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Signs of puberty
Puberty is a process, a series of changes in your body that transforms you into an adult physically able to reproduce. With the beginning of this period in your life, childhood ends, and a new stage begins. It is essential to understand that puberty is about physical and hormonal changes. Psychological and social changes, on the other hand, are a broader period - puberty, which includes puberty and lasts longer.
So, what changes and what happens?
In girls, puberty can start from age 8-9: body shape begins to change, mammary glands (breasts) and body hair begin to grow, pimples may appear on the face, menstruation begins, and sudden changes in moods may become normal.
In boys, puberty can begin at age 10-11: the body begins to grow actively and disproportionately, the voice breaks down, acne appears, body hair appears, the penis begins to grow, the first ejaculations happen, nocturnal pollution, and "spikes" in emotions and moods can become normal.
The good news is that this period can be survived. You'll get through it! Puberty has an ending, and adolescence has an end.
This is a difficult but exciting period in which you must find and get to know yourself. It's a time of experimentation, trial, and error to find yourself, rebuild your relationship with the world, and explore your new body and its functions. Don't be afraid to ask your parents questions about it!
Don't be shy about exploring yourself. Take care of yourself and your body. Your body will thank you later.
The underwear rule. What to do when someone tries to touch you?
In the safety rules that are taught from a very young age, there is the concept of the "panty rule" (underpants or underwear) or "underwear rule." With the help of this easy-to-remember comparison, children are explained what they should know about personal boundaries (physical in the first place).
The rule looks something like this:
"P -Private means intimate body parts belong only to you. Only your parents or a doctor can touch them in certain exceptional cases.
"A" - Always remember your body belongs to you - and no one has the right to do anything with it. Especially without your consent.
"N" - No means "No". There is no other meaning to this word. If you say no to someone, and this person keeps trying to touch you and violate your boundaries - this is a good reason to tell an adult (parent) about it. Saying "No" is not shameful! Saying "No" is not guilty!
"T" - Talk about secrets that upset you - talk about everything (all the secrets) that upsets you. If an adult tells you, "Let this be our little secret," that's a reason to tell other adults (parents) immediately. Because there are bad and good secrets, anything that makes us feel bad is not worth keeping a secret.
"S" - Speak up; someone can help - and someone will help you. If something bad happens to you, share it with friends, parents, teachers, and the school psychologist. People who hurt children and teens always count on the fact that they are afraid to share what happened with someone because of guilt or shame. Share!!!
It doesn't matter how old you are, five or sixteen. These rules are relevant at any age. Asking for help is important. No one should have to go through abuse or even attempted abuse alone. It is not shameful to ask for help. If someone has committed violence against you, it's not your fault! Speak up, ask for help - you have the right to do so.
How was Viagra discovered?
Let us tell you today about the most famous drug for treating erectile dysfunction, Viagra.
Like many world discoveries, the properties of Viagra were discovered by accident during the development of a new drug for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
It was assumed that by relaxing the muscles and expanding the walls of blood vessels, blood pressure would be reduced, and the cardiovascular system would work better. The task of scientists was to find an enzyme inhibitor that prevents the dilation of blood vessels. The search took several years and, as a result, was successful - a compound called sildenafil citrate was synthesized. In 1991, Pfizer patented the drug and began trials.
In 1992, in the English town of Sandwich, three scientists from Pfizer, Robert Fairchgott, Feride Murada, and Luis Ignarro, conducted clinical trials of the drug Sildenafil Citrate, which was supposed to solve many heart problems (promote blood flow to the heart, reduce BP, reduce angina pain), but the trials were unsuccessful. However, volunteers who tested the effects of the new drug told about an unusual effect - an increase in potency.
Jan Osterlo of the company's research and development department quickly realized that this effect could be considered a breakthrough. And although sildenafil was ineffective in optimizing blood circulation in the heart, it perfectly coped with the blood flow to the pelvic organs. It is noteworthy that the drug acts only on the natural mechanisms of erection - it increases blood flow to the penis only when a man feels sexual desire.
Pfizer decided to continue researching the drug, but already differently - to enhance natural potency. The research went beyond England and continued in France, Sweden, Norway, and other countries, causing unprecedented excitement among patients who participated in the experiment. Some even tried to steal the pills from the laboratory.
In 1996, a sufficient evidence base of the efficacy and safety of pills with the active ingredient sildenafil was gathered, and the company raised the question of the commercial name of the drug. As a result of heated debates, they settled on the neologism Viagra, which combines two words - vigor (vigor, strength) and Niagara (the largest waterfall in the United States).
