Being a Teen (9 page)

• You have blood in your urine when you do not have your period.

• You have firm or painful lumps in your breasts.

• You have breasts that are different sizes, or your breasts are so large that they cause back pain or prevent you from engaging in physical activity.

• You have a sudden onset of fever, a red rash, vomiting, headache, or confusion during your period. These could indicate Toxic Shock Syndrome and require an immediate visit to a medical provider.

• You are bothered by any persistent questions or concerns about your body.

¹
   puberty (
pyoo
-ber-tee): the biological part of the early adolescent years when the sexual and reproductive systems start to mature

²
   endocrine (
en
-duh-krin) system: controls the body’s hormone functions and makes sure they run together smoothly

³
   pubis (
pyoo
-bis) or mons (monz)

⁴
   labia (
lay
-bee-uh)

⁵
   labia majora (ma-
jor
-uh)

⁶
   labia minora (mi-
nor
-uh)

⁷
   clitoris (
klit
-er-is)

⁸
   urethra (yoo-
ree
-thruh)

⁹
   vagina (vuh-
ji
-nuh)

¹⁰
   urine (
yoor
-in)

¹¹
   menstruation (men-stroo-
ey
-shun): the process by which a woman’s unfertilized egg breaks down and flows out of the woman’s body, together with blood and tissue. Menstruation happens to women about once a month for the years after puberty until menopause. It is commonly known as “having a period.” On average,
menopause
occurs between ages forty-five and fifty-one. After menopause, a woman ceases having periods and cannot produce eggs to create a baby.

¹²
   hymen (hay-muhn)

¹³
   anus (
ey
-nuhs)

¹⁴
   feces (
fee
-seez)

¹⁵
   ovaries (
oh
-vuh-rees)

¹⁶
   Fallopian tubes: the passageways through which the woman’s egg travels from the ovaries to the uterus

¹⁷
   uterus (
yoo
-ter-uhs): Sometimes called the womb, the uterus is the organ in a woman where the fetus grows.

¹⁸
   cervix (
sur
-viks): the “neck” or the bottom of the uterus that sits at the top of the vagina

¹⁹
   ova [plural] (
oh
-vuh) or ovum [singular] (
oh
-vuhm)

²⁰
   ovulation (ov-yuh-
ley
-shun)

²¹
   endometrium (en-doh-
mee
-tree-uhm)

6.

Changes in Both Girls and Boys That You Can See

As your hormones increase, the first signs of puberty can include changes in your skin, your voice, and your smell, and a sudden growth spurt that makes you taller. Perhaps you’ve already experienced this, or are experiencing it now. Feel free to skip those categories that don’t apply to you.

Growth Spurt

The growth spurt that you have during puberty starts with your feet, then your arms and legs, and finally the rest of you. So don’t be surprised if at first you start tripping over yourself!
As time passes, your muscles thicken, and you grow stronger. Boys’ shoulders get broader.

Growing Pains

Growing pains usually occur in younger children rather than teenagers, but they may occur in early puberty. They occur in the long bones of the legs, so they are felt in the thighs or the calves. They generally occur in late afternoon or evening, and they may even wake you from sleep. A hot-water bottle or a massage may help. Growing pains do not occur in the knees or ankles, and they should not cause you to limp or stop going to school or playing sports.

If you are still experiencing growing pains, try applying a hot-water bottle or heating pad to where it hurts, or do something aerobic, such as taking a brisk walk, riding a bike, swimming, or anything else that gets your heart going. Or try a pain-relief medicine from the drugstore. Ibuprofen (Midol, Advil, and Motrin) and Aleve are some that can be effective.

Skin

Acne

Many teenagers get pimples on their skin, also known as
acne.
This usually goes away by the end of your teen years if not sooner, though some people have acne into adulthood.

Acne happens because the oil glands, which are right under the skin, are becoming more active, producing more oil than usual. This causes three types of acne: whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples.

In the case of
whiteheads,
the pores in your skin on your face, chest, or back get blocked by
sebum,
a substance made by the oil glands. The sebum can’t get out, and this creates a white bump.

If the bump pushes outward, a chemical reaction on the skin turns it dark. We call these
blackheads.

Pimples
are caused when bacteria on the surface of the skin become trapped inside the pore blocked with sebum and become infected. If the infection inside the pore erupts and spreads, it causes redness and large bumps.

Here are some things you can do to reduce the appearance of acne:

• Wash your face twice a day with mild soap and water to clear away the oiliness.

