girl’s guide

always changing® and growing up ®

ContentsPuberty 1

BodyGrowth 7

BreastGrowth 8

SkinChanges 10

HairChanges 11

Perspiration 12

VaginalDischarge 14

YourPeriod 15

FeminineProtection 23

Always®Products 30

Glossary 32

Puberty

Puberty.Yeah,it’saweirdword,butitdoesn’tmakeyouweird.Pubertyisaseriesofchangesthatyourbody–andall

yourfriends’bodies–willgothroughasyougrowup.

Liketheword,pubertymayseemstrangebecauseit’s

newtoyou.Butthemoreyouknowaboutit,themore

comfortableitwillbe.Thisguidewillhelpwiththatby:

Lettingyouknowwhatchangestoexpectandhelping

youunderstandthem.

Helpingyouprepareforwhat’saheadsoyoucan

feelmoreconfident.

Givingyouhelpfultipsandanswerstomanygirlquestions.

Italsohelpstotalkaboutpuberty.Itmayseem

embarrassing–that’snormal–butitwillhelpyoufeel

morerelaxedandconfident.Herearesometips:

Asksomeonelikeyourmomoroldersistertoanswer

yourquestions.They’ve“beenthere,donethat,”so

theirexperiencemayhelp.

Ifit’shardtoaskyourquestionface-to-face,leave

itinanote.

Visitbeinggirl.com,asitejustforgirls,whereyoucan

learnandtalkwithothergirlsaboutgrowingup–like

howyourbodyandfeelingschange.

All the words in bold type

in this booklet are defined

in the glossary.

Puberty1

Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Pubertyusuallystartsbetweentheagesof8and13and

lastsafewyears.Buteverygirlisdifferent.Somegirls’

pituitaryglandsareeager,sometaketheirtime.The

importantthingisthatyourpituitaryglandwillstartyour

pubertywhenit’srightforyourbody.Butifyouhaven’t

experiencedanypubertychangesbyage14,youmay

wanttotalktoyourdoctor.

Duringpubertyyou’llexperiencechangestoyourbody,

skin,hair–evenyouremotions.Itmayseemlikeawild

ridesometimes.Butchancesareyou’llbehappywiththe

outcome–thesame“you,”justamoregrown-upversion.

Where it all begins. Yourpituitary gland,locatedbeneaththefrontofyour

brain,startspuberty.Yourpituitaryglandsendsasignal

totwootherglands–yourovaries–tellingthemto

makeaspecialchemical,orhormone,calledestrogen.

Estrogenisthemainfemalehormonethattriggersmost

ofthechangesyou’llseeandfeel.Boyshaveadifferent

hormone,testosterone,thatcausesmostoftheir

changes.

It’snotsummervacation,butitisagreatjourney.

The puberty event girls want to know about most. Period. Your period is the biggest change you’ll

experience. “What’s a period?” “When

do you get it?” “What do you do about

it?” These questions and more are

answered on pages 15 to 33.

Puberty3

Puberty2 ®

Puberty4

What you ’ ll see along the way. Here’saquickrundownofthemainphysicalchanges

you’llgothrough.

You’llfindmoreinfoaboutthesethroughoutthisguide.

Yourbodygrowstallerandbroader.

Yourbreastsbegintogrow.

Yourskinmaybecomeoilier,andyoumaygetpimples.

Yourhairmaybecomeoilier.

Yourbodymaysweatmore,andyoumaydevelop

bodyodor.

Youbegintogrowunderarmandpubichair.

Vaginaldischargebegins.

Yourperiodstarts.

What you ’ ll feel along the way. Theemotionalchangesyou’llexperienceduringpuberty

maynothappenatthesametimeyourbodymatures.

Youcouldfeelolderbeforeyoulookolder,ortheother

wayaround.Inanycase,herearesomethingstoexpect:

You’llstarttothinkmorelikeanadultdoes.

You’llbegintomakemoresenseofyourfeelings–

bothpositiveandnegativeones–and

expressthembetter.

Youmaygetangryalot

easierandgothrough

moodswings.Plus,you

maycrymore–overlittle

andbigthings.

Youmaybecomemore

self-conscious.

Youmaycompareyourself

toyourfriendsandfeellike

somethingiswrongwith

you.Butthere’snot!

Youmayfeelandact

morefeminine.

It’s OK. All these changes won’t happen overnight. Some

may be quick, but others will take place slowly over a

few years.