In 1998, Viagra was approved by the appropriate authorities of the United States and entered the market. By the end of that year, the income of the company Pfizer from sales of Viagra was a billion dollars, and the scientists who discovered the drug by chance received the Nobel Prize.
Where do babies come from?
You probably already know babies aren't brought by a stork, found in cabbage, or bought in a store. We'll review this topic to refresh your memory and clarify some points.
Babies are born. Childbirth is the successful natural completion of a pregnancy. Pregnancy occurs after conception. Conception is the process of fertilization of an egg by a sperm cell. During sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, the penis enters the vagina. After rhythmic forward and backward movements, ejaculation occurs, and the sperm rushes through the vagina to the egg. During pregnancy, the baby develops in the uterus for about nine months and then is born through the vagina. That's a quick summary of the process.
A girl can get pregnant at the beginning of puberty after receiving her period. That is, the body technically begins to have this "option." But this does not mean that from this moment, a girl can bear and give birth to a healthy child without bad consequences for her own body. Pregnancy is a challenging and responsible moment for which you must be psychologically and physically prepared. Giving birth to a whole new person differs from having a cat or a dog. Giving birth and raising a child is a very responsible undertaking.
Therefore, it is essential to treat your sexual partner with respect if you have already begun your sex life. It is essential to understand that two people who choose to have sex are responsible for the consequences of that activity. Two people should think about protection, listen and hear each other. And remember that "no" is "no."
"Nothing happens from the first time," "If you wash well right after ejaculation, you won't get pregnant," and "If you interrupt intercourse before ejaculation, you won't get pregnant" - these and other myths should not be relied upon or hoped for. Sexual intercourse (or sex) is an adult activity with adult consequences. Respect yourself and your partner.
Sexual constitution and libido: What is it and what is the difference?
The quantity and quality of sex are one of the most common topics with which couples come to specialists. One of the partners feels too much sex; the other feels too little. One feels dissatisfied; the other feels pressure. It is stereotypically believed that sex should be a lot, that it should be at least twice a week, and if it is less - it is perceived as an "indicator of the problems" of the relationship. But in fact, we are all different, and everyone needs a different amount of sex.
In sexology, there is a term: "sexual constitution" - our sexual temperament. It is a characteristic that is embedded in us at the genetic level. Sexual temperament is given to us from birth and is unchanged throughout life, and it determines the level of sexual need.
Libido is the desire to have sex, and sexual constitution is the physiological ability and needs to have sex, given by nature. The libido can change from many psycho-emotional factors - from an emotional state, where sexual intercourse occurs, the nature of the relationship with a partner, conflicts, lack of sleep, taking medications, and so on, but the sexual constitution remains the same.
Sexual desire (libido) does not depend on gender, although there is a widespread belief that men want sex more than women. This is not true; sexual desire depends on sexual constitution.
In men, the sexual constitution is important:
• Age of libido awakening (sexual desire, libido);
• Age of the first ejaculation (regardless of whether it happened through intercourse, masturbation, or pollution);
• Type of pubic hairiness, number of body hairs;
• Trochanter index (TI) - to calculate it, you need to find the lump protruding from the side of your thigh (it is easy to feel if you shake your hips a little) - the greater trochanter of the thigh bone. Measure the length of your leg from the knoll you have found to the floor. To determine the TI, divide your height by the resulting leg length.
• Maximum excess (the maximum number of sexual acts in a day, provided that each of them ends in ejaculation).
There is an interesting fact: men and women with a solid sexual constitution have shorter legs concerning the torso and increased hairiness.
There are three categories of sexual constitution - strong, medium, and weak (norm indicators). We will talk about this in the following articles.
Boys and girls. What are the differences?
Before discussing differences, let's reinforce one fundamental idea: boys and girls are equal. What does that mean? It means that boys are not better than girls and girls are not better than boys. Both boys and girls are equally beautiful. We are all equally beautiful. Of course, we are all individuals and personalities. But it's healthy and correct to compare yourself in the past and yourself now, but not yourself to others. That's the best way, especially for your self-esteem.
But boys and girls differ primarily by belonging to the male and female biological sex. A person's biological sex combines anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and genetic characteristics.
To put it simply, boys and girls have different genitals (for example, boys have a penis, girls have a vulva), different sex glands (boys have testes, girls have ovaries), different sex hormones (androgens and estrogens respectively), and a different set of sex chromosomes.
