1. Puberty & Adolescent Sexuality

2. Questions we ask during Puberty
GUYS
GIRLS
“Am I too interested in sex?”
“Where are all these pimples coming from?”
“Am I big enough down there?”
“Why is my voice deeper?”
“Why am I starting to like boys?”
“Are my breasts growing enough?”
“When will I get my period?”
“Is my body shape changing?”
BOTH: “ Am I normal?”
Questions we ask during Puberty

3. What’s puberty? PUBERTY means growing from a kid into an adult.
Boys and girls both go through physical and emotional changes.
These changes are completely normal.
Puberty is about your brain, body, and emotions maturing.
What’s puberty?

4. PUBERTY Some people start early, some later.
Your body grows in ways that prepare it for reproduction, which means to have kids.
Your brain becomes capable of higher learning and more sophisticated thinking.
You develop new feelings, including increased interest in sex.
Your moods can change and become more complicated.
PUBERTY

5. Because everyone changes at different paces, it’s easy to compare yourself with other kids. ...You might think that something is wrong with you... But it’s ok to feel different. It’s ok to look different! Puberty happens to all of us at different paces.
PUBERTY

6. WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?
Chemicals called Hormones are like messengers that tell your body to grow and change.
Hormones determine a lot about your body type, and the moods you have.
Hormones are released by the Pituitary Gland in the brain.
WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?

7. WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?
The Hormones released from the Pituitary Gland travel through the bloodstream to a person’s sex glands. (Testes in guys, and ovaries in girls). The Hormones tell the sex glands to start producing sex hormones, or Testosterone in boys and Estrogen in girls (girls also produce Progesterone and a little bit of Testosterone too).
WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?

8. WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?
These Hormones signal your growth hormones, too, so suddenly you start getting taller! Girls tend to start puberty earlier than boys, which is why so many girls are taller than boys in middle school. Puberty causes your whole body to change from a kid into an adult, but let’s talk about the parts of you that it really affects.
WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?

9. Key Words: Anatomy & Puberty
MALE
Pituitary Gland
Penis
Scrotum
Testicles (testes)
FEMALE
Pituitary Gland
Vagina
Uterus
Fallopian Tubes
Ovaries
Vulva
Understanding anatomy helps us understand puberty.
Key Words: Anatomy & Puberty

10. GUYS When GUYS hit puberty, testosterone causes:
The voice to get deeper
The body to grow taller
Muscles to grow larger
Shoulders to widen
Production from sweat and oil glands
Hair growth on the body and the face.
GUYS

11. Puberty also causes the testicles, located in a sac called the scrotum, to start producing millions and millions of tiny cells called sperm.
During puberty, and even sometimes before, guys experience erections. This is when the brain sends messages to the penis to fill with blood so that it becomes larger and stiff.
GUYS

12. Once a guy begins puberty and begins to make sperm, he can also ejaculate, releasing a small amount of thick, whitish liquid from the tip of the penis.
This whitish liquid is called semen, and it helps the sperm to travel up the cervix to fertilize an egg during sexual intercourse.
GUYS

13. Puberty begins for GIRLS when the pituitary gland sends messages to the ovaries to start producing sex hormones, especially estrogen.
Estrogen is what makes girls bodies become curvy, so estrogen is the hormone behind hips and breasts.
GIRLS

14. Girls also experience many changes INSIDE their bodies, too.
When a girl’s body starts making estrogen,
She grows body hair
Her voice gets a bit lower
Her sweat and oil glands are more active
Her hips widen
She starts to develop breasts
Girls also experience many changes INSIDE their bodies, too.
GIRLS

15. ON THE INSIDE:
Girls have ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the cervix, and the vagina (which is a passage from the cervix to the outside of the body). The opening of the vagina is protected by folds of skin called labia, which are a part of the entire outer area of a woman’s genitals, for which we use the term vulva.
GIRLS

16. These hormone changes are what help to begin a girl’s menstrual cycle, or period. An entire menstrual cycle usually lasts 28 days.
Eggs, or Ovum, begin to grow inside girl’s ovaries.
One egg is released per month through the fallopian tubes and settles into the uterus!
Meanwhile, the uterus builds up a soft lining of tissue to give nutrients to a fertilized egg.
If the egg has not been fertilized by a sperm during intercourse, it leaves the girl’s body during her period. It is too tiny to see!
The body will also shed the lining that the uterus has made. This is a menstrual cycle.
GIRLS

17. Every girl is different
Every girl is different. Some begin their periods at 9, others at 13, others 16. Maturing is different for everyone.
GIRLS

18. Now we know that girls and boys become capable reproducing between the ages of 9 and 16.
However, their brains and emotions won’t fully mature until their early 20’s.
Things to think about

19. This is why teens can get pregnant LONG before they are emotionally or mentally capable of being really good parents!
Things to think about

20. Sexual Attraction is natural
Puberty:
It’s a natural, good thing to have, and shouldn’t make you feel bad.
It can make you feel excited and happy about another person.
It’s a time when passions are powerful, and when just a crush can feel like the most important thing in the world.
But...
ATTRACTION

21. It is better to wait to have sex with a partner until you are both mature enough to understand the responsibilities and consequences that come with sex. This is called practicing Abstinence.
Abstinence

22. A lot of times, teens can feel like everyone around them is telling them to have sex.
They feel pressure from their friends, as well as the shows & movies they watch, and the music they listen to.
Mixed messages...

23. Where do you hear messages that tell you that it’s ok to have sex while you’re still a teenager? What movies, songs, or shows tell us that it’s ok and that you’re “weird” if you don’t?
Mixed messages

24. It can seem difficult to stay abstinent
It can seem difficult to stay abstinent. What are some ways that you can avoid situations where you may feel pressured to have sex?
EXAMPLES:
Stay focused on your goals
Choose good, encouraging friends.
Stay away from situations that test your willpower.
Remember the benefits
Ways to stay abstinent

25. The benefits of waiting
Teens who wait to have sex
Are more likely to graduate high school & go to college
Will not get pregnant
Will avoid STDs
Are more likely to have good mental health
Usually have higher self esteem
The benefits of waiting

26. Puberty is a natural thing that happens to everyone
Puberty is a natural thing that happens to everyone. During this time, it is also natural to feel increasingly attracted to the idea of sex. It is important to remember that puberty is a time for you to find out more about yourself, your dreams, and your goals. That is why practicing abstinence is important; it will help you see those goals and dreams come to life in the future.
Wrapping it up