Being a Teen (11 page)

Remember that nobody can really predict exactly how your breasts will grow, how long it will take, or how large they will get. Breasts come in all sizes, shapes, and coloration. Girls often worry that their breasts are too small. Large breasts can attract teasing.

Don’t be fooled by any person or advertisement claiming that your breasts can be made bigger by doing certain exercises or by rubbing in creams or taking any pills or potions. No product like that can change your breasts.

Learn how to do a breast self-exam every month after your period. This is a great habit to get into as you approach adulthood. If you are concerned about the asymmetry of your breasts, or the size causes you pain, or you have noticed a new lump or bump, consult your doctor.

Bras

It’s easy to decide whether you want or need a bra. Try one on and ask yourself if you feel more comfortable with one or
without one. Get a training bra, one for small chests, or a sports bra, if you like, to see if you like having one.

Bra sizes have both a number and a letter, such as 34B. The number is the band size and is based on the measurement around your rib cage below your breasts. The letter is the cup size and is based on the size of your breasts measured around your chest over your nipples. Usually stores have specially trained saleswomen who can measure you accurately to get the correct size and help you try on bras. They can also consult with you on the fit.

Sizes may actually vary a little from bra to bra. Usually you can adjust the bra fit by making the straps longer or shorter. Try on several bras to find the best fit.

Bras come in all kinds of colors, fabrics, and styles:

• If you have large breasts, you might want an underwire bra for greater support.

• Girls and women with smaller breasts might like comfortable stretch bras, soft-cup bras, or padded bras.

• Special bras, like demi-bras or strapless bras, can shape the breasts for the best look under particular kinds of clothes.

• Whatever size breasts you have, get a sports bra if you play a lot of sports or just prefer the way it feels. This type of bra holds your breasts in place more securely, either by pressing them against your chest or by supporting each one in a separate cup.

Maybe you don’t want to wear a bra but feel self-conscious about your decision. Your nipples might show under a thin
top, or maybe you feel different because all of your girlfriends wear bras. But there are other ways to feel comfortable, like wearing a camisole or tank top under a shirt or sweater so that no one can tell that you’re not wearing a bra.

Body Hair

During puberty, you begin to grow hair under your arms, on your legs, and maybe in other places on your body as well, especially over your pubic bone. The hair on your pubic bone
is called
pubic hair.
At first you see only a few hairs, then, as more grow, they become darker, curlier, and finally wiry. As it thickens, the pubic hair forms an upside-down triangle on your mons. The hair may grow out a little onto your thighs and up toward your belly. And it might not be the same color as the hair on your head! Some women have a lot of dark curly pubic hair while some have less hair and it may be straighter.

There is no reason to shave pubic hair, or hair under your arms or on your legs, if you don’t want to.

Vaginal Discharge

As you enter puberty, you may notice a watery discharge from your vagina. This is called
leukorrhea.
²
It can be clear and slippery at some times and white and creamy at others, and it may look a little yellow if it dries on your underpants. The discharge can have a slight odor, and if you have been sweating a lot, it can smell a little musky until you bathe.

Leukorrhea is your body’s way of cleaning your vagina, the surface of which develops cells during puberty that are flushed away each day. In fact, your vagina is one of the cleanest places in your body because it cleanses itself constantly. Like the tears that you always have in your eyes, this fluid moistens your vagina and helps protect it against infections.

Vaginal Infections

At any age you can develop a vaginal infection that will cause a different kind of discharge. An infection can cause one or more of these symptoms:

• a discharge that is thick, chunky white, or any discharge that is green or dark yellow or brown

• a discharge that is intensely itchy

• a strong smell from your vagina even after you have washed

• unusual redness on your vaginal opening or your inner labia

• burning or pain when you wash or urinate

These infections are very common and familiar to doctors, and they’re usually easy to treat.

Bladder and Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

If you have to urinate often, feel burning when you do, or see blood in your urine, you need to take antibiotics. See your doctor or visit a health clinic. You can help prevent more infections by always drinking plenty of water and also by drinking cranberry juice and eating plain yogurt that contains “live active cultures.” If you are sexually active, doctors advise urinating immediately after intercourse.

Maintaining Healthy Genitals

You may have heard about
douching.
³
This is generally not a good idea for a lot of reasons:

• Like washing your eyes, it’s just not necessary.

