RESOURCES FOR HEALTHY WOMEN
Teens
Being a teenager can be lots of fun but also a time when you may be confused about some important issues in your life too. You may worry about school, family, friends or social issues. Don’t worry; this is a normal part of being a teen! One of the worries you may have is being confused about changes your body may be going through.
This stage of your life is called puberty and it prepares your body for adulthood.
Changes can start as early as 8 or as late as age 16:
Hormones also cause changes that prepare a girl’s body to be able to have a baby.
The ovaries contain eggs, and one is released each month. The egg moves in one of the fallopian tubes. The lining builds up in the uterus and if the egg has not been fertilized the lining is shed as menstrual blood.
Menstrual Period
There is no way to tell when you will start a menstrual period but average age is around 12. Some girls start the periods before this age and others much later. Here are some tips to remember about your periods.
Good nutrition is essential during teenage years so you should learn to eat healthy foods. Exercise is also important in taking good care of your body.
If you aren’t active in sports, form a group of friends to participate in some form of exercising that you all enjoy. Getting at least eight hours of sleep at night is very important in keeping your body healthy too.
Menstruation
Having a period is a normal and regular event in a female’s life. Even though a girl may feel like it is a nuisance every month, having monthly menstrual cycles keeps females healthy. The menstrual period is the monthly discharge of blood and other secretions from a female’s uterus.
Each female’s pattern of menstruation is different. Some girls have very heavy flows while others may have light spotting only. When a girl gets her first period, she will experience all kinds of new feelings. These can range from being very excited to being very nervous and scared. It is a good idea to be prepared for this event, by keeping a pad or tampon in your purse just in case you are not at home when this happens. You may have your first period and then not a second one for several months. This is not uncommon when you first start to have periods. Knowing about menstruation and its role in reproduction will help you understand why this happens in your body.
The Reproduction Process
The uterus is a muscular organ located in the lower abdomen, called the pelvic area. The cervix opens into the vagina and this is where the blood is discharged every month. A fallopian tube is extended outward from each side of the uterus. The ovaries are located on the sides of the uterus, near the fallopian tubes. The reason you have a period each month is because the endometrium, (the lining of the uterus) builds up and then sheds. The average cycle is 28 days but often they can range from 23 to 35 days apart. The ovaries make hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen causes the lining to grow and thicken. On approximately cycle day 14 ovulation occurs and an egg is released from one of the ovaries. This is the time when pregnancy can occur. If a sperm meets an egg in the fallopian tube, the two may come together to be fertilized. This fertilized egg then moves to the uterus where it begins to grow into a fetus. If it is not fertilized it moves to the uterus and is absorbed. Estrogen and progesterone levels then decrease and the lining is shed, (your period.)
Problems of Menstruation
A girl’s period can start from age 8 to approximately age 16. One factor of when your period may start can be related to when your mom and her mom started their periods. Periods normally last 3 to 5 days in length, but some girl’s periods can last 7 to 8 days. For the first few years after your first period, your periods may be very irregular. They may come as often as every two weeks some times or come as far apart as every three to four months. Girls that exercise excessively may see their periods change. This may result in fewer periods. If you have extremely heavy periods, changing pads or tampons more than every hour you need to notify your doctor. You may become anemic, (low iron level), causing you to be very tired. During your teen years it is very important to get exercise but if you have irregular bleeding you may need to take additional iron supplements to compensate for this loss.
Gynecological Exams
A routine gynecological exam consists of a breast exam, pelvic exam, pap smear screening if indicated and any other female health concerns you may have at the time of your visit.particular health care needs.
You may have your cholesterol, glucose or thyroid screened through blood tests at this visit.
If you decide to have your cholesterol checked, you should be fasting for eight hours before this lab is drawn.
Please inform the nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician of any changes in your history or family history at the beginning of your appointment. It is important that we know any changes in your health history so that the staff can provide optimum health care services.
Monthly self-breast exams should be part of your home preventative care. Please notify the physician or nurse practitioner of any breast changes that you are aware of.
The optimal time for a pap smear screening is midcycle. If you have your pap smear screening too close to the time of your period, this could result in an unsatisfactory specimen for the pathologist to read. Intercourse should be avoided a couple of days before your pap too. Pap smear screening is a very important way to detect abnormal cells on the cervix. If abnormal cells are present, then the next step is how to treat them. Depending on the pathologist’s recommendations often just a repeat pap is necessary in a few months. The most important thing to remember is that pap smears can diagnose a problem at an early stage and cervical abnormalities are easily treatable by follow up exams and practicing safe sex.
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Being a teenager can be lots of fun but also a time when you may be confused about some important issues in your life too. You may worry about school, family, friends or social issues. Don’t worry; this is a normal part of being a teen! One of the worries you may have is being confused about changes your body may be going through.