Boys and girls go through puberty differently. For example, girls may start earlier, and boys may start later. Girls' secondary sexual characteristics are, for example, breasts (breast glands) and hips (pelvic shape). Boys, for example, have facial hair (mustache, beard) and Adam's apple.
And also, girls mature and develop faster than boys. This difference is especially noticeable between the ages of 10 and 13.
All these differences are neither bad nor good. It just is. It doesn't make anyone worse or better. Boys and girls can play the same games, like the same colors, the same books. Have the same interest in computer games, fashion and music, and cooking. Anything! Interests, hobbies, music, sports, and other things do not have a biological sex. Saying, for example, "It's a boys' thing" or "It's a girls' thing" is wrong.
It's okay to be interested in each other's world, to be friends with boys and girls, to be aware of the specifics of puberty and the development of boys and girls, and to understand and support each other.
But to create, support and spread myths about biological sex or puberty in general in today's world is ignorance.
Myths of anal sex
Anal sex is associated with a lot of prejudice, after which it looks scary and unnatural. However, in practice, it is more common in nature than it seems, and it brings pleasure even to men in heterosexual couples. In this material, we have tried to dispel three of the most popular myths about anal sex.
It hurts
Painful sensations are up to you and your partner. It is essential to be gentle and considerate of each other. Because of preconceptions, this kind of sex can be frightening, and it is not certain that it will work the first time. Therefore, it is crucial to prepare properly, as we wrote about it earlier (Link). Often the first experience of anal sex occurs in adolescence and not always with a successful partner. He may be abrupt and sexually illiterate, hence the painful sensations. But with proper preparation, trust in your partner, good lubrication, atmosphere, and the right mood, anal sex can bring a lot of pleasure without pain.
It's dirty
Yes, the anus is primarily used for other purposes. That's why there can be a lot of bacteria that are in the feces there. That's why, again, preparation is essential. An enema, condom, and penis insertion technique will help here. The enema will help get rid of the feces, the condom will protect against bacteria (it is vital to choose a special one for anal penetration), and the technique will prevent stimulation of the intestines. It is imperative to be slower, and it is not necessary to use the entire length of the penis.
It's not good for your health
Anal sex increases the risk of getting sexually transmitted infections. This is due to the appearance of microcracks on the walls of the intestine. There are also some consequences - fecal incontinence, hemorrhoids, fissures, etc. However, this all happens again if you do not use precautions. I remind you of competent preparation, the use of a condom, and not to "abuse" anal sex - the recommended frequency is 2 times a month so that the body has time to recover.
Follow the rules for safe anal sex and enjoy it. If you have any questions or problems in this area, we recommend you consult a sexologist, proctologist, or urologist.
Why is Sex Bad?
Before looking for reasons for bad sex, we must define the term. Sex is bad if at least one of the partners, instead of enjoying sex, feels sensations and disappointment.
What are the causes?
- Hygiene, or rather its absence, can turn away a partner not only from sex but also from communication. Therefore, it is necessary to wash and brush your teeth regularly, including before sex. In addition to "smells," communication difficulties, and refusal of sex by the partner, the lack of hygiene threatens infection with fungi and bacteria.
- Inattention to the partner. When one partner cares only about their sensations and pleasure, people often complain that they feel lonely in sex because the partner "works out" the program without paying attention to how the other reacts.
- Pain during sex. Painful discomfort is always stronger than sexual arousal. Ignoring the pain will eventually turn into refusing sex.
- Boredom. When one partner catches himself thinking about upcoming negotiations or what coat to wear to work tomorrow then boredom has kicked in. Losing the joint setting builds up the arousal cycle, and one of the partners "falls out.
- Dissatisfaction with one's body leads to embarrassment in front of a partner. Instead of giving themselves entirely to the sensations, a woman or a man feels embarrassed for being overweight, having short legs, a small penis, an ugly shape of breasts, etc. The quality of sex directly depends on inner freedom and relaxation, and if a man thinks about his "shortcomings," the desire will disappear.
- Conflicts. Most people do not like sex after an argument. The offended partner may perceive sex as a way to get back at the other. Also, extraneous thoughts, resentment, and irritation silence unresolved issues and block pleasurable feelings.
- Routine. Year after year, having sex in the same position with the same caresses and words, feelings gradually disappear. That is why finding ways to excite new words, positions, places, and toys is so important.
- Medical problems. If they are there and bring discomfort during sex, you need to solve these difficulties together. For example, try a gentle position or a more comfortable place, use more lubricant, other types of sex, or less aggressive caresses.
