elementary student questions

 

What is puberty?

Puberty is the period during which sexual organs mature and reproduction becomes possible. Boys usually begin to show signs of puberty at about 11 or 12 years of age, although puberty can start as early as age 10 or as late as age 16.

Girls show physical signs of development on average two years earlier than boys, but differences within the sexes also vary greatly. One teenager may complete puberty before another of the same age begins. Some boys go through puberty in a year, while others take five or six years to mature. Puberty usually lasts three or four years.             

 

When will I go through puberty?

Puberty, and the changes involved, happens at different times for different people.

 

Generally speaking, girls tend to go through puberty earlier than boys. Girls may experience puberty changes between the ages of 8 and 16 while boys will go through it sometime between the ages of 12 and 18. Every person is different, and puberty can happen earlier or later. It may be a fast process for some people, and a very gradual one for others.

 

When will I get pubic hair?

Growing pubic hair is one of the many physical changes that happen to both boys and girls during puberty. The growth of pubic hair may be one of the earliest visible signs of puberty. Every person is different and pubic hair will appear at different times and grow at different rates for different people. Pubic hair will change in both quantity and texture as puberty progresses. 
 

Why is the hair on a person's head one colour, while the hair on the rest of the body may be another color?
A person's hair color is not necessarily be different than his or her body hair (chest, back, arms & legs) or pubic hair color. Every person is different. Some people have the same coloured hair, body hair and pubic hair, whereas other people have different hair, body hair, and pubic hair colors. All of these are normal.

Why is my voice changing?

During puberty, boys and girls voices change. The hormones that are released during puberty cause your voice box (larynx) to grow larger and your vocal cords get thicker. For boys, while this is happening, their voice may sound like it is cracking. It will fluctuate between high and low without warning. This process can take anywhere from a couple of months to a year. It is not nearly as noticeable in girls.

 

Why are all the girls taller than me?

Girls tend to go through puberty earlier than boys. As a result, girls often have a growth spurt before their male peers do. By the end of high school, the boys have usually caught up and past the girls in height. However, everyone is different and there are many tall grown women as well as shorter adult men.

 

Why do I sweat more?

During puberty sweat glands start to produce sweat. This sweat or perspiration can smell offensive to some people if you do not keep your body and clothes clean. You may find that you need to shower more often particularly after sports, when the weather is hot and for girls, when you have your periods.

 

Will I get acne?

During puberty your skin will become oily and you may experience spots, pimples, or acne. Acne occurs when the pores in the skin become blocked with oil and dirt. You may or may not experience acne. To keep your skin clean and healthy, use a mild soap and water to wash each morning and evening.

 

Is it safe to use deodorant?

Having a daily shower or bath will help you to keep your body clean and healthy. Some people choose to use deodorant which covers the odour produced by sweating. Others use an antiperspirant which is designed to stop the sweat glands producing sweat. You may want to talk to your parents or a trusted adult about what they use.
 

What does circumcised mean?
A circumcised penis is a penis that has had the foreskin removed. The foreskin is the loose skin that covers the tip of the penis. Some boys are circumcised and others are not. Either way is normal.

 

When do breasts start growing?
Girls start developing at different ages, and continue developing at different rates. Breasts may start growing anytime between age 8 and 16. For some girls it could happen even earlier or later than this. Some girls' breasts grow slowly and others grow quickly. Starting earlier or later does not have anything to do with how quickly breasts will develop, or what size they will eventually become.

 

Why are my breasts smaller than everyone else’s?

At some point during puberty your breasts will begin developing. Some girls develop quickly, while others develop more slowly. Breasts come in different shapes and sizes. Mature breast size depends on two things: genetics (look at the size of your mom’s and your dad’s mom’s breasts as an indicator); and your weight (extra body fat can show up in your breasts). Every girl is different.

 

Is it normal for breasts to itch or hurt?

It is common for breasts to be sore and itchy as they grow. One of the first signs of breast development is the appearance of a small, tender bump behind each nipple. These are called breast buds. Nipples can also feel sore as a result of growth during puberty. As your breasts grow, and your skin stretches to accommodate them, it is not uncommon for them to feel itchy.

 

What if one of my breasts is bigger than the other?

It is normal for one breast to grow faster than the other. They will usually even out in size by the time puberty is over. Sometimes they stay slightly different sizes and this is normal too.

 

What are breasts made of?  Do they always have milk inside?  Breasts are made of nerves, arteries, blood vessels, milk ducts, fat tissue, connective fibers, and lymph channels. There is no milk in the breast until a woman gives birth to, and is nursing, a baby.

 

Are there any exercises that I can do to make my breasts larger?

Breasts are not made of muscle, so you cannot increase your breast size with exercise. However, there is a layer of muscle on the chest wall just behind the breasts. These pectoral muscles can be developed through exercise and may lead to an increase in bust measurement (distance around your entire torso). Developing these muscles will not increase your actual breast size.

