Welcome to Girl's Corner

What is puberty?
Puberty simply means adolescence, becoming a woman, growing up, reaching sexual maturity.

Puberty (say: pyoo-ber-tee) is when your emotions and physical body change from that of a girl to that of a woman. The changes happen because of sex hormones produced by the ovaries in girls.

You can expect this change when you are between nine and thirteen, but many start younger or a lot older than that. There's nothing wrong if yours happen earlier or later. So don't expect to develop exactly the same speed as your mates.

What sets it going?
When your body is ready to begin puberty, your pituitary (say: pih-too-uh-ter-ee) gland (a pea-shaped gland located at the bottom of your brain) releases special hormones. Depending on whether you're a boy or a girl, these hormones go to work on your skin, sex organs (reproductive organs) and hair. It also affects your emotions and moods.

Will I feel different from my usual self?
Probably. Some girls feel emotional and have a lot of mood swings.
Most of us discover more about ourselves during puberty. We will never get back to our old body and mind so we have to get used to it.

Let's learn some more... click