- Excessive fascination with porn and the desire to conform to an imaginary picture often leads not to a variety in sex but actually on the contrary - to its deterioration. It is important to remember that the actors act most of the time in porn, and a video that is 30 minutes long is shot in a few weeks, so it is virtually impossible to repeat what is in the video.
The solution to any problem in sex should always start with dialogue. If you can't discuss these issues alone, see a sex therapist.
The Dangers of Low Testosterone
We already wrote here about the function, average, and high testosterone values. Today we will talk about low testosterone, its causes, and symptoms.
The norm of testosterone is 10-34 nmol/l or 330-950 ng/dl. Testosterone levels begin to decline at age 30-35; even in healthy men, it is a normal age-related change because the production of the hormone slows down by about 1% annually.
However, there are other reasons for its decline:
- Surgical removal of testicles for medical reasons;
- Bad habits: smoking, alcohol, psychotropic substances;
- Sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work;
- Acute and chronic stress (adrenaline blocks the action of testosterone);
- Work with hazardous and harmful factors, toxic substances;
- Hypertension, cardiovascular diseases;
- Taking medications (hypotensive, opioids, corticosteroids, ketoconazole, hormones)
- High levels of bilirubin, which destroys testosterone;
- Renal insufficiency;
- Endocrine diseases, abnormalities associated with a shift in the hormonal background;
- Obesity, diabetes mellitus;
- Inflammatory diseases, infections;
- Elevated blood lipoprotein levels;
- Genetic abnormalities, such as Down syndrome, Kalman syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome.
At first, the decrease in testosterone may not show up at all outwardly, or it may cause a number of the following symptoms:
- Muscle weakness, fatigue.
- Shortness of breath with minimal physical exertion.
- Sweating.
- Libido disorder (decreased or absent sexual desire).
- Poor erection, insufficient or absent during stimulation and in the morning.
- Rapid weight gain. Fat accumulates in the area of the chest and abdomen.
- Reduced body hair, especially on the chest and shins.
- Mood swings, irritability, decreased emotional background.
- Reduced ability to work, procrastination.
- Sleep disorders include difficulty falling asleep and lack of rest after sleeping.
Depending on the spectrum of problems that have come to the fore, a lack of testosterone can be identified by a urologist, endocrinologist, or (psychiatrist) psychotherapist.
The Dangers of High Testosterone
Testosterone is a crucial hormone that determines not only the normal development and function of the male sexual system but also the overall physical and psychological well-being of men. The norm of testosterone is 10-34 nmol/L or 330-950 ng/dL.
With a slight excess of the norm, especially if it is associated with physiological reasons or has a short-term nature (rapid puberty, vigorous exercise), there may be no violations, or changes in the body are so minor that they are not subjectively felt.
The most common causes of increased testosterone are:
- The use of anabolic steroids. Men use these drugs to increase muscle mass and strength in professional and amateur sports.
- Tumors of the testicles, adrenal glands, or pituitary glands.
- Pathology of endocrine glands (hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex, etc.).
- Unbalanced physical activity.
- Obesity.
Symptoms can vary greatly and depend on individual characteristics, the degree of increase in hormone levels, and the duration.
Symptoms:
- Excessive hair growth on the body and loss on the head, so-called androgenetic alopecia. There is a predominant loss of hair on the top of the head, as well as the transformation of hair into downy hair.
- An increase in the intensity of sweat and sebaceous glands. Under the influence of androgens, the volume of sebum increases. The concentration of alpha-linolenic acid decreases, forming open and closed comedones and creating favorable conditions for the reproduction of bacteria. This primarily causes acne on the face, back, and seborrhea. Increased sweating can lead to inflammation of the skin and sweat glands in the armpits, and groin area, the cause of an unpleasant odor.
- Increased aggression, the tendency to take risks, weakening of the instinct of self-preservation, and even the appearance of suicidal thoughts and behavior.
- Psychological disorders: irritability, intemperance, anxiety, panic attacks. Many note memory impairment, difficulty concentrating, and rapid exhaustion of cognitive functions.
- Sleep disorders. There are often nocturnal awakenings with subsequent difficulty falling asleep and no sense of rest after sleep.
- Hypersexuality. This is a pathologically increased libido and associated sexual activity. It is difficult to control consciously.
- Hyperplasia of the prostate gland. It can be manifested by frequent, difficult urination and nycturia.
Depending on the range of problems that have come to the fore, excess testosterone can be identified by a urologist, endocrinologist, or psychiatrist (psychotherapist).
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