WEBVTT

00:01.266 --> 00:05.832
[Girl 1:] Mike, what happened? You know, 'cause he'd... he'd grown so much, you know, nobody could believe it.

00:05.833 --> 00:08.299
'Cause he'd just shot up.

00:08.300 --> 00:13.166
[Girl 2:] And the girls who are... who aren't so well-built, well, they're kind of afraid to wear tights.

00:13.166 --> 00:16.666
Well, it's because then they think that people are going to laugh at them and make fun.

00:16.666 --> 00:19.799
"Oh, look it... she's wearing a tight sweater and that shows you everything she's got."

00:19.800 --> 00:22.733
[Girl 3:] When anybody... Well, if anybody kissed me or anything,

00:22.733 --> 00:26.599
I'd be afraid that they'd think I was too young or...

00:26.600 --> 00:29.900
I... I don't know, I think a lot of girls do and everybody I know does.

00:29.900 --> 00:34.433
[Girl 4:] Well, when a boy has kissed me or something, and you have that, you know, you have that feeling you know?

00:34.433 --> 00:39.033
And you want everyone to know, you know, you want everyone to know you were out of sight that night.

00:39.033 --> 00:45.633
[Girl 2:]  And I went out and I... I asked my dad a question or something and he just blew up at me and... and he was just really mad at me.

00:45.633 --> 00:48.733
I just felt so terrible because it was my fault and everything.

00:48.733 --> 00:52.233
[Girl 1:] They were just kidding. They were holding hands with him and putting their arms around and everything.

00:52.233 --> 00:55.633
They were just kidding, you know? And... so they finally said,

00:55.633 --> 00:57.166
"Well, it's Wendy's boyfriend!"

00:57.166 --> 01:02.199
And so, they pushed me into him and everything, and, um, he took my hand but, you know, I didn't know that...

01:02.200 --> 01:07.666
I just held him like that, you know, and so he looked down and he, you know, told me you're suppose to hold them like that, you know.

01:07.666 --> 01:10.232
And I didn't know that. I was really embarrassed.

01:10.233 --> 01:13.199
'Cause I thought, you know, I mean if I'm going steady, I might as well know that.

01:13.200 --> 01:17.566
[Girl 3:] I'd say there was this really cute guy that sat next to me, I mean, behind me, and he kept...

01:17.566 --> 01:23.066
I don't know what, if he had a crush on me or what, but he kept you know writing all over my [INAUDIBLE], and he'd write... he wrote...

01:23.066 --> 01:24.166
[Girls laugh]

01:24.166 --> 01:27.032
I mean I had this one time I had my girls...

01:27.033 --> 01:30.566
[Narrator:] A time of change.

01:30.566 --> 01:35.666
One of the changes is a speed up in the rate of growth.

01:35.666 --> 01:40.932
Ruth started her growth spurt two years ago. [DIALOGUE MISSING] just beginning.

01:40.933 --> 01:47.133
Both of the same age, both perfectly normal.

01:47.133 --> 01:51.433
Some girls begin adolescence at nine or ten years.

01:51.433 --> 01:55.233
Others as late as fifteen or sixteen.

01:55.233 --> 01:59.299
These girls are both age ten.

01:59.300 --> 02:01.633
Now eleven.

02:01.633 --> 02:04.133
Twelve,

02:04.133 --> 02:06.833
thirteen,

02:06.833 --> 02:09.466
fourteen,

02:09.466 --> 02:11.866
fifteen.

02:11.866 --> 02:18.766
At sixteen, one is physically mature. The other still has years to go.

02:18.766 --> 02:25.532
[...]

02:25.533 --> 02:30.599
Because boys on the average mature later than girls,

02:30.600 --> 02:34.933
some girls will be taller for awhile than many boys their age.

02:34.933 --> 02:47.466
[...]

02:47.466 --> 02:52.032
[Girl 2:] ...so short. And he asked me to dance. And I got up and I started dancing with him.

02:52.033 --> 02:57.366
And his shoulder was like right there. And I... I just hadn't realized, you know, how much he'd grown.

02:57.366 --> 03:02.432
And then... and then I was dancing with him, and he seemed less, or he seemed, you know, kind of unsure,

03:02.433 --> 03:06.833
and this year he's got, like, like if just you were... you were dancing with this... with a pillar of iron or something, you know?

03:06.833 --> 03:09.866
Just this... all this muscle standing there, and... [Laughter]

03:09.866 --> 03:11.466
You know, and I thought... [Groaning]

03:11.466 --> 03:16.999
[Girl 5:] Oh, I knew this girl once in seventh grade, and she... she would never take showers.

