Becoming a Woman: Becoming a Woman: Puberty and AdolescencePuberty and Adolescence

PubertyPuberty• Most girls enter puberty between the Most girls enter puberty between the

ages of 10-15 with the average age ages of 10-15 with the average age of menarche at 12of menarche at 12

• ““Fat Spurt” – girls gain on average Fat Spurt” – girls gain on average 24 pounds at this time around the 24 pounds at this time around the breasts, hips, thighs and buttocks. breasts, hips, thighs and buttocks.

• 120 % increase in fat gain while boys 120 % increase in fat gain while boys gain muscle mass.gain muscle mass.

MenarcheMenarche

• Refers to the first time a girl Refers to the first time a girl

• starts to menstruatestarts to menstruate

• mid 19th century Britain, the mid 19th century Britain, the average ago of first menarche was average ago of first menarche was 15- 16 years old whereas today the 15- 16 years old whereas today the average age is 12average age is 12

Factors in Early Factors in Early MenarcheMenarche

• a) Nutritiona) Nutrition – undernourished girls have delayed – undernourished girls have delayed menstruation but girls today are over nourishedmenstruation but girls today are over nourished

• b) Hormonesb) Hormones in animal food products, pesticides in animal food products, pesticides and plastics of bottled water lead to more and plastics of bottled water lead to more estrogen beign absorbed by young girls and estrogen beign absorbed by young girls and starting to mensturate earlier. starting to mensturate earlier.

• c) c) Exposure to sex,Exposure to sex, pornography, provocative pornography, provocative dress etc. may prime brain to earlier sexual dress etc. may prime brain to earlier sexual maturationmaturation

The Conspiracy of The Conspiracy of SilenceSilence

• culture of silence and culture of silence and embarrassment around menstruation embarrassment around menstruation

• heighten girl’s insecurities, maintain heighten girl’s insecurities, maintain secrecy and shame and perpetuate secrecy and shame and perpetuate negative views about menstruation.negative views about menstruation.

• Most girls taught about Most girls taught about menstruation as a negative rite of menstruation as a negative rite of passagepassage

Menstrual PainMenstrual Pain

• refers to painful cramps in the abdominal regionrefers to painful cramps in the abdominal region

• could also include headaches, nausea, fatigue could also include headaches, nausea, fatigue and pain in the lower back and upper thighsand pain in the lower back and upper thighs

• estimates range from 50-75% of high school estimates range from 50-75% of high school and college age women report menstrual painand college age women report menstrual pain

• leading cause of young women’s absence from leading cause of young women’s absence from school or workschool or work

Premenstrual Syndrome Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)(PMS)

• variety of symptoms that may occur variety of symptoms that may occur a few days before menstruation and a few days before menstruation and include headaches, breast soreness, include headaches, breast soreness, swelling in some body regions, swelling in some body regions, increased sensitivity to pain, acne, increased sensitivity to pain, acne, various psychological reactions such various psychological reactions such as depression, irritability, anxiety as depression, irritability, anxiety and lethargy.and lethargy.

Why PMS?Why PMS?

• 1- Psychological factors such as 1- Psychological factors such as anxiety and strong endorsement of anxiety and strong endorsement of traditionally feminine gender roles traditionally feminine gender roles and; and;

• 2-Cultural factors such as our 2-Cultural factors such as our cultures belief that PMS is a well cultures belief that PMS is a well established fact and the emphsis on established fact and the emphsis on biological explanations.biological explanations.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)Disorder (PMDD)

• SymptomsSymptoms: depressed mood, anxiety, mood : depressed mood, anxiety, mood shifts, irritability, anger, difficulty concentrating shifts, irritability, anger, difficulty concentrating and staying focused, fatigue, loss of energy, and staying focused, fatigue, loss of energy, overeating, food cravings, insomnia, or overeating, food cravings, insomnia, or oversleeping, and physical symptoms such as oversleeping, and physical symptoms such as weight gain, bloating, breast tenderness or weight gain, bloating, breast tenderness or swelling, headache, and muscle or joint aches swelling, headache, and muscle or joint aches and pains (APA, 1994). and pains (APA, 1994).

• currently treated with antidepressants or anti-currently treated with antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs. anxiety drugs.

• genealogy of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is genealogy of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is historically rooted in the hysteria.historically rooted in the hysteria.

• Rodin (1992) has noted that Rodin (1992) has noted that “although “although the discourses describing the discourses describing ostensible causes of hysteria ostensible causes of hysteria changed over time… a woman’s changed over time… a woman’s sanity was consistently tied to her sanity was consistently tied to her reproductive system and her role in reproductive system and her role in society. This connection persists society. This connection persists today in the contemporary disease today in the contemporary disease category of PMS” (Rodin, 1992, p. category of PMS” (Rodin, 1992, p. 51).51).

Menstrual Joy!!!Menstrual Joy!!!

