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Growing
pains |
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There comes a time when you begin to
notice changes in your body. And you
do not really know how you feel about
these changes: excitedness, irritability,
anxiousness, selfconsciousness and
sometimes - plain confusion.
Puberty can be a difficult period of
adjustment, particularly when friends keep
offering different explanations and advice.
Believe it or not, everyone struggles with the
changes. Some girls experience it at age
nine, others as old as fourteen. For some
the phase lasts a year, others longer.
Remember, each person develops at a
different pace. It is essential to care for
yourself during this phase, paying particular
attention to good personal hygiene, a
healthy diet and exercise routine. If you
need to ask questions about your own
development, talk to an adult you trust
- your mother, teacher, school nurse or
doctor. |
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Yikes, am I getting fat? Not exactly,
your body fat is increasing and being
redistributed. So you might notice your
figure is getting curvier just as your breasts
begin to develop. And suddenly, you may
find yourself several inches taller.
Hormonal shifts are responsible for these
changes, more so increases in estrogen
and progesterone levels. You may be more
prone to acne, oily skin and body odor. All
these problems can be managed through
good personal care and consultation with
your doctor.
Hormones also explain the gradual growth
of hair under your arms and in your private
area (between your legs).
Within a year, the hair growth will thicken
and darken further, and you will notice a
sticky, white discharge on your underwear.
At this point, it is a few months away from
your first period which marks the end of
puberty and entry into adolescence - the
time you develop mentally and emotionally
towards adulthood. |
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Your Reproductive
System and
How It Works |
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Hormones encourage the maturity
of the reproductive system that
will enable you to have children
later in life. The brain sends out signals to the ovaries
to begin the production of estrogen and
progesterone. Ovaries (you have two)
hold all the eggs you will produce in your
lifetime. They take turns to release one
egg each month which will travel down the
Fallopian tube to the uterus.
The uterus is like a pouch in which an egg
fertilized by a sperm will grow into a baby
over a period of nine months. The uterus
produces a new lining of tissues and blood
vessels called the endometrium each month.
The endometrium is placed on standby, you
could say, to nourish a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized, the uterus sheds
the endometrium and excess blood that
becomes the monthly period flow.
The flow passes through the end of the
uterus called the cervix that opens into
the vagina. It is an opening located in
between the urethra which is for urination
and the anus which is for passing
motion.
A thin lining called the hymen protects
the vagina as long as you do not have
sexual intercourse. The hymen has a
small opening to allow the period flow
out of the body. It is stretchy enough
an opening to safely allow the insertion
of a tampon without causing the hymen
to tear.
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The
Menstrual
Cycle |
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Why monthly periods, you might
wonder? It is just that women's
reproductive cycles are usually
programmed over 28 days. That means a
28-day gap from the first day of your period
to the first day of your next period.
For most women, it runs like clockwork,
although a number of young women
experience irregular periods. It is no cause
for worry, the body is just trying to establish
its own rhythm. Once the body is fully
matured, the cycle might be slightly shorter
or longer than the average 28 days. |
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Premenstrual phase |
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It refers to the phase before the beginning of
the period. The unfertilized egg reaches the
uterus and begins to disintegrate along with
the thickened endometrium. You may have
heard of the premenstrual syndrome (or
PMS). Rising hormone levels effect some women more than others. They complain of
temporary weight gain, breast tenderness,
headaches, backaches and cramping a
couple of days before their period begins.
Mood swings are also common although
these symptoms can be managed with
adequate sleep, exercise and a low-salt
diet. |
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Menstruation |
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The period flow lasts anywhere between
three and six days depending on the
person. Even the heaviness of the flow
can be different. Most women feel fine
and continue unaffected with their daily
activities. |
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Postmenstrual phase |
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This is the phase immediately after the
end of the period. The uterus takes a short
break in anticipation of the ovary's next egg
release. |
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Intermenstrual phase and ovulation |
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This is a woman's fertile period when she is
most likely to get pregnant. A matured egg
is released and begins moving through the
Fallopian tubes towards the uterus. In the
meantime, the endometrium's lining begins
to thicken once more. |
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Choosing the
tampon |
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Menstruation does not mean you
will have to change your lifestyle.
Are you athletic, with a love for
swimming and competitive sports? Or
perhaps you fear embarrassing leaks and
bulky pads?