03:17.000 --> 03:23.033
All semester, she didn't take a single shower because she was more developed than everybody else in seventh grade,

03:23.033 --> 03:27.733
and she... she was real embarrassed because she was afraid they would tease her or make fun of her or something because she was...

03:27.733 --> 03:33.099
[Narrator:] Some people mind not being the same size and shape as most of their friends.

03:33.100 --> 03:39.066
If you are one of those, take heart. You're perfectly normal.

03:39.066 --> 03:43.399
In three or four years, differences in height and size and shape

03:43.400 --> 03:48.500
will be much less than during adolescence.

03:48.500 --> 03:49.933
[Girl 6:] Come on! Get it! Hurry!

03:49.933 --> 03:54.266
[Narrator:] Another change that happens at adolescence is in the skin.

03:54.266 --> 03:57.399
Whenever a person exercises or is hot,

03:57.400 --> 04:01.533
sweat glands produce perspiration over most of the body.

04:01.533 --> 04:09.733
[Girls running and chatting excitedly]

04:09.733 --> 04:16.033
But when Gail started adolescence, another kind of sweat gland began to work.

04:16.033 --> 04:21.366
These new glands work when you are nervous, tense, or afraid.

04:21.366 --> 04:27.266
[Gail:] Hello? Yeah? Who?

04:27.266 --> 04:31.466
Oh Bob! Sure, I remember you.

04:31.466 --> 04:33.332
Um...

04:33.333 --> 04:36.499
I met you at the game with Jack.

04:36.500 --> 04:38.933
Did he?

04:38.933 --> 04:41.966
Um... Oh, that Bob!

04:41.966 --> 04:45.666
[Narrator:] They are concentrated on the body in a few places.

04:45.666 --> 04:48.466
For instance, under the arms.

04:48.466 --> 04:52.999
Perspiration from these glands has an unpleasant odor.

04:53.000 --> 04:59.833
[...]

04:59.833 --> 05:01.766
[Gail:] Mom, where's the blouse I ironed yesterday?

05:01.766 --> 05:05.932
[Mom:] On the ironing board where you left it.

05:05.933 --> 05:08.166
[Gail:] Okay, thank you.

05:08.166 --> 05:13.832
[Narrator:] Naturally, you need to change clothes more frequently.

05:13.833 --> 05:18.266
And girls also need to bathe or shower more often than before adolescence.

05:18.266 --> 05:22.699
[...]

05:22.700 --> 05:28.933
The condition called acne is another of the changes in the skin that occurs at adolescence.

05:28.933 --> 05:33.466
[...]

05:33.466 --> 05:38.099
Here is a drawing showing a cross section of the skin.

05:38.100 --> 05:44.066
There are countless glands in the skin called sebaceous glands.

05:44.066 --> 05:50.166
Each one opens into a hair follicle, the channel from which a hair grows.

05:50.166 --> 05:53.266
[...]

05:53.266 --> 06:01.166
A sebaceous gland produces an oily substance that passes up the hair follicle to the skin surface.

06:01.166 --> 06:06.532
When a girl reaches adolescence, these glands increase the production of oil,

06:06.533 --> 06:08.599
much more in some people than in others.

06:08.600 --> 06:11.300
[...]

06:11.300 --> 06:16.533
Also during adolescence, the skin begins to grow more rapidly

06:16.533 --> 06:19.966
and here and there will obstruct some of the openings.

06:19.966 --> 06:28.699
The oily material, mixed with particles of skin, clogs and hardens, forming a plug.

06:28.700 --> 06:34.766
When the plug remains, it darkens and becomes what we know as a blackhead.

06:34.766 --> 06:39.199
[...]

06:39.200 --> 06:43.000
Since the sebaceous gland continues to produce oil,

06:43.000 --> 06:46.866
it may eventually cause the hair follicle to break.

06:46.866 --> 06:52.099
The skin becomes red and swollen, and finally a small infection may start.

06:52.100 --> 06:56.333
[...]

06:56.333 --> 07:00.399
Multiply this several times, and you have acne.

07:00.400 --> 07:04.966
[...]

07:04.966 --> 07:13.599
The best way to keep acne under control is by washing thoroughly with a mild soap and warm water two or three times a day.

07:13.600 --> 07:18.033
This removes oil and helps to clear pores that are beginning to plug.

07:18.033 --> 07:23.499
[...]

07:23.500 --> 07:29.200
Sometimes, doctors recommend special soaps to help remove the oil from the skin.

07:29.200 --> 07:33.033
[...]

07:33.033 --> 07:37.166
Many doctors believe that acne is affected by food,

07:37.166 --> 07:42.799
saying that meals heavy in fats, starches, and sweets will make acne worse.

07:42.800 --> 07:48.533
Other doctors disagree, arguing that no one has proved that food affects the skin.