““How might it have been different for you if, on your How might it have been different for you if, on your firstfirst

Menstrual day, your mother had given you a Menstrual day, your mother had given you a bouquet of flowers And taken you to lunch, and bouquet of flowers And taken you to lunch, and then the two of you had gone to meet your father then the two of you had gone to meet your father to the jeweler, where your ears were pierced, and to the jeweler, where your ears were pierced, and your father bought you your first pair of earrings, your father bought you your first pair of earrings, and then you went with a few of your friends and and then you went with a few of your friends and your mothers friends to get your first lip coloring; your mothers friends to get your first lip coloring; and then you went for the first time to the and then you went for the first time to the Women’s lodge to learn the wisdom of women? Women’s lodge to learn the wisdom of women? How might your life be different?” How might your life be different?”

(Judith Duerk, Circle of Stones).(Judith Duerk, Circle of Stones).

Women’s Bodies, Women’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s WisdomWisdom

• Dr. Christiane NorthrupDr. Christiane Northrup• women receive and process women receive and process information differently at different times in information differently at different times in

their cycles and rather than seeing this as their cycles and rather than seeing this as unstable, diseased or as a problem, women unstable, diseased or as a problem, women should learn about their cycles and pay should learn about their cycles and pay attention to what their bodies are telling attention to what their bodies are telling them. them.

• rather than looking at the extra sensitivity of rather than looking at the extra sensitivity of ‘PMS” as bad, crazy, diseased, pathological ‘PMS” as bad, crazy, diseased, pathological or needing to be fixed, women can look at it or needing to be fixed, women can look at it as internal system that is warning them that as internal system that is warning them that something is wrong in their lives and to pay something is wrong in their lives and to pay attention to it. attention to it.

• The increased sensitivity is a gift of an The increased sensitivity is a gift of an insight.insight.

Breast DevelopmentBreast Development

• teasing teasing • embarrassment about comments made at embarrassment about comments made at

school or by familyschool or by family• Anxiety about growing up. Anxiety about growing up. • Anxiety about not having the ‘right breasts’ Anxiety about not having the ‘right breasts’

not big enough etc. not big enough etc. • unwanted sexual attention unwanted sexual attention • Girls that mature earlier date more, are Girls that mature earlier date more, are

sexually active earlier and tend to engage sexually active earlier and tend to engage in ‘adult behaviors’ like smoking, drinking in ‘adult behaviors’ like smoking, drinking and sexual intercourse at earlier ages.and sexual intercourse at earlier ages.

• negative implications on academic negative implications on academic performanceperformance

Body Image and Physical Body Image and Physical AttractivenessAttractiveness

• Eating Disorders and depressionEating Disorders and depression• excessive concern for weight has been tied to excessive concern for weight has been tied to

eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. • Those who perceive the pressure to be thin, are Those who perceive the pressure to be thin, are

dissatisfied with their bodies and have a lack of dissatisfied with their bodies and have a lack of social support are the most vulnerable to social support are the most vulnerable to negative media images and the most likely to negative media images and the most likely to develop an eating disorders. develop an eating disorders.

• Girls have higher rates of depression beginning at Girls have higher rates of depression beginning at age 13 age 13

• Early maturing girls (those who reach menarche Early maturing girls (those who reach menarche before the age of 11 have the highest rate of before the age of 11 have the highest rate of depressive symptoms. depressive symptoms.

Friendships and Friendships and RelationshipsRelationships

• girls self esteem is highly related to girls self esteem is highly related to the quality of their friendshipsthe quality of their friendships

• SilencingSilencing• adolescence and even adult women adolescence and even adult women

silence themselves or are silenced in silence themselves or are silenced in relationships rather than risk open relationships rather than risk open conflict and disagreement that might conflict and disagreement that might lead to isolation or interpersonal lead to isolation or interpersonal violence.violence.

• “ “ adolescence is at time of disconnection, adolescence is at time of disconnection, sometimes of dissociation or repression in sometimes of dissociation or repression in women’s lives, so that women often do not women’s lives, so that women often do not remember- tend to forget or to cover over- remember- tend to forget or to cover over- what as girls thy have experienced and what as girls thy have experienced and known”known”

• struggling over speaking and not speaking, struggling over speaking and not speaking, knowing and not knowing, feeling and not knowing and not knowing, feeling and not feeling feeling

• ““Are these losses of voice and relationship Are these losses of voice and relationship necessary, and if not, how can they be necessary, and if not, how can they be prevented?”prevented?”

Girls Relational Girls Relational AggressionAggression

Group WorkGroup Work • a) What actions can parents and teachers help a) What actions can parents and teachers help

to enhance the self esteem of adolescent girls?to enhance the self esteem of adolescent girls?

• b) Design a ritual in which to mark a girl’s b) Design a ritual in which to mark a girl’s first menarche? Who would be involved? first menarche? Who would be involved? What would you do? Where would you go? What would you do? Where would you go? Say? See? ****This is a bonus Say? See? ****This is a bonus assignment .assignment .

• c) Have you known early and later maturing c) Have you known early and later maturing girls? What kinds of stresses did early or late girls? What kinds of stresses did early or late maturation contribute to their lives? maturation contribute to their lives?

• d) Pretend you have been asked to give a d) Pretend you have been asked to give a lecture to a junior high school girls about lecture to a junior high school girls about puberty. What information would you provide puberty. What information would you provide these girls? What information would you omit at these girls? What information would you omit at this time from your lecture? this time from your lecture?