Girls Zone



Puberty affects both girls & boys differently, here is rough guide to girls & puberty; remember puberty affect everyone differently!!

Some of the things that happen to Girls during puberty are:

·You will grow taller, can be up to 5 to 12 cm in a year
·Your breast will get bigger, and you will need to look at wearing a bra. However don’t worry if your breast don’t grow straight away, remember everyone grows at a different rate.
·Your body will change shape. All this can be very embarrassing. Because everyone develops at a different rate, you can end up feeling very conscious of your bum, tum, height or boobs. But try not to worry too much remember everyone’s body at some point changes & has felt just the as same you.
·You also grow hair, mostly under your arms and around your pubic area. This may be a different texture and colour from your head hair. You'll also get more hair on your legs, body and face.
·You may get spots & your hair may get greasy, & need washing more often.
·You may feel moody or angry & feel no-one understands you. If you need to talk to someone or need advice about what is upsetting you, why don’t you pop in to your local Youth Health service or Y sort it

Just remember this is a phase your body is going through that won’t last forever concentrate on feeling and looking healthy!!!


Periods



One of the biggest changes to your body is taking your Periods. The main thing is not to panic or worry as your body moves toward adulthood, your body kicks into action and starts releasing an egg which has been stored in the ovary once a month. If this is not used (fertilised by a male sperm) it's flushed out through your vagina along with some blood. This is your period and will last between 3-7 days.

When will it happen?

Periods can start at any age from about 9/10 onwards - don't worry if you have yours already or don't have them yet. Remember everyone’s body is different & changes to your body can happen at different times from others. Don't worry that they will start at an embarrassing moment. For most people the first sign will probably be that you have what appears as an ache around your tummy area, and then the main outward sign will be a little staining - not a flood! So you'll have time to sort yourself out.

How often will I take my period?

People talk about monthly periods but, in reality, they are rarely occur exactly at the same time each month. It may be some time before you can work out your own pattern by marking it your diary & counting 28 days from when you took your last period will give you a rought idea of when you will get your next period.

What to do when you take your period?

You can either use sanitary towels or tampons to catch blood. Towels will soak the blood as it leaves your body & tampons fit inside your vagina & absorb the blood before it leaves your body. One method isn’t better than the other so it’s up to you to decide which you find easiest & most comfortable to use. You must change the towel & tampon several times a day. It may not be easy to see if a tampon needs changing but you must do this about every four hours or sooner. Remember to wash your hands before & after you do this. Always remember to take out your last tampon at the end of your period.

Talk to some one if you are worried

Talk to your mum or an older sister, friends, auntie or youth worker if you are worried about how you are feeling or what's happening. They will understand, believe it or not they would have felt similar to how you are feeling when they fist took their period. NOTE: A girl can become pregnant even if her periods haven't started yet. Once you are old enough to have sex, you are old enough to become pregnant and catch sexually transmitted infections. You can make sure this doesn't happen by protecting yourself. To find out more click here to go to the Sexual Health section.

Toxic Shock Syndrome - TSS

(Toxic Shock Syndrome) is an infection that is very rare, but potentially dangerous and is related to tampon use. If you have two or more of the following:

·Being sick
·A rash
·Dizziness, fainting, or light headedness
·Sore throat
·Sudden fever
·Diarrheoa

These are symtoms of Toxic Shock Syndrome. Stop using tampons & see your doctor right away.