing for pregnancy. Eggs are produced monthly in the Ovaries. If the egg goes unfertilized by the sperm it is eliminated from the body. (“Period”)

Secondary sex characteristics One of the first signs of puberty is hair growing where it didn’t before. Both girls and boys begin to grow hair under their arms and in their pubic areas (on or around their 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 on your upper chest The good news about pimples is that it usually gets better or disappears by the end of adolescence.

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 smell under their arms and elsewhere on their bodies, and it’s not a pretty one! That smell is body odor and everybody 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 lesson the smell You might consider taking a shower every day, either in the morning before school, or the night before Using deodorant (especially after Healthy Choices) can keep body odor in check.

Whew! It’s Over!