Puberty5®

Puberty6

Body Growth

Youknowpubertyhaskickedinwhenyougrowtallerand

begintotakeonamorefeminineshape.Yourhipswill

widenandyourbreastswillbegintogrow.Untilyouget

usedtoyournewshapeandsize,youmayfeelawkward.

Andnaturally,youmaygainweight.Infact,manygirls

arealittlelargerthanboysintheearlyyearsofpuberty.

Allgirls,astheygrowup,developmorebodyfat.Aslong

asyoueatwellandexercise,yourweightshouldstayina

healthyrange.

Eat well and feel well – inside and out. Eatarangeoffoodstogetall

thevitaminsandnutrientsyou

need.Trytoeatlotsofprotein

(likefish,meat,cheese,milk,

eggsandbeans).Youalsoneed

complexcarbohydrates(like

wholewheatbreads,pasta

andcereals)andfreshfruits

andvegetables.

Thingswillbegintoshapeupforyou.

Take some time to shine up your self-image. Ahealthybodyimagedependsonahealthyattitude–

andthat’ssomethingyoucancontrol.Justremember,

theimpossiblyperfectbodiesyouseeonTVandin

magazinesarenotwhatmostgirlsandwomenlooklike,

orshouldlooklike.

Feelinggoodaboutyourbodyisagreatstarttoboosting

youroverallself-esteem.Herearesomeotherways:

1. Findsomethingyoudowell,likeasport,anartora

schoolsubject,andfocusonsucceedingatit.

2. Insteadofcomparingyourselftoothers,eachday

writedownthreethingsaboutyourselfthatyou

wouldn’tchange.

3. Concentrateonyourabilities,skillsand

accomplishmentsinsteadofyourfaults.

4. Setexpectationsthatarerealistic.Aimfor

accomplishment,notperfection.

5.Doagooddeed.Makingadifferencewillhelpyou

feellikeabetterperson.

6.Exercise.You’llunloadstressandfeelstronger

andhappier.

Body Growth7®

Breast Growth8

The scoop on bra sizing. Manystoresthatsellbrashaveexpertswhocantellyour

correctsizebymeasuringyou.Or,youcanhaveafriend

ortrustedadultmeasureyouusingthefollowingguide:

1. Measurearoundyourchestjustbelowyourbreasts.

2. Ifit’sanoddnumber,add5.

Ifit’sanevennumber,add4.

Thisisyourframe size.

3. Nowfindyourbust line size

bymeasuringaroundyour

chestoverthefullestpart

ofyourbreasts.

4. Compareyourframesizeandbust

linesizetodetermineyourcup size:

Iftheyarethesame,

youneedanAA-cup.

Iftheydifferby1,youneedanA-cup.

Iftheydifferby2,youneedaB-cup.

Iftheydifferby3,youneedaC-cup.

Iftheydifferby4,youneedaD-cup.

5. Yourbra sizeisyourframeandcupsizestogether.

Breast Growth

Duringearlypuberty,thefirststageofbreastdevelopment

happens,called“budding.”Fromthere,yourbreastsgrow

gradually–youprobablywon’tnoticeitmostofthetime.

Onebreastmaygrowlargerthantheother–that’sokay.

They’llbeaboutthesamesizeintheend.Butlikeyour

legsandarms,yourbreastswillneverbeexactlyalike–

noone’sare.

Breasts and bras – both come in lots of shapes and sizes. Onceyourbreastsdevelop,wearingabraprovides

supportandcoveragethatcanhelpyoufeelmore

comfortable.Plus,brascomeintonsoffuncolors

anddesignssoyoucanfindonesthatmatchyour

personalstyle.

Justmakesure

itfitsyou

properly.

Startingfromthetop.

Breast Growth9®

Skin Changes10

Skin Changes Hair Changes

Theskinnyonyourskin.

Pubertymaycauseyourhairtobecomeoilier,thicker,

coarser–evencurlierorstraighter.Theimportantthingis

tokeepithealthywithregularcare.

Good habits for healthy hair. Shampooregularly(dailyoreveryotherdayisbest

formosthairtypes).

Ifyou’reAfrican-American,yourhairmaybedryand

delicate.Soyouonlyneedtowashyourhair1to2

timesaweek.

Aftershampooing,usealightconditioner

toaddmoisture,controlandstrength.

Whenyou’reswimmingorin

thesun,useanintensive

conditionerwithUV

protection.

