Adolescence is period of teenage child becomes sexually mature adult. Adolescence this slow and gradual process that lasted over two to five years in the early years of puberty. It involves the body changes that occur development of secondary sexual characteristics. In girls, breast development, the hair appears in armpits and pubic area, fat deposition seems to complete the body and make the female figure.
These changes in adolescence are followed by menarche, ie, the first menstruation. In boys, the genitals increase in size and hair appears in the armpits, groin and face. The hair on the face appears as a beard and moustache. The larynx during adolescence, in the boy develops a deep male voice, and erections of the penis starts acting. These changes are completed by the age of 16 to 18 years. Sometimes the changes of puberty take a little earlier or later depending on the age of puberty in the father and the mother.
Testosterone is the principal hormone that brings a change in boys and estrogen and progesterone in girls during adolescence. Along with changes in physical appearance, psychological changes take place, so the boys think and act like men and girls and women. Attraction and desire for the opposite sex increases in adolescence and the young may become more shy and self conscious.
Boys and girls in this age have boundless energy and desire. This energy of adolescence should be channelled into useful and constructive work and play, otherwise the young people are selfish and overwhelmed with thoughts of sex. Unfortunately, these considerations lead to some early sexual activity, which is very undesirable at this age. Premarital sex during adolescence can lead to lifelong problems, premature death and suffering, where every teen should know. These are:
- Pre-marriage (and extramarital) sex is the cause of sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and now AIDS, for which there is no cure and causes death after years of suffering and ill health.
- Unwanted pregnancies and illegal: Hush Hush-abortions by quacks are dangerous to life. If the child’s birth, his life married mother and father of her child was destroyed.
- A successful marriage depends entirely on the loyalty between a man and woman. If this credit is damaged, either due to extramarital affairs, or because pre-marital sexual adventures come to light, the marriage ends in divorce.
- Love of children depends entirely on the loyalty between the mother and father. If this belief is lacking, the children suffer for the guilt of those. Incest, child abuse and parental divorce have become commonplace and say a large extent on the physical and mental health of children.
- Depression in adolescence
Depression in adolescence is again very common due to many reasons, some of have already been discussed before
- Eating disorders in adolescence
The incidence of eating disorders in adolescence is constantly increasing. Anorexia nervosa is characterised by cachexia and severely low weight due to less food intake. Another eating disorder in adolescence is Bulimia, in which forceful purging of ingested food is done after a heavy meal.
Use your adolescence to the best advantage for your study, your games and build your career.