YOUR BODY!

Body shape and size
Most girls start growing quickly around the ages of 10 to 11 years old - but there are always girls who start growing when they are younger or older than this. The feet are often the first part of the body to grow a lot. You may still be quite short, but find that your
feet are suddenly very big! Don't worry, the rest of your body will catch up to those big feet. Your body is just growing at it's own rate. Other bones will also start growing - each at their own speed. Your arms and legs may start growing quickly while your backbone grows more slowly.

Another change you may notice is that your hips start growing. The hipbones become larger, and soft, fatty tissue grows on the hips, thighs and buttocks. As your hips become wider, your waist will look narrow in comparison, and your body will have a rounder, morewomanly shape.

Catheryn, 15, Ghana"I was 10 years old when I first began to see changes in my body. People told me without these changes I
wouldn't be a woman so I was very happy. I was entering womanhood nad had to take proper care ofmyself."

Your breasts
Some girls begin to develop breasts at age 8 or 9, but other girls do not start until much later. The development of the breasts is caused by a hormone calle oestrogen. Oestrogen causes the tissues in the
breasts to grow so that some day, when you have a baby, you will be able to produce and store milk. Before your breasts start to form, your nipples will probably get larger and stand out more than they used to. Another change you may notice is that the ring of
skin around the nipple - the areaola - gets darker in colour and larger. You also may see tiny lumps in the areaola. These lumps are little glands, which are normal. When a woman has a baby, these glands produce a substance that helps protect the nipple when thebaby is breast feeding.

Magreth, 18, Tanzania"When my breasts started to grow, I felt OK. Though sometimes it was a bit painful."

As the nipples and areaola get larger and darker, the breasts grow larger and fuller. As these changes start happening, you may notice that your breasts feel sore. It can be painful if they are bumped or hit. This is normal., and it is no carm for alarm. The breast is a
very sensitive part of the body. The nipple is especially sensitive. When it is stimulated by different sensations, such as touches or even the cold, the nipple becomes harder and erect.

Some girls' breasts grow slowly. For others the growth is very quick. On average, it takes about 4 years for the breasts to develop fully, but some girls' breasts develop fully in less than a year, while other girls' breasts can take as long as 6 years to develop. So if
your breasts are taking a long time to develop, bepatient, it will happen.

Deborah, 15, Uganda"I developed breasts recently, but I'm worried at the rate they are enlarging. I don't mind having breasts,
but I hope they do not grow extraordinarily big. At first I was wondering why they had delayed to come, but now I'm scared about the size."

Breasts come in all shapes and sizes. The size and shape of your breasts are determined by the genetic traits that you inherit from your parents. The size is also determined by the amount of fatty tissues in the breasts. There is nothing you can do about what your
breasts look like. No amount of exercise can increase your breast size. Exercise works by building up the muscles, and there are no muscles in the breasts. Just remember: all breast sizes - big and small - are goodfor feeding babies.

You also should know that breasts grow unevenly. One breast may become a bit bigger than the other breast. In fact, no one has two breasts that are exactly the same size, but usually this difference is not very noticeable. The shape of the nipple also varies a lot.
Some women's nipples turn inwards. Instead of pointing out, they sink into the areaola.

Breasts have different meanings in different cultures. In some cultures, it si fine for women to go bare breasted. In other cultures, doing this would be considered very shocking and indecent. In most places, however, growing breasts is a big event in a girl's life. It is a sign of growing up. Most girls come tolike their breasts.

Taking Care of Your Breasts
Breasts are very sensitive, so there are a few things you should know about taking care of them. You should never pluck the hairs around you nipples, as this can cause an infection. It is normal to have these hairs. A few girls have a little discharge coming from their nipples. This is normal, but if the discharge seems to have blood in it or is brownish in colour, you should see a doctor because this could be an infection. Taking care of your breasts also includes making sure no one touches them against your will. Boys and men usually find women's breasts very attractive. But no
one should touch you unless you want them to. For some people, the breasts are very sensitive to touch. Touching can be sexually exciting and this might lead you to go farther than you really want togo.

