Puberty Explained

“Grandma, can you explain something to me, please?”

         “Certainly, Kelly, what is it you are needing explained?”

         “I want to know what it means when a girl reaches puberty. I have heard girls at school talking about periods and ‘Aunt Flo’, but I don’t understand what they are talking about.   I know I am close to that age, and I want to be prepared.”

         “Well, Kelly, honey, when you reach puberty your body goes through a lot of changes. You will begin growing hair on your legs, your armpits, and on your vagina. You know, your private area.”

         “Gross! I don’t want to grow hair all over my body!”

         “Well, it’s going to happen whether you want it to or not. Also,…”

         “There’s more?”

         “Yes. Also, your breasts will begin developing. You will begin having your period, and you will become interested in boys – or girls.”

         “Yeah, back to the period. What exactly is a period?”

         “When you reach puberty, your body begins developing eggs and dropping them into your uterus. Each month, if the eggs haven’t been fertilized, your uterus will clean itself out by bleeding from your vagina for about a week. When it is done, the cycle will start all over again. That is called menstruation. Some people refer to it as a period, as Aunt Flo, as your cycle, your monthly visitor, and many other names. All of them mean the same thing. They all mean that you are a young woman and that your body is doing what it is supposed to do.”

         “Okay, Grandma, what is the point of the eggs?”

         “Well, the eggs, if fertilized, will make babies.”

         “How do they get fertilized?”

         “When boys hit puberty, they have semen that fills their testicles. The semen is also called other things, such as cum. Testicles are referred to as balls. Their penis will become hard. If they put their penis inside of a vagina and move it around, the semen will come out of it and fertilize the egg to make a baby grow. The penis is also known by many other names, such as a disk, a peter, a Johnson, and others. Some guys even name them, silly as that may be.”

         “This is gross, Grandma. How do I stop it all from happening?”

         “My darling, you can’t stop puberty, but you can stop pregnancy. Just say no to sex until you are married. If you do decide to have sex before marriage, there are methods that you can use to prevent pregnancy. There are condoms, which is sort of like a rubber glove that boys can wear on their penis. There are birth control pills and IUD’s for girls. However, even if you use a form of birth control for girls, the boy should still wear a condom. This will help to prevent disease as well as pregnancy.”

         “Wait a minute – there are diseases from sex?”

         “Oh, yes, my darling. There are many, many diseases from sex. These are called sexually transmitted diseases, or STD’s.”

         “Do you have to get a shot to get rid of them?”

         “Yes, for some of them. Some of them aren’t curable, however, and if you get them you will have them all of your life.”

         “All of this puberty business sounds really gross and dangerous. I don’t know why anybody has sex. It sounds too complicated, disgusting and sickening.”

         Kelly, sweetie, that you feel that way just means that you aren’t ready for sex. And that is okay. Just because you hit puberty and begin menstruating doesn’t mean that you are automatically ready for all that goes along with it. A lot of people in your age group have sexual relations before they are ready because of peer pressure. You must be strong and stand your ground. Never let anyone pressure you into sex or anything else before you are ready.”

         “Can I ask another question?”

         “Of course. Ask all the questions you want. I would much rather you ask than learn the wrong things from your friends.”

         “So, when you have your period, how do you keep it from getting all over your clothes?”

         “Oh, well when that time comes, there are options. You can use pads and panty liners, which come in different thicknesses. These have a sticky part that attaches to your underwear. They absorb the blood and help keep it off of your clothes, but it still gets on you. A cleaner option is a tampon. These also come in different sizes, because your flow will be heavier or lighter depending on where you are in your period. A tampon inserts into your vagina, and has a string attached that you can pull it out with. Either way, you must be sure to keep yourself clean during your period, because it gives off a distinct odor.”

         “Grandma, how will I know when all of this is about to happen to me?”

         “Well, as you said, you are getting to that age. You will begin having stomach cramps and mood swings. You may become grouchy or emotional for what appears to be no reason. Thankfully, your period only happens once a month for about a week. Once you start, you will be able to determine when it will come again, as it comes about the same time each month.”

         “There is so much to learn about my own body. Another question – when do I need to start wearing a bra?”

         “Honestly, we should probably go ahead and get you into a training bra. You have started to bud a little bit, and there is no time like the present.”

         “How am I ever going to remember all of this information?”

         “We can talk again any time you want to, Kelly. As for remembering it all, the basics are keep clean, don’t give in to peer pressure, and if you do have sex before marriage use protection for both of your sakes.”

         “One more question – what happens if I do have sex and end up getting pregnant? Are there options?”

         “Yes, there are. You can choose to keep the baby and raise it, you can choose to have it and put it up for adoption, or you can choose to have an abortion. That is a procedure where the baby inside of you is done away with.”

         “They kill it?”

         “Some people feel that it is murder. Others feel that the baby isn’t a baby until it has reached a certain age inside of you, and some people believe it isn’t a baby until it is born. How you view it is up to you. Myself, I would hope that you would wait until you are married to have sexual intercourse, but that is another choice that you have to make for yourself.”

         “Grandma, I plan to say no to sex then, too.”