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| Changes in your body |
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During adolescence, your
body is going through many changes that are happening
at a fast pace. While these changes might make
you feel unsure of yourself at times, they can
also be exciting. You are becoming a young woman!
Learning about what is going on with your body
will help you get through these changes.
This time in your life
when your body is changing is called puberty.
For girls, puberty usually starts between the
ages of 9 and 16. Sometimes, it can start as early
as 6 or 7. Puberty for boys usually starts between
the ages of 13 and 15, but may start as early
as age 9. For both girls and boys, puberty takes
several years. Major body changes have taken place
for most girls – but not all – by
the time they are 14. For boys, these changes
happen at age 15 or 16. The first sign of puberty
for most girls is growing breasts. Other changes
include new body hair, different body shape, and
getting your period. The changes in your hormones
that cause you to get your period make you able
to get pregnant and have a baby.
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| Puberty – The process of developing from
a child to sexual maturity, when a person becomes
capable of having children. In a girl, puberty
includes a growth spurt, development of breasts
and hips, growth of body hair, and the beginning
of menstruation (having periods). |
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