This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 4:35 pm and is filed under Women's Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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WOMEN’S BODIES: CHANGES IN EXTERNAL GENITALS DURING PUBERTY
The growth spurt and budding of breast in early puberty are soon followed changes in the other reproductive organs.
In childhood all that can be seen of the external genitals are the rather flat, undeveloped outer lips of the vulva, and the genital cleft between them. Around the age of 10 to 11 you will notice some downy, pale hair appearing on the outer lips (labia majora). Over the next few years this pubic hair becomes thicker, coarser, curler and often darker, and extends to cover the outer surfaces of the labia majora and to meet in the middle over the pubic bone so that the vulva can no longer be seen.
While pubic hair is growing, fat is deposited over the pubic bone so that this region protrudes more and is called the mons veneris (Latin for ‘hill of love’!). The labia majora enlarge in width and length. The inner lips (labia minora) grow, and may partly protrude from between the labia majora – sometimes on one side more than the other. They often develop an irregular edge and a rather wrinkled surface.
The membrane covering the labia minora and the inner surfaces of the labia minora changes from the pale pink, rather shiny appearance of childhood to dull red, and becomes moistened by fluid draining from the vagina. You may notice a small clear or white stain with a characteristic sweetish smell on your underpants. This is normal, as long as the discharge isn’t yellowish, bad smelling or itchy.
The clitoris, which lies beneath a ‘hood’ of skin where the labia minora meet in front, also enlarges. The genitals become much more sensitive to touch, especially the clitoris and the labia minora. You will notice exciting and enoyable sexual feelings stimulated by the lightest touch and sometimes just when you think of sex. This is normal.
The growth of pubic hair is controlled by hormones from the adrenal gland. Its pattern of growth (amount, colour, where it grows) is controlled by the genes you inherit. The development of the rest of your genitals is controlled by oestrogen from your ovaries. By the mid to late teen years, genital development has reached adult stage.
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