Puberty

Puberty is defined as the period of human development during which physical growth and sexual maturation occur and a child's body becomes an adult's body, capable of reproduction. Strictly speaking, the term puberty (derived from the Latin word puberatum, meaning “age of maturity”) refers to the bodily changes of sexual maturation, whereas adolescence, by contrast, is the term that refers to the psychosocial transition between childhood and adulthood. That said, the boundaries of puberty and adolescence overlap, thus, this entry will discuss both the physical and psychosocial characteristics of this particular stage of female development.

Puberty is an experience that unites women worldwide, from all cultures and social status. Puberty in a girl tends to begin two years earlier than it does in a boy and can start as early as 8 years old or even as late as 15, although the more common age is around 10 or 11. This means that a girl can find herself going through puberty when her best friend of the same age is not, and this can be an isolating and turbulent experience. Puberty is not something that happens overnight but rather is a process that occurs in different stages. Puberty is initiated by hormonal changes triggered by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which stimulates the pituitary gland, which in turn activates other glands from which comes a flood of reproductive hormones. These changes begin about a year before any of their results are visible. Both the male reproductive hormone testosterone and female hormone estrogen are present in children of both sexes. However, their balance changes at puberty, with girls producing relatively more estrogen and boys producing more testosterone.

The experience of puberty unites women worldwide, as the shame, uneasiness, embarrassment, and displeasure that a young girl feels at some point during the physical changes of puberty are almost universal.