There are options available, namely the
tampon. It functions just like a sanitary
pad but is much smaller and designed to
fit the vaginal opening snugly. It can be
used from your first period onwards as
long as there is regular flow. You should
never wear tampons when you are not
having a period!
Tampons must be changed frequently
- every four to eight hours and preferably
alternated with sanitary pads.
They do come with several benefits:
• Easy to carry
• No risk of odor because tampons are
placed in the vaginal opening
• Easily disposed off because tampons
are flushable
• Suitable for use during sports and
bathing
On very rare occasions, the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that the incorrect use of the tampon (too
long and wrong absorbency) cause blood
infections, which lead to Toxic Shock
Syndrome (TSS).
This should not be a worry if you make it
a habit to change your tampon each time
you visit the bathroom. It is preferable
to use a sanitary pad overnight if you
normally sleep more than eight hours.
Also, ensure a minimal tampon absorbency
that suits your flow. If the tampon is too
absorbent, you may experience vaginal
dryness.
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How to use a tampon |
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It is easier than it looks. Do remember personal hygiene at all times! So get those
hands scrubbed before removing or inserting a tampon. |
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STEP ONE
Get into a comfortable position. Perhaps raise leg, resting it on the toilet seat or sit on the toilet with your knees apart
To examine the tampon, hold the
applicator between your thumb and
index finger at the ridged fingergrip
upon unwrapping the tampon.
The applicator's tip is rounded with
strings attached. These strings will
hang out, to be pulled when removing
the tampon. So make sure they are
firmly attached by giving them a tug.
If there are any defects, throw the
tampon out. |
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STEP TWO
Ready? Gently slide the
applicator's rounded tip
into the vagina, aiming
for the lower back
rather than straight up. Your grip on the
applicator will make sure the tampon is
not pushed too far in. |
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STEP THREE
Next, gently push the
smaller applicator into
the larger one, which is
already inside you. This
places the tampon in between your
vagina walls. Remove the applicator
with the strings hanging out. |
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STEP FOUR
The tampon will
expand a little to
absorb the menstrual
flow. The tampon
should fit comfortably and you should
barely be conscious of its presence. |
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STEP FIVE
Do not be too
unconscious of the
tampon! It must be
changed every four to
eight hours. Sitting on a toilet, gently
grip the strings to ease the tampon
out. Remember never to use one
between periods.
And if all this is too much to remember,
the instructions are usually available
with each tampon package. |
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The truth about
tampons |
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Head spinning a little? You probably
have questions about tampons
and menstruation. Below are
listed some of the most commonly asked
questions but if you are still doubtful, you
can ask your doctor or pharmacist for further
clarification. |
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Can a tampon be pushed too far inside
my body? |
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Not possible. Remember the cervix that
is at the other end of the vagina. It is
too small to allow a tampon to be pushed
through. |
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Can a tampon "float away" inside my
body? |
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No, with the cervix and vaginal walls holding
the tampon snug, it cannot be moved
unless you remove it yourself. |
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Can I wear my tampon overnight? |
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Yes, as long as you do not sleep over
eight hours. Tampons can be worn both
through the day and the night as long as
the lowest tampon absorbency is used
and changed frequently to avoid Toxic
Shock Syndrome. |
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Can I wear a tampon for swimming and
playing sports? |
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Most definitely, yes! You are free to indulge
in your regular activities, as you are not
likely to experience leakage, which can
occur when sanitary pads slip and shift. |
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The first time I tried using a tampon, it
was totally uncomfortable. And when I
tried taking it out, it hurt. Am I someone
who cannot use tampons?
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Highly unlikely, discomfort usually occurs
when the tampon is not inserted correctly.
In most cases, it is not pushed in
far enough. And when you try to pull out
a tampon too soon after insertion, it would
not have absorbed enough of the flow to
lubricate its removal. Dry tampons tend to
drag along the delicate vaginal wall causing
the pain. So the next time around,
leave the tampon in for a while before
removal. |
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I read on the Internet that there are all
kinds of toxic chemicals in tampons. Is
that true? |
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Do not believe everything people write on
the Internet! Tampon production is monitored
very closely by governmental agencies
(like the US FDA and Environmental
Protection Agency) to ensure tampons do
not contain any harmful elements. |
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