 Girls go through puberty about two years before boys. The first signs of puberty in girls are usually development of breast buds or pubic hair. These signs occur in girls from ages 8-10 years old. Breast enlargement, pubic hair growth, a height spur, and the start of menstruation all occur some time in the next 4-10 years.
The first signs of puberty in boys are marked by the darkening of the scrotal skin and the lengthening of the penis between the ages of 10-12 years. There is more pubic hair growth, a height spur, and the genitalia enlarge over the next 6 years.
With all these dramatic changes going on, it's no wonder we spend so many hours in the mirror. Our bodies are not the only ones you notice. We notice friend's bodies also. People often compare or worry that their development may be either too fast or too slow. The important thing to realize is that there really is no normal timetable.
Society puts a lot of pressure on women to have the perfect breasts and men to have big muscles. Don't get caught up comparing yourself to your friends. There are advantages to having large and small breasts. It doesn't matter if you're small, super curvy, or somewhere in between, as long as you are happy with yourself.
We live in a world that encourages us to be obsessed with our body image. The size and shape of your body doesn't matter if you know who you are inside. "Nature takes it own course to ensure that every individual develops into a man or a woman in the end."
Is it time?
Sometimes teens feel pressured to have sex. They think that all their friends are "doing it" so they should be "doing it" too. No one should have sex or be having sex if they don't fell that they are ready. It's tough to say no, but you must learn to trust your inner self and do what you feel is right.
Having sex at such young age can put a hold on your life. Who wants to take a chance at becoming a teenage parent or getting a sexually transmitted disease?
Some teens feel that it's their duty to have sex with their boyfriend/girlfriend to prove that they love them. That's not true. If you feel that your boyfriend/girlfriend is pressuring you to have sex with things like:
- "if you loved me, you'd do it with me"
- "come on, don't be a baby, everybody is doing it"
- "if you don't have sex with me I'm leaving you"
- "I want to give you something to remember me by"
- "it will bring closer"
- "if you don't I'll find someone who will"
they probably don't care about you in the first place. Sex is not a test of love. There are many other things you can do to show you care for that person like:
- having a picnic
- going to concerts
- holding hands
- kissing and hugging
If you're ever in a situation where someone is pressuring you to have sex, say no and keep saying it. Don't give reasons or excuses for saying no. Take the offensive; tell your date how his/her continual pressure makes you feel. Refuse to discuss the matter further. Walk away from the situation.
There are benefits of putting sex off for a few years. There is less to worry about, for example if the condom broke last night or if you forgot to take your birth control. You might find that your partner starts to care about your feelings and your personality rather than so much about your body.
Very few people remember the seventeenth time they have sex, but everyone remembers the first time they have sex. Make it count.
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