Bras
If you have small breasts or very firm ones, you may not need a bra. But if your breasts are large, you may feel more comfortable wearing a bra that provides some support so the breasts don't move or bounce when you walk, run, dance or play. Some adolescent girls feel embarrassed about their breasts, so wearing a bra
makes them feel less self-conscious. Many women figure out their bra size simply by trying on different sizes to see which one is most comfortable. This works just fine. Other people take
measurements to figure out the right bra size. To take your measurements. You need to know you chest size and your cup size. Measure around your chest, just under your breast, to get the chest size. Then measure around the fullest part of your breasts to get your cup size. If the chest and cup measurements are the same you need a cup A. If your breast measurement is 2.5 centimeters more than your chest size, you need cup B. And if your breast measurement is 5 centimeters more than your chest measurement, you need cup C.

Your private parts
The vagina is the biggest of the three holes in the genital area. The other holes are the urethra (in front of the vagina) and the anus (in back of the vagina). The vagina itself is a short tube about 7
centimeters deep and 3-4 centimeters wide. It is madeup of soft folds of skin. The adult vagina is very strong, extremely stretchy
and very muscular. During childbirth, the vagina has to stretch to many times its normal size to allow a baby to leave the mother's body. But a young girl's vagina is thin and cannot stretch very much. This is one reason why childbirth is so dangerous for
adolescent girls. The vagina of an adolescent girl can tear or burst during childbirth. This causes veryserious problems. At puberty, the walls of the vagina begin to produce a fluid or discharge. This fluid is thicker and stickier than saliva, and it has a purpose: to keep the vagina clean and to maintain the proper environment in which
"good" bacteria that prevent infections can grow. Many women notice more vaginal discharge at different times of the month and when they are feeling sexuallyexcited, this is normal. The area around the opening of the vagina is called the vulva. The opening of the vagina is normally closed, and it is protected by the labia majora and the labia minora, which are the outer and inner "lips." These lips are two folds of skin. There are many small glands in the labia, so you may notice that you perspire and have some white secretions here. In front of the urethra, where the inner lips (the
labia minora) join, is the clitoris. The clitoris is a small bumpe of flesh about the size of a small pea. The clitoris is filled with nerve endings and it is the most sensitive part of the genitals. It is verysensitive to touch. Deeper inside you, at the end of the vagina is the cervix. The cervix closes the end of the vagina. There is only a very small opening in the cervix, and this opening leads to the uterus (womb). The opening is so narrow that only menstrual blood can come down and only sperm cells can swim up. Some people fear that during sexual intercourse a condom could come off the
penis and go up into the uterus. This is impossible because the opening of the cervix is much too small. The cervix only opens during childbirth so that the baby can come down from the uterus, into the vaginaand out of the body. The surface of the cervix is very delicate, especially in young girls and young women. The cervix can get damaged or infected by bacteria and viruses that may enter the body during sexual intercourse. This could lead to cancer of the cervix. Girls who have sex early, or who have many sexual partners, or who have HIV, are more at risk for cancer of the cervix than
girls who have a more careful sex life. Delaying sex and using condoms can protect your cervix.

Safe, Sound ... and Sexy

Thankfully, some people are now using safer sex throughout their sexual lives, beginning from day one. But for some, that isn't the case. Perhaps you started your sexual life irresponsibly or without learning how to protect yourself from pregnancy, infection or
disease, and you're ready to wise up. Or perhaps in any given relationship, you and your partner started taking risks somewhere along the line, and now you're having some trouble breaking those bad habits. Some people even think that being responsible -- or asking a partner to -- is somehow insulting or rude. Regardless of the scenario, it can feel awkward and seem really difficult sometimes to settle into healthy practices without feeling like the Sex DecencyBrigade. by Heather Corinna.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Really, itdoesn't. We promise.

Because of the way that sexuality works in all of us, the more responsible we are, and the more safe and protected we feel, the easier it is to be really aroused and to enjoy sex. Worry and fear (which is valid, especially if you aren't playing it safe) about
disease, infection and pregnancy does actually inhibit our brains from firing off all the pistons that make us aroused and sexually excited. In men that can mean premature ejaculation, or trouble with erection. In women that can mean a lack of vaginal lubrication,
vaginal tightness and discomfort and inhibitors to orgasm. So, aside of the mental anguish, there are also very real and visible physical effects to taking risks we just don't feel good about. And since sex
isn't a requirement you won't die if you don't have it, honest -- but something any of us should only do to feel pleasure, closeness and joy, if it's riddled with anxiety and fear, there's just no pointto it.

