Changes in puberty for girls and boys.
Puberty is the developmental process of children starting to become adults through physical changes that occur as their bodies start to produce hormones. Part of these changes include the way adolescents think and feel – about themselves and about their relationships with others, including with parents, siblings and friends.
The brain and sexual glands – testicles in boys, and ovaries in girls – start to work together to mature the sexual organs so that it becomes possible to have a baby. You can learn more about the male body and the female body in these diagrams of sexual organs. If you are a parent looking to understand which kinds of changes you can expect in your child and what they need to know about their bodies at each age, you can refer to this sexual health guide from Alberta Health Services.
Puberty starts at different times for each individual. It can start as early as eight-years-old or can be delayed until the early teen years. Puberty finishes in the mid- to late-teens. Find an overview guide on changes in puberty.
Resources
- Teaching Sexual Health
- Teaching Sexual Health: Differing abilities
- Sex and U