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Puberty

Puberty is the change that your body goes through as you grow up, which makes you a grown up and gets your body ready to have babies in the future.

Puberty

Puberty

Transcript

I love rugby. I play at school – we got Games on Thursdays… well… I used to. I started bunking off, cos the other boys were saying stuff about me in the showers. I didn’t want to be there.

I’m the smallest in my year, definitely. They’re all getting muscles and stuff, and I don’t have anything…not even, you know… down there.

When they laughed I felt really weird, like I was hot all over. It was horrible. Why am I the only one not growing? I hated myself.

I didn’t know who to talk to. I couldn’t tell my mates. They’d just laugh at me.

I saw a ChildLine ad on Bebo and I called them. I was nervous, so pretended it wasn’t about me.

But the counsellor was really good. He didn’t laugh or anything. We talked about it. He listened - it made me feel more normal.

He told me about what happens. I already knew bits of it, but he explained it differently. Said I didn’t have to worry. That it would happen one day and I would catch the other boys up. He even said that I might end up bigger than them … that would be cool.

I’m glad I talked to someone.

 
 
 
 
 

PubertyAs you become an adult your body goes through lots of changes, some that you can see and some that you can't. It can be a difficult time getting used to everything. You might hear lots of different stories from friends about what happens to your body, and it can be hard to know what to believe.

What is puberty?
Puberty is the change that your body goes through in your early teens, which makes you a grown up and gets your body ready to have babies in the future.

 

 

 

 

When does puberty happen?

  • For girls this is usually between the ages of 10 and 16. 
  • For boys it’s usually between the ages of 12 and 18. 
  • Some people start puberty earlier and some later, everyone is different. 

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  • What will happen to me?

    Boys and girls change in different ways during puberty. You can see some changes in your body as they grow and develop. You might start feeling odd and moody during puberty. This is because your hormones are developing. It can be worrying as you feel very different, but it is normal to feel like this.

  • I'm having lots of sexual thoughts and feelings, is this normal?

    It's normal to have sexual thoughts and feelings, especially during puberty when your body is changing. It can be confusing and strange at first but it isn't unusual. Your feelings should calm down after while when your body adjusts to the changes. Read more on our sex advice page.

    Most schools should talk to you about the changes that you will go through. Sometimes you might have questions that you are too embarrassed to ask your teacher, or that you think about later on. If you are worried or confused about anything it will help to talk about it.

    If you can't talk to someone you know, you can call us or contact us online and we will be able to help you.

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Puberty 

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