Puberty is a process of bodily transformations that typically take place between 11 and 13 years of age and continue throughout the teenage period. Puberty is a natural process for both boys and girls, and everyone goes through it.

Body transformations

As the body adjusts to a new level of hormones, some changes take place, such as:

• Menstruation
• Breast development
• Pubic hair growth
• Body shape changes - acquiring fat, muscle growth, girls’ hips widen, fat distributes among breasts, thighs, upper arms and pubis, thus body composition changes, becoming more curvy
• Body odor and acne are the results of an increase in androgen (steroid hormone) levels. These androgens increase sweating and oil secretion, which can result in body odor and acne.

 A virgin is traditionally defined as a person who is sexually inexperienced, and/or has never engaged in sexual intercourse. Recently, there has been a large amount of controversy regarding what defines sexual experience, as well as whether or not vaginal intercourse is the only type taken into account.

Tips for your first sexual experience:

The “First time” is really important to most girls. In order to make your first time more comfortable there are several tips that will help you determine whether or not you are ready to be sexually active, as well as how to approach your first time.

Peer pressure plays a great role, especially in teenager’s life. Sometimes it seems that everybody has already tried it and they know it all, they are experienced and it is so cool. The thing is, the older you become the more responsibilities you gain and sexual activity is one of those responsibilities. Sex should be safe.

What if your boyfriend is pressuring you to have sex and you feel you are not ready? Firstly, it is not only about him, it is also about you, your desires should be considered. So if you don’t feel that you are ready, try to explain yourself. Relationships that are built on sex are not stable. So if your partner cares about you he will fully understand and support you. If not, then think about whether or not you want to be in this relationship, and have this person in your life?

If you’ve decided that you’re absolutely ready to lose your virginity, be smart about it:

• Consider why you want to do it? Peer pressure? Curiosity? Pressure from your boyfriend/girlfriend?
• Consider everything once again: is it really the right time, place and person? What if you meet a person you will truly love and wish that you could turn back time so that he or she could be your first? Are you ready for the changes and responsibility that go along with becoming sexually active?
• Find out as much information about safe sex as possible – contraceptive methods, STDs, pregnancy rates;
• Find a partner you can trust (remember that some STDs are transmitted through oral sex);
• Consider a contraceptive method – a condom is the only reliable contraceptive method against STDs and it has a relatively low failure rate when used properly;
• Remember, that even if you do it only once, you may get pregnant or infected with an STD, so being safe and using contraceptives correctly is vital;
• Consider a place where you and your partner will feel comfortable and relaxed;
• Remember that an alcohol and/or drugs are not a good combination – your concentration level will go down, you may not notice how the condom tore or slipped or you may simply forget about it.

In order to not regret your first time, arm yourself with as much information as you can. Find a trusted person with whom you share warm feelings or feeling of love, respect and care. Listen to your feelings and desires, but also think about the consequences. It is better when your partner listens to you and considers your desires. So think about what you really want and feel, and not what your peers, friends, girlfriends, and boyfriends want.

Abstinence (also called celibacy) is defined as not having sexual intercourse before marriage, or in general. For some people, however, celibacy means no sexual activity at all (including all other forms of sex apart from conventional intercourse). Abstinence and celibacy usually go hand in hand with religion and sexual education. Pro-abstinence activists believe that abstinence-only sexual education programs work more effectively than contraception-based programs, however no research or study has proven it.

 Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is an accumulation of physical, psychological and emotional symptoms connected with a woman’s menstrual cycle. PMS is connected with hormone changes during a menstrual cycle.

• About 80 percent of women have some sort of PMS symptoms
• Symptoms typically begin prior to menstruation, and usually disappear at the beginning of menstrual flow
• A small percentage (2-5%) of women have serious PMS symptoms beyond general menstrual discomfort

Typical PMS symptoms are:

• Abdominal distention
• Abdominal spasms
• Acne
• Eye problems (bulbar disturbances, conjunctivitis)
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Joint or muscle pain
• Libido changes
• Respiratory (allergies or infection)
• Worsening skin disorders
• Tender or swollen breasts

 Menstruation is also known as menstrual cycle, period, menses, and menstrual bleeding. It is defined as monthly vaginal bleeding in girls that starts during puberty and continues until menopause.
During the monthly menstrual cycle, female sex hormones prepare the uterus for pregnancy. Ovaries, reproductive female organs, release the egg each month for fertilization. When pregnancy occurs, the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus’ endometrial lining. If pregnancy does not occur, this endometrial lining sheds during menstruation.

• Typically, women have a period every 28 days. However, a menstrual cycle may range from 24 to 35 days in length.
• Amount of blood loss during menstruation differs from woman to woman.
• Most periods last from 3 to 5 days. However, length of time differs from woman to woman

 Masturbation is defined as sexual stimulation of one’s genitalia. It can be done by hand, or through the use of “sex toys”. Some women can get pleasure from simply rubbing their thighs together and/or by touching their breasts.

Masturbation does not always have to end with orgasm, some women do it for the pleasure of feeling a touch or caress.

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to explore and get to know your body, and to allow yourself to experience pleasure.

 Infertility is defined as a woman’s inability to become pregnant.

General causes

• Emotional stress
• Malnutrition

• Obesity
• Cancer and its treatment
• Alcohol and drugs
• Other medical conditions. Certain diseases or conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, Cushing's syndrome, or anemia may be associated with infertility.
• Age
• Exposure to pesticides and other chemicals.

Prevention

• Moderate exercise. Excessive or absolute lack of exercise may impair ovulation.
• Avoid weight extremes. Being overweight or underweight affect the hormone production, it can lead to infertility.
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco and street drugs. These substances may impair infertility and healthy pregnancy.
• Limit caffeine. Do not exceed the limit of 200 milligrams of caffeine a day
• Limit medications. Some medications may impair fertility. Talk with your physician about any regular medications you take or prescribed.

 Pregnancy is the time period from conception to birth, during which a woman carries an embryo/fetus in her uterus. There is a possibility of multiple gestations that result in twins or triplets and sometimes higher number of children.
Conceptionoccurs as a result of a male gamete – sperm, merging with female gamete – egg. This merge typically takes place as a result of sexual intercourse between male and female.

Childbirthtypically occurs38 weeks after conception, i.e. 40 weeks from the last normal menstrual period
 

Pregnancy Symptoms:
 

• Missed period.
• Morning sickness.
• Tender, swollen breasts.
• Fatigue.
• Areolas (nipples) darkening.
• Implantation bleeding or cramping.
• Frequent urination.
• Altered sense of taste/appetite changes.
• Sensitive/altered smell.
• Digestion problems.
• Food cravings.
• Backache.
• Positive home pregnancy test.

 Menopause literally translates from Latin as «the end of monthly». It is also called the climacteric, which is Greek for «step», due to the numerous changes the female body experiences during this time.
The ovaries cease to provide eggs and dramatically reduce the formulation of estrogen. As a result, a woman loses the ability to conceive and ceases to menstruate.

Menopause at glance:

• Menopause has three stages: pre-menopause, menopause, post-menopause
• Average age - 51 years
• A majority of women suffer from discomfort, irregular periods, irregular heart rate, rise in blood pressure, insomnia, and frequent migraine attacks.

Symptoms:

• Irregular menstrual cycle
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Depression
• Irritability
• Vaginal dryness
• Forgetfulness
• Sleep disorders
• Fatigue
• Reduced sexual desire
• Frequent urination
• Skin changes