A talk was arranged at a school in Mumbai for 5th to 8th class girls on Puberty, hormonal changes, personal hygiene and adolescent health. The girls asked many questions at the end of talk and thanked the speaker for a very informative talk. It was a delightful interaction for Dr Harita Kothia too. Some important points from the talk are mentioned below.
The World health organization defines Adolescent years as 10 to 19 years of age when physical and emotional changes occur in the body. These years lay the foundation of good health for entire life.
Stages of puberty in girls
Thelarche - Breast development
Adrenache or Pubarche - Body hair growth.
Growth spurt
Menarche
Others - Increased vaginal discharge, sweating, acne, emotional changes.
Delayed puberty
No breast development till 13 years of age
No menarche after > 5 years of breast development.
No pubic hair till 14 years of age.
No menarche till 16 years of age.
Causes of delayed puberty can be physiological constitutional delayed or pathological.
Your doctor might do a thorough physical examination and a few tests for the diagnosis.
Common problems in adolescent girls
Menstrual cycle problems
Irregular menses - 50% girls may have irregular menses till 18 years of age due to immature HPO axis.
Precocious puberty - Breast development before 8 years in girls and starting of menstrual cycle before 9.5 years.
Heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding
Dysmenorrhea or painful periods.
Nutritional problems
Iron deficiency anemia
Obesity
Eating disorders
Malnutrition
Mental health problems
Half of the mental health disorders in adulthood start by the age of 14. Most are undetected and untreated. Anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts can occur. Psychiatrist opinion should be taken.
Personal hygiene
Daily bathing and cleaning vulva from outside
Washing hands frequently
Using cotton panties
No direct jet on vagina after peeing
Wipe front to back gently with toilet paper or cloth
Change sanitary pads every 6 to 8 hourly
Use soft cotton pads
Use scissors or razor carefully to trim pubic hair if need be.
Vaccination
Cervical cancer vaccination
10 year Boostrix vaccination
At risk behaviour
Substance abuse
Sexual activity, STD , Teen pregnancy
Irresponsible social media and internet use.
They can cause life long impact and consequences.
Important message to Adolescent girls
Healthy eating habits - Iron rich foods, limit junk food intake.
Good physical activity
Good communication with parents and teachers.
Disclaimer - These are the views of a qualified doctor and author based on medical and scientific studies. They are for general refrence and knowledge and can not replace check up by a doctor. Any resemblance to anybody is coincidental.
Author information - Dr Harita N Kothia, Obstetrician and gynecologist, Mumbai.
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