07:48.533 --> 07:51.566
[...]

07:51.566 --> 07:57.799
At least all doctors agree that you can't go wrong if you eat plenty of proteins, vegetables, and fruits.

07:57.800 --> 08:01.833
[...]

08:01.833 --> 08:07.399
There is something that a girl can do for her skin, though, without asking a doctor.

08:07.400 --> 08:11.333
Exercise affects health, and health affects the skin.

08:11.333 --> 08:14.666
[...]

08:14.666 --> 08:17.732
Rest is also important.

08:17.733 --> 08:22.933
When a girl is run down, her skin becomes run down, too.

08:22.933 --> 08:29.333
The effect of exercise and rest is indirect, but it's very real.

08:29.333 --> 08:35.533
[...]

08:35.533 --> 08:49.433
All of these outer changes in height and figure and skin are indications of profound changes that started in Gail two or three years ago.

08:49.433 --> 08:59.566
A girl is started on the way to womanhood by the action of this small gland at the base of the brain: the pituitary.

08:59.566 --> 09:07.532
It is a sort of "growth clock" that sets off a signal in different girls at different ages.

09:07.533 --> 09:13.299
The pituitary gland sends out a special hormone that causes the reproductive organs to develop.

09:13.300 --> 09:17.200
[...]

09:17.200 --> 09:21.833
As the ovaries grow, they begin to produce other hormones.

09:21.833 --> 09:29.366
It's these new hormones that bring about various changes in the body during the next few years.

09:29.366 --> 09:31.632
The breasts develop.

09:31.633 --> 09:39.166
Body hair appears, most noticeably under the arms and in the pubic region.

09:39.166 --> 09:40.999
Hips grow broader.

09:41.000 --> 09:43.600
[...]

09:43.600 --> 09:50.000
The most important changes, however, are those in the reproductive system.

09:50.000 --> 09:54.200
Only a few of the parts are at the surface of body.

09:54.200 --> 09:58.933
The labia, the soft folds that cover the inner organs.

09:58.933 --> 10:08.633
The hymen, or maidenhead, a ring of tissue that frequently but not always extends around the entrance to the vagina.

10:08.633 --> 10:15.399
And the clitoris, a small, highly sensitive organ.

10:15.400 --> 10:21.233
This opening is the urethra, the tube leading from the urinary bladder.

10:21.233 --> 10:26.633
Although it has its outlet here, it's not part of the reproductive system.

10:26.633 --> 10:31.933
The vagina is the canal that leads to the actual organs of reproduction.

10:31.933 --> 10:40.099
These organs are the uterus, or womb, the Fallopian tubes, and the ovaries.

10:40.100 --> 10:48.133
[...]

10:48.133 --> 10:50.933
Under the influence of the hormones,

10:50.933 --> 10:56.566
all of the inner organs have been developing along with breasts and hips, getting ready.

10:56.566 --> 10:59.932
[...]

10:59.933 --> 11:06.166
Part of this gradual change happens in the ovaries, where thousands of eggs, or ova, have been developing.

11:06.166 --> 11:15.366
[...]

11:15.366 --> 11:21.332
At last, one of them is released.

11:21.333 --> 11:27.666
During the next few days, it moves along the Fallopian tube toward the uterus.

11:27.666 --> 11:32.266
[...]

11:32.266 --> 11:39.832
Meanwhile, the walls of uterus prepare to receive and nourish the ovum if it should be fertilized.

11:39.833 --> 11:42.999
The lining gets thicker, and the blood supply increases.

11:43.000 --> 11:46.433
[...]

11:46.433 --> 11:53.033
When the egg is not fertilized, the extra lining discharges from the body along with some blood.

11:53.033 --> 11:59.933
This discharge, menstruation, begins about two weeks after the ovum leaves the ovary.

11:59.933 --> 12:06.266
It usually lasts from three days to a week, or even more.

12:06.266 --> 12:14.599
Menstrual, or monthly, periods usually happen about every four weeks.

12:14.600 --> 12:22.466
However they are likely to be quite irregular for the first two or three years while a girl is still maturing.

12:22.466 --> 12:28.999
And later, a cycle of perhaps five weeks or three weeks is perfectly normal.

12:29.000 --> 12:38.600
[...]

12:38.600 --> 12:45.933
It takes time to get used to the changes of adolescence, which at first may seem so strange.

12:45.933 --> 12:51.099
However, for many girls, menstruation brings no problem and little discomfort,

12:51.100 --> 12:54.200
only the extra care needed for cleanliness.

12:54.200 --> 13:01.200
[...]

13:01.200 --> 13:07.633
The best way to prevent ordinary, mild menstrual cramps is just plain good health.

13:07.633 --> 13:11.799
Plenty of sleep, and plenty of the kind of exercise that you're used to.

