Puberty and Sex

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...

Teen Pregnancy What if your teen tells you she thinks she's pregnant? Your first act should be to confirm that she really is; many things can interrupt the regularity of a girl's menstrual cycle. Get her to a doctor to determine whether she's a...

A girl's growth slows down once she starts her periods, but it doesn't stop completely. ...

What to Tell Your Teen About Sex Info Flash 53 percent of high school students say they've had sex. This means that your teen may have sex, regardless of the values you've conveyed. It is vital to talk to your teen about safe sex. If you're dead...

"I Can't Go Anywhere -- I Have a Pimple!" Info Flash Eighty-three percent of teens worry at least sometimes about their complexion; approximately one-third or more indicate that they have felt anxious, embarrassed, or frustrated by their acne. A...

Girls and Puberty In girls, breast development can begin any time between the ages of 8 and 13. (Later development may be considered “delayed” but is not necessarily abnormal.) As the breasts grow, pubic hair will begin to appear, and your d...

What should you do when your 14-year-old goes five months without a period? ...

Menstrual Problems: Symptoms and Treatment Now even the most conservative physicians no longer believe that PMS is “all in the head.” Problems that crop up two weeks before you start menstruating and those that occur during your period are v...

Sex Education: What Should You Say? Tales from the Parent Zone Jason was observed blinking frequently, staring obsessively at his hands, popping breath mints, and applying zit medication every few hours. Finally he confessed to his parents. H...

Starting Difficult Conversation with TeensHaving trouble talking about the delicate subjects in your teen's life? Don't start a conversation you can't finish. Get the facts you need to talk honestly with your kids.Forty percent of high-school sen...

A mother finds a breast lump on her 11-year-old boy. Our expert weighs in on how normal this is. ...

Our expert suggests ways a mother can help a child deal with unwanted sexual overtures. ...

A mother seeks help in dealing with her feelings and advising her son, after learning that he is gay. ...

One incident does not make a teen a pedophile, but it does indicate the need for a discussion with a skilled, compassionate therapist. ...

Find out how to handle it when your eight-year-old's breasts start developing. ...

A mother worries that her five-year-old's displays of affection toward his friends are inappropriate. ...

What used to be unheard of in elementary school is now common practice -- taunting and bullying based on actual or perceived sexual orientation. ...

This girl is going through the mood swings that accompany the bodily and hormone changes of puberty. ...