• Your vagina produces natural fluids that help protect it from infections.

The thing you have to keep in mind is to gently wash the vaginal opening, the labia, and all of the folds.

Dry yourself thoroughly before putting on clean cotton underpants. Cotton underwear is best; synthetic fabric can cause irritation by trapping bacteria in the genital area. Cotton lets your body breathe.

Remember that it’s very important to always wipe yourself with toilet paper from front to back. Urine or vaginal discharge will not harm the anus.

¹
   areola (uh-
ree
-uh-luh)

²
   leukorrhea (leu-kor-
rhe
-a)

³
   douching (dooshing): using a container, tubing, and a nozzle to rinse the vagina.

9.

Having Your Period

Many girls feel that the most important change to occur during puberty is getting your period. A girl or woman menstruates, or has her period, about once a month as part of her
menstrual
cycle.

Starting
menstruation
¹
is a big deal because it means that you’re now capable of becoming pregnant.

Some important things to remember about menstruation:

• All girls and women menstruate until they are in their mid- to late forties or early fifties.

• Menstruation won’t hurt you or make you sick.

• Other people can’t tell if you’ve gotten your period yet, or when you have it.

•
While menstruating you can do anything that you would normally do, such as bathe, shampoo your hair, and exercise (even swim).

How Menstruation Happens

Most girls begin menstruating at around age eleven or twelve, but periods can start as early as nine or as late as seventeen. You can probably expect your first menstrual period about two years after you see breast buds, or a year or so after you’ve developed pubic hair.

I described the hormonal process that leads to menstruation in
Chapter 5
. But to recap: Once each month, your brain sends a hormone to your ovaries that causes the ova (eggs) inside to grow ripe. As this is happening, another hormone,
estrogen,
begins to build up inside the small sac that contains the ovum.

One of the ova will get larger than the others because it has more estrogen. When it is fully mature, it will burst out of its sac and be swept up into the
Fallopian tube,
through which it travels to your uterus, or womb. This is called
ovulation.
²

Meanwhile, another female sex hormone,
progesterone,
signals the
endometrial
lining
of the uterus to build up a soft, thick cushion of blood vessels, tissue, and fluids. This serves as a nest to nourish and protect a fertilized egg to grow into a baby.

If the ovum is not fertilized, this cushion breaks down and flows through the cervix and out of the woman’s vagina,
together with the blood-filled endometrial (uterine) lining, which is no longer needed. This process is what is called
menstruation,
or “having a period.” When one month’s menstruation is completed, the cycle begins all over again—the uterine lining begins to rebuild, the eggs (ova) begin to grow inside their little sacs, and eventually an egg is released. This is what is called the
menstrual cycle.

Anticipating Your Period

If you have not yet gotten your period, now is the time to start thinking about what sanitary protection you will want.

Put a pad or tampon in your purse, your backpack, your locker, or in whatever other bag you carry with you, just in case. You can usually find these products in vending machines in women’s bathrooms, or a school nurse will likely have some products on hand for emergencies.
If you can’t get a sanitary product, fold up some toilet paper and put it in your underpants until you can get other protection.

If, during your period, blood leaks through your underpants onto your clothes, don’t sweat it. Just wrap a sweater or sweatshirt around your waist or keep an extra pair of underpants, or even a skirt or pair of pants, inside your locker so you can change. To remove a bloodstain, use cold water to soak or rinse it out. Hot water will set the bloodstain into the fabric. If you’re changing your tampons or pads frequently, this shouldn’t happen as often.

The Menstrual Flow

Menstrual blood can be red, dark red, pink, or brown. You won’t be able to see the egg, because it’s much too tiny and has already started to dissolve. Throughout the day, your flow may vary from little dribbles to big gushes. You may feel the difference. There is no way to affect the amount of the flow.

Usually the flow is heavier for the first two days and then gets lighter and lighter. You may go an entire day without seeing any blood, and then see some the next day. Panty liners (discussed
here
) are a good solution.

Keeping Track of Your Menstrual Cycle

Menstrual periods occur anywhere from twenty-five to forty days apart. If your periods are regular, over time you can begin
to anticipate when to expect your next period by keeping a calendar.