This stage of your life is called puberty and it prepares your body for adulthood.
Changes can start as early as 8 or as late as age 16:
- Your ovaries start working
- Your breast will grow
- You will gain weight and grow taller
- Your hips may get wider
- Hair growth will appear under arms and around genitals
- Your body odor may change
- You may get acne or pimples
Hormones also cause changes that prepare a girl’s body to be able to have a baby.
The ovaries contain eggs, and one is released each month. The egg moves in one of the fallopian tubes. The lining builds up in the uterus and if the egg has not been fertilized the lining is shed as menstrual blood.
Menstrual Period
There is no way to tell when you will start a menstrual period but average age is around 12. Some girls start the periods before this age and others much later. Here are some tips to remember about your periods.
- Periods usually last 3 to 7 days in length
- Periods usually come approximately once per month
- When you first start your period they may be irregular
- Use a calendar to keep track of your periods
- Be prepared by keeping pads or tampons with you
- Cramping is common during periods
Good nutrition is essential during teenage years so you should learn to eat healthy foods. Exercise is also important in taking good care of your body.
If you aren’t active in sports, form a group of friends to participate in some form of exercising that you all enjoy. Getting at least eight hours of sleep at night is very important in keeping your body healthy too.
Menstruation
Having a period is a normal and regular event in a female’s life. Even though a girl may feel like it is a nuisance every month, having monthly menstrual cycles keeps females healthy. The menstrual period is the monthly discharge of blood and other secretions from a female’s uterus.
Each female’s pattern of menstruation is different. Some girls have very heavy flows while others may have light spotting only. When a girl gets her first period, she will experience all kinds of new feelings. These can range from being very excited to being very nervous and scared. It is a good idea to be prepared for this event, by keeping a pad or tampon in your purse just in case you are not at home when this happens. You may have your first period and then not a second one for several months. This is not uncommon when you first start to have periods. Knowing about menstruation and its role in reproduction will help you understand why this happens in your body.
The Reproduction Process
The uterus is a muscular organ located in the lower abdomen, called the pelvic area. The cervix opens into the vagina and this is where the blood is discharged every month. A fallopian tube is extended outward from each side of the uterus. The ovaries are located on the sides of the uterus, near the fallopian tubes. The reason you have a period each month is because the endometrium, (the lining of the uterus) builds up and then sheds. The average cycle is 28 days but often they can range from 23 to 35 days apart. The ovaries make hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen causes the lining to grow and thicken. On approximately cycle day 14 ovulation occurs and an egg is released from one of the ovaries. This is the time when pregnancy can occur. If a sperm meets an egg in the fallopian tube, the two may come together to be fertilized. This fertilized egg then moves to the uterus where it begins to grow into a fetus. If it is not fertilized it moves to the uterus and is absorbed. Estrogen and progesterone levels then decrease and the lining is shed, (your period.)
Problems of Menstruation
A girl’s period can start from age 8 to approximately age 16. One factor of when your period may start can be related to when your mom and her mom started their periods. Periods normally last 3 to 5 days in length, but some girl’s periods can last 7 to 8 days. For the first few years after your first period, your periods may be very irregular. They may come as often as every two weeks some times or come as far apart as every three to four months. Girls that exercise excessively may see their periods change. This may result in fewer periods. If you have extremely heavy periods, changing pads or tampons more than every hour you need to notify your doctor. You may become anemic, (low iron level), causing you to be very tired. During your teen years it is very important to get exercise but if you have irregular bleeding you may need to take additional iron supplements to compensate for this loss.
Gynecological Exams
A routine gynecological exam consists of a breast exam, pelvic exam, pap smear screening if indicated and any other female health concerns you may have at the time of your visit.particular health care needs.
You may have your cholesterol, glucose or thyroid screened through blood tests at this visit.
If you decide to have your cholesterol checked, you should be fasting for eight hours before this lab is drawn.
Please inform the nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician of any changes in your history or family history at the beginning of your appointment. It is important that we know any changes in your health history so that the staff can provide optimum health care services.
Monthly self-breast exams should be part of your home preventative care. Please notify the physician or nurse practitioner of any breast changes that you are aware of.
The optimal time for a pap smear screening is midcycle. If you have your pap smear screening too close to the time of your period, this could result in an unsatisfactory specimen for the pathologist to read. Intercourse should be avoided a couple of days before your pap too. Pap smear screening is a very important way to detect abnormal cells on the cervix. If abnormal cells are present, then the next step is how to treat them. Depending on the pathologist’s recommendations often just a repeat pap is necessary in a few months. The most important thing to remember is that pap smears can diagnose a problem at an early stage and cervical abnormalities are easily treatable by follow up exams and practicing safe sex.
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