13:11.800 --> 13:17.500
[...]

13:17.500 --> 13:22.366
By this normal cycle, the organs are repeatedly prepared for bearing a child.

13:22.366 --> 13:25.532
[...]

13:25.533 --> 13:34.866
The development of a baby begins when an ovum, during the first day or two, encounters sperm.

13:34.866 --> 13:42.532
Let's trace the path by which sperm arrive from the sexual organs of the male.

13:42.533 --> 13:44.966
Here is the penis,

13:44.966 --> 13:50.132
and here the testicles, the parts outside the body.

13:50.133 --> 13:55.599
From each testicle, a duct leads into the body where it joins the urethra,

13:55.600 --> 13:58.366
the tube leading from the bladder through the penis.

13:58.366 --> 14:01.866
[...]

14:01.866 --> 14:07.199
Each testicle is packed with tubes.

14:07.200 --> 14:11.933
The walls of these tubes are lined with special cells.

14:11.933 --> 14:21.699
When a boy reaches adolescence, they begin to grow and develop into the male sex cells called sperm, or spermatozoa.

14:21.700 --> 14:27.800
Millions of sperm develop in a short time since this growth happens constantly

14:27.800 --> 14:30.700
along more than a mile of tubes contained within the testicles.

14:30.700 --> 14:34.100
[...]

14:34.100 --> 14:41.300
The millions of sperm are moved along, filling other coiled tubes and the duct leading into the body.

14:41.300 --> 14:50.433
[...]

14:50.433 --> 14:54.566
Fluid from certain glands mixes with the sperm.

14:54.566 --> 14:57.366
The sperm-filled fluid is called semen.

14:57.366 --> 15:01.399
[...]

15:01.400 --> 15:08.233
In preparation for passing the sperm from the body, the penis becomes congested with blood and erect.

15:08.233 --> 15:12.899
[...]

15:12.900 --> 15:18.633
Muscular contractions force the semen into the urethra and out of the body.

15:18.633 --> 15:23.499
[...]

15:23.500 --> 15:30.266
It is nature's way of passing the male sperm into the female vagina during sexual intercourse.

15:30.266 --> 15:37.899
[...]

15:37.900 --> 15:42.033
Here are live sperm shown under a microscope.

15:42.033 --> 15:46.666
They are able to propel themselves by lashing their long tails.

15:46.666 --> 15:53.432
[...]

15:53.433 --> 16:00.333
Within a short time after intercourse, sperm in the vagina propel themselves through the uterus

16:00.333 --> 16:03.166
and into the Fallopian tubes.

16:03.166 --> 16:09.166
If the sperm meet an ovum, one of them will penetrate the ovum wall and fertilize it.

16:09.166 --> 16:12.199
[...]

16:12.200 --> 16:15.466
A new life is created.

16:15.466 --> 16:21.999
[...]

16:22.000 --> 16:29.300
Now when a fertilized ovum reaches the uterus, it embeds itself in the wall that is prepared for it.

16:29.300 --> 16:33.266
[...]

16:33.266 --> 16:36.099
The growth of the baby begins.

16:36.100 --> 16:39.633
[...]

16:39.633 --> 16:44.033
The creation of new life:

16:44.033 --> 16:48.366
for this, the male and female reproductive systems are designed.

16:48.366 --> 16:51.332
[...]

16:51.333 --> 16:58.999
But before a girl becomes a woman and a mother, she will need to mature fully.

16:59.000 --> 17:02.666
She will need time to get used to all the changes,

17:02.666 --> 17:06.199
changes in her body, in her feelings.

17:06.200 --> 17:10.100
[...]

17:10.100 --> 17:17.133
There are new sexual feelings, new feelings about boys.

17:17.133 --> 17:22.133
There are up days and down days.

17:22.133 --> 17:27.633
There are new uncertainities and new joys.

17:27.633 --> 17:31.999
It takes time to get used to all the changes.

17:32.000 --> 17:36.200
It takes time.

17:36.200 --> 17:38.266
[Medical supervision by Elsie A. Giorgi, M.D. Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, UCLA Medical Center]

17:38.266 --> 17:40.866
[Irving N. Klitsner, M.D. Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, University of Southern California Medical School]

17:40.866 --> 17:43.266
[Teenage Department, Southern California Permanente Medical Group]

17:43.266 --> 17:47.066
[direction: David Hilberman, Robert B. Churchill; animation: Spencer Peel, Frank Armitage, Ruth Kissane]

17:47.066 --> 17:49.799
[script: Robert B. Churchill;
camera: Stevan Larner, Robert Kaufman;
sound: Rod Sutton]

17:49.800 --> 17:52.766
[A CHURCHILL FILM]