Puberty and Sex

Immunization Update: HPV Vaccine for BoysThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved vaccinating boys between the ages of 9 to 26 against the human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine, Gardasil, is currently recommended for girls and ...

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, one in three teenage girls in the United States is estimated to become pregnant at least once before the age of 20. Once on the decline, the Guttmacher Institute recently reported teen ...

A 14-year-old wonders if his penis is too small for his age, and if he's developing too slowly. Our expert answers his questions. ...

Dating Violence and Your Teen: Know the Facts In February 2009, teen pop star Chris Brown allegedly beat and verbally threatened his celebrity girlfriend Rihanna inside his car before leaving her and driving off. Rihanna is 21 years old; Brown is...

Supporting Your Gay Teen There are few parents who can easily and completely accept the news that their child is gay. Even those who are comfortable with homosexuality and same-sex marriage may find themselves having difficulty. They may feel th...

Under Age 20 and Expecting Pregnancy Facts Stats on Teen Pregnancy Twenty percent of all adolescent pregnancies occur within the first six months following first intercourse. More than one million adolescents become pregnant each year in the Un...

Our expert addresses some common questions about menstrual flow and tampon use in young teens. ...

Should My Young Daughter Get the HPV Vaccination? As the parent of a teenage or preteen girl, you may well be aware of the controversy surrounding the relatively recent release of the vaccine Gardasil. Gardasil helps to protect girls against the...

Your Girl's Broken Heart A good reason for girls to get involved in sports, besides honing their physical talents and learning teamwork, is that they learn how to accept losses. Sooner or later, even the best female athlete or the best girls' t...

What to Expect When Mr. Right Enters Your Daughter's Life Both mother and daughter will be overcome with joy if Mr. Right seems perfect to both of you. In addition to the euphoria, you may be surprised at some of the other emotions that surface....

Breast buds are an indication that your daughter is simply in the early stages of puberty. ...

Your Teen Daughter: What About S-E-X? Mom, you cannot afford to ignore your role in educating your daughter about sex. Psychologist and author Dr. Nathalie Bartle (Venus in Blue Jeans: Why Mothers and Daughters Need to Talk About Sex [Dell, 19...

The Effects of Early Physical Development in Girls Building Blocks Vibrancy is a state of mental health that denotes acceptance of self and is not dependent on another person's acceptance. Girls who mature early, developing breasts before the a...

Daughters: From Childhood Through Adolescence Woman to Woman Approximately 95 percent of those who suffer bulimia or anorexia are females. Only 5 to 10 percent are males. A study by the American Association of University Women reported some di...

What should kids call their private parts? How do I explain where babies come from? Should I give my child a heads up about puberty? When should we have the "big talk"? These are just a few of the many questions you might have about talking with ...

Talking to Teens About Sex and Substance Abuse Even before young people begin talking about dating or who is “seeing” whom, it’s time to bring up the subject of sex. Don’t wait for an opening or the right time. Just do it. The way you a...

What You Should Know About AIDS Chances are your teen knows far more about AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and its transmission than you do. In most school systems teachers have found innovative ways of conveying the seriousness of th...

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): What Your Teen Should Know There are approximately 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases each year, and one quarter of these infections occur in teenagers who have not yet finished high scho...