1. PUBERTY UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHANGING BODY
GIRLS

2. WHAT IS PUBERTY?
Puberty is the period in which girls and boys experience the physical and emotional changes of growing up.
Changes may occur over a few years or over a long period of time. Either way is perfectly normal!

3. WHEN WILL PUBERTY BEGIN???
Girls begin these changes anytime between the ages of 8-17
Most girls start changing between the ages 10-14
Girls tend to begin before boys

4. WHAT CHANGES OCCUR? PHYSICAL Get taller & heavier Hips get wider
Face changes shape
Breasts develop
Hair grows under the arms, in genital area, & on arms and legs
Internal & external sex organs grow
EMOTIONAL
May experience mood swings
May have sexual thoughts and feelings
May be self-conscience about how you look and behave
May be confused about where you belong.Child v. adult

5. WHAT CAUSES THESE CHANGES?
Hormones are responsible for these changes. They are chemical messengers that travel in the bloodstream from the place they're made to the place they are needed.

6. The Pituitary Gland is responsible for sending out the sex hormones to the reproductive organs, also known as sex organs & genitals, to get puberty started.
The Pituitary gland is located deep inside your brain.

7. HORMONES
The main sex hormone responsible for the changes in girls during puberty is estrogen. It is produced by the ovaries. Once released by the pituitary gland, puberty will begin.
However, girls do make the sex hormone, testosterone, that is responsible for the changes that take place in boys during puberty and vice versa.

8. Where do babies come from?
A baby develops inside the uterus when an egg cell from the female unites with a sperm cell from the male at the time of conception. This usually takes place during sexual intercourse.
Sexual intercourse is when the penis enters the vagina and semen is released. This may or may not result in a pregnancy occurring.

9. REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

10. INTERNAL PARTS
Ovaries: Glands that produce egg cells and estrogen. They release an egg once a month.
Fallopian tubes: narrow tubes that carry the egg cell from the ovaries to the uterus.

11. Uterus:Muscular organ, about the size & shape of a pear
Uterus:Muscular organ, about the size & shape of a pear. Houses a developing fetus, or baby. Where the period comes from.
Cervix: The lower part of the uterus. Makes mucus to keep the sperm alive. Has opening so sperm can enter the uterus and a baby can leave the uterus.
Vagina: Soft, moist passageway joining the outside and the uterus.

12. WHY DO GIRLS HAVE PERIODS???
Backround Information
Girls are born with hundreds of thousands of tiny eggs that are only half formed called ova, one is called ovum.
At puberty, usually 1 egg at a time matures and is released by the ovary month.
At the same time, the uterus is growing a thick lining with lots of tiny blood vessels that will protect & feed the fertilized egg.

13. PERIODS... continued
Fertiliztion is when a sperm cell meets up with an egg cell usually in the Fallopian tube.
If this does not happen, the extra blood cells and tissue in the uterus is not needed.
So... the extra blood vessels , along with the egg cell is shed from the uterus.
This is called menstruation, or a period.
This occurs month after month as long as fertilization does not take place.This is referred to as the menstral cycle.

14. Period vs. Fertilization
Uterine lining before menstruation/period
Uterine lining that is housing a fertilized egg

15. Period Facts... No one knows exactly when their period will start.
Signs that it may start soon are physical changes in your body and mucus on the underwear. This may be yellow or white stuff that appears.
Will a period hurt???
Typically, no. it's like a nosebleed. You won't realize you're bleeding until you see blood on your underwear. It dribbles out, not gushes.
Some girls get "cramps", other do not. Some get them once in awhile, some never!

16. Facts continued... Almost done!
How long will it last and how often will I get it?
A period will last from 3-7 days. It varies from person to person.
At first, your period will be very irregular. You may get it once and then not again for a few months or even a year. Over time, you will become more regular and get a period once a month or every 28 days.

18. PMS: FACT OR FICTION?
PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, really does exist for some women.
It is when a girl may feel weepy, tired, crampy, bloated and/or headachy due to the hormones changing before and during the menstrual cycle.
Some girls experience PMS, others may not.

19. Miscellaneous Info Weight Gain Feelings
Girls gain adipose tissue, boys gain muscle
Adipose tissue is fat, which is energy stored in the body. This is needed for breast feeding and looking after a newborn child.
Girls can survive things like extreme temps and hunger better than boys.
Feelings
Girls experience ups and downs in moods just like boys.
They also experience newly developed sexual feelings like boys do also
The result may be the vaginal area getting moist which may lead to masturbation. Some girls do, some don't!

20. WE DID IT!!!!
Puberty is an exciting, fun, difficult, challenging time. Eating well, getting exercise, and plenty of sleep help with these changes. Remember,you're not alone and these changes are perfectly normal!!!