Adolescence and Puberty
Think about the changes you are or have experienced during adolescence. Have you noticed the changes in your body? Have your friendships changed? The things you like to do?
As you have seen, the reproductive system—and the hormones associated with it—has a significant impact on the body. During puberty and adolescence, the hormones begin to engage. It is important to understand that we all experience changes in physical, mental, and emotional ways during puberty. Not only are our bodies changing, but so are our moods, attitudes, thoughts, and feelings.
Many books and Internet sites have been written about this time of life. Many of the "guides" to "surviving adolescence" are for parents. What does that tell you? The guides are intended to help you and your parents understand this time of your life.
Take some time now to explore the following links:
Royal College of Psychiatry: Adolescence - provides solid information on the physical, emotional, and psychological changes of adolescence during puberty.
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States - a colorful, well-resourced PDF that includes many risks of being a sexually active teenager. It is cited/linked from the National Institutes of Health webpage under the topic of Teen Sexual Health and produced by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States.
American Academy of Pediatrics - a short policy statement of the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS: Sexuality Education for Children and Adolescents, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health and Committee on Adolescence. It is brief, but does discuss physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of teen sex, especially in conjunction with either the existing resource, or the Talk About Sex PDF listed above.
Take notes on what you find, and use them to complete the writing assignment for this section.
