At the same time as the breasts develop or shortly thereafter, pubic and other body hair begins to grow. As puberty progresses, girls experience an adolescent growth spurt and begin to accumulate body fat in an adult female pattern: rounded hips and butt and a fuller filling out of the breasts. Often this weight gain frightens young girls who are taught to be walking Barbie dolls. At this point the answer is often eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are what plague many young girls today. At the same time, vaginal discharge may increase, a sign of impending menarche, or the onset of menstruation. The average age of menstruation in the United States and other Western countries is now about 12.5 years, although menstruation between the ages of 8 and 16 is considered normal. A fact that I find to be very interesting is that the age of menarche has been declining by about 8 months per generation. The reasons for this are unclear but the percentage of body fat is believed to be a large factor. .

             I began menstruation when I was nine years old. I remember quite calmly telling my mom it had occurred, she went to her bathroom and brought me back a "super-plus" size tampon, it was miserable. I have vowed to keep pads or smaller tampons in the house when my daughter reaches puberty. This whole experience forced me to play an older, more sexual role in life.

             Boys generally enter puberty an average of 1 to 2 years later than girls, usually between the ages of 10 and 14. The first physical signs are growth of the testes and penis, accompanied or followed by growth of pubic and other body hair. A growth spurt follows these initial signs by about 2 years, and because males generally are larger than females, their growth is more pronounced. Changes in the larynx cause a deepening of the voice and growth of an "Adam"s apple." At this time there is also an increase in facial hair that begins with a mustache and within a few years extends over most of the lower face.