Becoming a young woman

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Having periods means that you are now at an age when you are fertile.
This is a difficult time for girls and boys. Hormones are rising and you will be attracted to boys in a more sexual way. It is a difficult time because physically girls are ready to have babies, but emotionally and socially, it is not the time to be producing children, so you have to manage the feelings and urges of a mature adult whilst coping with the issues of growing up. Being aware of your body and recognising the changes is an important part of being in control of your emotions. Take a look at the Monthly Matrix to learn more about the changes that take place in your body each month.

Girls tend to know less about their genitals because mostly, they are hidden inside our bodies. Take time to check yourself out by using a mirror because it makes sense to learn by looking, especially if you are trying to use a tampon for the first time. The vagina is an opening in the female body that is directly below the opening from where you pee (the urethral opening). Two folds of skin (the labia) meet to form the vulva, which is the entrance to the vagina. The labia, clitoris, urethra, and the opening of the vagina, are all part of the vulva.

Internally, it is more difficult, but remember that the vagina is not a gap or cavity inside of you but a “potential” space because the muscular vaginal walls are normally touching each other rather than being an open canal as depicted in diagrams. When something enters the vagina, the body makes room for it no matter how small or large it may be. This is important to keep in mind when using a tampon. The vagina is able to change its size to hold a tampon in place, to allow the penis to enter for reproduction, and to let a baby pass through when giving birth.

The vagina is connected to the uterus (also called the womb) at an angle. This muscular sac, where a baby develops, has a rich blood lining called the endometrium. The uterus leads to the fallopian tubes and the ovaries. At the meeting of the vagina and the neck of the uterus, there is a ring of muscle called the cervix. The bladder and the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body (the urethra), sits in the space just in front of the uterus, and is completely separate from the reproductive system. However, the urethra opens into the vulva in front of the vaginal opening.

Becoming a young man

Boys also go through puberty when their bodies change and develop. This is normally between the ages of 11 and 14 when their voices deepen and squeak a little. Remember that boys are as sensitive as girls about the changes they are going through, so avoid the temptation to joke about their voices. Their armpits grow hair and they may start to develop spots on their face and backs. Their shoulders broaden and they start to develop muscles, but just like many girls, they may become self-conscious about their bodies and their skin whilst some become much more confidant.

During this time, the penis and testicles start to grow bigger and pubic hair starts to appear. Two testicles hang beneath the penis in a sac called the scrotum. The testes are the male glands that make the microscopic, tadpole-shaped sperm cells that fertilise the female eggs. The female glands are the ovaries where the pinpoint-size egg cells are stored until being released each month.