Ready or Not? A Sex Readiness Checklist

One of the biggest misnomers about sexuality in our culture is that vaginal intercourse is "going all the way," and is some sort of final goal to sexuality, which is unfortunate... and untrue. This idea has
contributed to a whole lot of confusion and disappointment for many who have first intercourse, and wonder where the fireworks and trumpets were, or why it wasn't all they thought it would be. by Heather Corinna.

Sexuality has many, many different forms and facets, and we can explore it in a number of ways all of our lives. Penis-to-vagina intercourse is only one. But if you're considering having intercourse for the first time, there are a lot of things you and your partner
need to know and evaluate, especially if you're coming into it thinking it is the culmination or finale of your sexuality. Thhis checklist is applicable for just about any form of sexual activity, especially those in which there is a risk of pregnancy. Take stock, andget real!

Reality Check
Intercourse will not necessarily do any of the following for you:

Guarantee a longer or closer relationship
Give you an orgasm, or mind-blowing pleasure
Feel great the first time, or feel like hell in ahandbasket, either
Give you status with your friends
Make you more mature, or grown-up, or a "real" man or woman
There is a lot to think about when deciding if it is right for you and your partner to have vaginal intercourse for the first time. Here are a few basic questions to ask yourself, and to ask your partner.

Why do I want to do this?
If either of you wants to do it because you feel you must or should, or because one of you is pressuring the other, or you're getting pressure from friends, or if you're having troubles in your relationship and you think sex will fix it, stop right there; wake up and smell the double-latte. You're completely off-base. Another thing to give you pause might be if you're fantasizing about sex based on movies or television: remember how in Tom and Jerry cartoons, Tom could hit
a wall and walk away from it just fine, and you knew that wouldn't work in real life? Same goes with a lot of sex in movies and television; it isn't often as it appears. Also, if you simply want to unburden yourself of your virginity with no one in particular, you might want to think again. In most studies, near any woman
who has handled it that way felt terrible later.

On the other hand, if you've been with your partner a while, and have a solid level of other sexual experience (including kissing, petting, masturbation, and oral or manual sex), you feel you can trust
yourself and your partner with limits; if you're looking to explore your sexual relationship responsibly and sensitively, and for some greater intimacy with no notion it is guaranteed, and a firmgrip on reality, read on.

Who do I want to do this for?
If it's for you, and your partner as well as you, then okay. But if it is for someone else primarily, and not for yourself, stop now. They have hands and fingers. They know how to use them to get off, and you can rest assured they've been using them long before you came along. Sex with someone else shouldn't be about self-gratification; that's what masturbation is for. If your friends are saying you should, with no understanding of your relationship, or your own needs, they're being crappy friends. Nine times out of ten, a lot of friends who pressure their friends to have sex do so because they don't feel all that good about their own choices, and want to hide behind endorsing sex to make themselves feel better. Tell them to carry their own baggage, not try and pass it off on you.

What do I expect from intercourse?
It's smart to take stock of what your expectations are, and hold them against the real situation. Talk to a friend who has had intercourse who is really honest with you (or an older sibling or family member) about what you expect, and listen to their own experiences. Do a reality check. The truth is, if you have a list
as long as Santa's of expectations, it isn't very likely they'll be met. Often, the less we expect, the more we often receive. Intercourse isn't a miracle cure for anything, and it isn't a fireworks show: it
can be a wonderful, natural affirmation of intimacy, and an excellent physical and emotional experience as long as you're ready for it, and take it at face value, without romanticizing it or imagining it to besomething it is not.

Bear in mind the following: a good 30% of people never have sex again with the partner they lose their virginity to. Only about 25% of women usually report enjoying first intercourse physically (though many more enjoy it on an emotional level), and less than 8%
report orgasm from first intercourse. Those bummers most likely had to do with being ill-prepared in general, simply not knowing the basics, and overall, with unrealistic expectations.

Am I really prepared to handle all aspects ofintercourse?
There's a lot to handle; probably more than you think. Here are what we see as the basics for what you need materially, physically, emotionally and in your relationship for your first time to be enjoyable, safe, physically gratifying, and emotionally sound.
Make a checklist for yourself that includes these items, and check them as they are true.