• Do not pop or pick the pimples. This only spreads the pus (bacteria) and can leave scars.

• If basic skin care doesn’t improve your acne, consult your doctor. Most family doctors are quite comfortable with acne care. If your acne is more severe and requires special medicines that only a dermatologist can prescribe, your doctor will help you find one. Your doctor (or a medical clinic, if you don’t have a doctor) should be able to recommend such a person to you or your parents.

One important ingredient to look for in an acne-treatment cream is salicylic acid. Tetracycline can also be effective but it requires a prescription.

Some scrubs, cleansers, or mail-order products don’t work well and are expensive. Avoid abrasive soaps and harsh products that can dry out your skin, causing you to produce even more oil. Basic face cleansers are always best.

Sun Damage

Darkly pigmented people, or those who don’t burn, can still experience sun damage. A few sunburns early in life are associated with skin cancers later on and contribute to faster aging and wrinkles.

Everyone should use sunscreen. Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more every day, including when it’s cloudy. Apply
more every couple of hours if you are at the beach, or if you go in for a swim or are sweating a lot. Many face creams now include sunblock; get one that does.

The ultraviolet rays of tanning beds damage skin in the same way the sun does. Any change in skin color, from a tanning bed or from the sun directly, is a sign of sun damage. Avoid tanning beds. Spray tans are not great for your skin, either.

Body Odor

Like your oil glands, your sweat glands become more active during your teen years, leading to increased body odor under your arms, around the genitals, and on the hands and feet, especially when you’re nervous or excited.

You may already be wearing deodorant or antiperspirant every day. A word about that. Deodorant is designed to improve the smell of your body, while antiperspirant is designed to reduce the amount of sweat you actually secrete.

Other than using antiperspirant or deodorant, here are some things you can do to reduce body odor:

• Shower or bathe daily.

• Wear clean clothes. Dirty clothes trap bacteria that smell.

• Wear cotton clothing. It allows air to circulate more freely than other fabrics, like polyester and silk.

Now we’ll discuss the physical changes that are unique to boys.

7.

Changes in Boys’ Bodies That You Can See

How Hormones Work

Not everyone’s body changes at the same time and in the same ways during adolescence. This is because each person’s body produces hormones at a different rate. Some boys will develop and become more physically mature earlier than others. Everyone will have a mature body sooner or later.

Penis Size

• Penis size has nothing to do with body size.

• You cannot tell from a soft penis how large it will be when it is erect. Some penises are very small when soft and very large when erect. Some penises don’t change size very much between the soft and erect stage. Being nervous, scared, or cold can cause your scrotum to pull up your testes for safety, and your soft penis can shrink up to two inches! Being relaxed or warm can make a soft penis look twice as large.

• Although soft penises vary a lot in size from male to male, the average erect adult penis is between five and seven inches. But the size of your erection changes a little from time to time also, depending on the exact situation you’re in when you have one.

• Having a larger penis does not make you more masculine, more sexual, or better at having sex.

Most women’s pleasure during intercourse comes from the stimulation she receives on and around the clitoris, which is outside the vagina, and in the first few inches of the inside of her vagina. In addition, the level of a woman’s pleasure is affected by her emotional connection to her partner, more than the size of his penis.

Erections

Now that your body is producing a lot of the hormone called testosterone, your penis is more sensitive, causing more frequent erections, sometimes at inconvenient times. Erections happen when you become aroused, causing the vessels in the penis to fill with blood.

Erections can happen very fast, from totally soft to really hard in seconds. They can also happen more slowly. They can be hard as a bone (hence the term “boner,” even though there is no bone in the penis) or less hard. With stimulation, erections can last for hours … or not. An erect penis can stick straight out at a right angle to your body, or it can stick upward, closer to your stomach, or it can curve—usually to the left. All of these variables are normal.

With an erection, the blood vessels along the shaft are easier to see. The glans, or head, may get darker. The testicles may become tighter and closer to your body. Again, it is all normal.

Spontaneous Erections

During adolescence, boys can have totally unexpected erections. These are called spontaneous erections and they can be embarrassing, such as when you’re walking down the street and see someone you find attractive. Erections can happen for no reason at all! Just keep in mind that they aren’t as noticeable to others as you think they are. A spontaneous erection that does not soften after four hours, or is painful, requires medical attention.

Here are some suggestions for how to stop or disguise an erection:

• If the erection is caused by thoughts or feelings, try to relax and think about something else. Count backward by 3’s.

• Put your hands into your pockets and push your pants forward. It helps if you are wearing baggy pants.