 

I’m getting breasts and I’m a boy. There is swelling under my nipples and they are sore to the touch. What is the matter with me?

Almost half of all boys experience a temporary swelling of the breasts during puberty because of hormones. This can cause the breasts to be sore and tender. This swelling goes away over time. If a boy is concerned about this, it is a good idea for him to talk to his doctor.

 

questions about human sexual response

 

What is an erection?
An erection is when the tissues of the penis fill with blood making it larger and harder.

What is masturbation?
Masturbation is when you touch your own genitals to make them feel good. Some people choose to masturbate while others choose not to. Either choice is normal.

What are wet dreams?
A wet dream is when a boy's penis gets erect or hard, and ejaculates or releases semen while he is asleep and dreaming. Wet dreams can happen to both boys and grown men. A sign that a boy has had a wet dream is waking up in damp pyjamas and bed sheets. This may be embarrassing, but it is normal. Wet dreams are a sign that you are growing up.

Can urine come out the same time as sperm?
If a man has a healthy reproductive health system, urine and sperm will not come out of the penis at the same time.

 

Is it normal to have sexual feelings?

It is normal for both boys and girls to have sexual feelings towards others. These feelings can make you want to be really close to someone and you may find yourself thinking about them a lot. This is called a crush. Crushes are a normal and healthy part of growing up.

 

 

questions about intercourse

 

What is a penis used for?

The penis has two different jobs. One is urinating (peeing) and the other is sexual intercourse. 

 

What does sexual intercourse mean? Does it hurt?
Sexual intercourse is something two adults do together to physically express their closeness. It can result in pregnancy. It usually involves placing the penis in the vagina. Sexual intercourse might hurt the first few times for some people, but normally it should not hurt.

 

 

questions about pregnancy

 

Where does a baby come from?
A baby is made when a man's reproductive cell, the sperm, joins with or fertilizes a female's reproductive cell, the ova or egg and implants into the wall of the uterus.

Does the egg have a shell?
No, the egg or ova does not have a shell, but it does have 2 layers that the sperm must pass through in order to fertilize it.

How long does it take for a baby to get ready to be born?
It usually takes about 9 calendar months, or 40 weeks for a baby to be born.

How can you tell if the baby will be a boy or a girl?
The only way to know if the baby will be a boy or a girl before the baby is born is if the mother has a test called an ultrasound. An ultrasound takes a picture of the fetus in the mother's womb (uterus). By looking at the picture, the doctor usually can tell if the baby has a penis or not.

What decides if the baby will be a boy or a girl?
Both men and women have a reproductive cell. The male reproductive cell is the sperm, and the female reproductive cell is the ova or egg. Within each reproductive cell, there are sex chromosomes. The sperm sex chromosome is either an X (female gender) chromosome or a Y (male gender) chromosome. The egg only has one sex chromosome, the X chromosome. It is the male's sperm that determines if a baby will be a boy or a girl. If the sperm that joins with the egg has an X chromosome, the baby will be a girl. If the sperm has a Y chromosome the baby will be a boy.

How does a baby come out? Does it hurt?
When a baby is ready to be born, he or she usually comes out of the vagina. If the baby is having problems coming out of the vagina, sometimes the doctor will do a surgery called a caesarean section and take the baby out of the mother's abdomen. Most women consider the birth of the baby painful, but there are usually doctors and nurses around to help the woman feel more comfortable.

Can you have a baby when you are 13 years old?
If a 13 year-old girl has started to ovulate she can become pregnant and have a baby. A sign that a girl has started to ovulate is that she has started to have menstrual periods.

Why are some babies born dead?
There are many reasons why a baby could be born dead. Some reasons may be related to the delivery of the baby (e.g. the baby may have the umbilical cord wrapped around his or her neck), while other reasons may be related to the growth and development of the baby inside the womb (e.g. the baby's heart or lungs may not have developed correctly). If a baby dies inside its mother’s uterus before 20 weeks of pregnancy it is called a miscarriage.  If a baby dies in its mother’s uterus after 20 weeks of pregnancy it is called a stillbirth.   Both miscarriages and stillbirths are sometimes referred to as “losing a baby”.

 

How does milk get into a woman’s breasts?
When a woman is pregnant, there are hormones that get the breasts ready to feed the baby after it is born. Once the baby is born, the hormones signal the breasts to start making milk. When the baby breastfeeds, milk leaves the breast and the hormones continue to signal the breasts to make more milk.

Does sperm have eyes? How do they find the egg?
Sperm look kind of like tadpoles when they are seen under a microscope. Sperm have a head, a cone-shaped mid-piece, and a tail, but they do not have eyes. A sperm cell travels to the egg by moving its tail back and forth in a swimming motion. It is not known exactly how the sperm finds the egg, but some scientists think that the egg makes a substance that attracts the sperm. 

 

TOP

 

TOP