Whenyourhairiswet,use

awide-toothcomb.Abrush

maybreakyourhairstrands.

Your hair may need more attention.Headsup!

Duringpuberty,youroilglandsproducemoresebum

(anoilysubstance).Sometimesextrasebumand

deadskincellsclogyourskin’spores.Whenbacteriagrow

inthecloggedporesitcausespimples(acne).

Acneisverycommon–90%ofyoungpeoplegetit.You

cankeepitundercontrol,though,mostofthetimewith

adailyroutineofskincare.Justremembertobepatient.

Acnedoesn’tdisappearovernight–foranyone.

Good habits for healthy skin. Washyourfacetwiceadaywithacleanseror

medicatedacnewash.

Keepyourhandsawayfromyourfaceanddon’t

squeeze,pickorpoppimples.

Takeadailymultivitamin,eatplentyoffruitsand

vegetables,anddrinklotsofwater.

Washyourpillowcasefrequentlytogetridofoiland

dirtbuild-up.

Whenyou’reinthesun,wearsunscreenorblockwith

atleastanSPF(sunprotectionfactor)of15.

Got a question?For answers to

your hair and skin care questions,

visit beinggirl.com.

Hair Changes11®

Perspiration12

Body odor busters. Showerorbathefrequentlytowashdirtandoiloffyourskin.

Makesuretowashyourunderarmsthoroughly.

Applydeodorant/antiperspirantatleastonceaday.

Wearclothesmadeofmaterialthatbreathes,likecotton.

Alwaysshoweror

batheafteryou

exercise.Ifyoucan’t

doitrightaway,at

leastchangeoutof

yoursweatyclothes

andintocleanones.

When you’re ready for deodorant. Therearemanytypes

ofantiperspirants/

deodorants.Whatkind

youneedorwantdepends

onyou.Howmuchyousweat

(we’realldifferent),whetheryoulikeamorenoticeable

scent(ornot),andevenhowtheproductfeelscanallhelp

youfigureoutwhichtypeisbestforyou.

Perspiration

Everybodysweats,orperspires.It’sanormaland

importantfunction–ithelpsregulateyourbody

temperature.Butonceyouhitpuberty,sweatingcanalso

causebodyodor.

Bodyodoristriggered

byyourapocrine glands

–thekindofsweat

glandsthatkickinat

puberty.Yourother

sweatglands–eccrine glands–startworkingatbirth.

Eccrineglandsproduceclear,odorlessperspiration,

butapocrineglandsproduceperspirationthatcansmell

badwhenitcomesincontactwithbacteriaonyourskin.

Sincealotofapocrineglandsareunderyourarms,

manypeopleuseunderarmdeodorantsorantiperspirants.

Deodorantscounteractodortohelpyousmellbetter.

Antiperspirantsreducesweatingandunderarmwetness.

Sincethesearethemaincausesofbodyodor,

anti-perspirantshelppreventodorbeforeitstarts.

Sweatingisgoodforyou.Sowhythebigstinkaboutit?

Pores

Hair Shaft

Sebaceous Gland

Eccrine Gland

Apocrine Gland

Epidermis

Dermis

Subcutaneous Tissue

Did you know? Sweat glands are everywhere on your body except your lips and ears.

Females have a lot moreapocrine glands than males.

Females and males sweat differently. So their deodorants and anti- perspirants are different, too. For the best protec-tion, pick one that’s made for girls and women.

Perspiration13®

Vaginal Discharge14

Vaginal Discharge

Vaginal dischargeisaclearorwhitishfluidthatcomesfrom

yourvagina(anopeningbetweenyourlegs).Thistypeof

dischargeishealthyandnormal.Itkeepsthevaginafrom

dryingoutandhelpspreventinfection.Whenyounoticeit

inyourunderwear(acreamywhitestain)forthefirsttime,

itusuallymeansyourfirstperiodiscomingsoon.Toavoid

gettingdischargeinyourunderwearbetweenperiods,you

canwearapantiliner(formoreinfo,seepages26,27and30).

Ifyouhaveanydischargethatisthick,yellowishordarker,

smellsunpleasantorcausesitchingorburning,itcould

beasignofavaginalinfection.Checkwithyourdoctor.

Mostvaginalinfectionscanbeeasilytreated.

Vaginaldischarge–asignthatyourperiodisonitsway.

Yourperiod.Celebrateitwithanexclamationpoint!Gettingyourperiodisprobablythebiggestchangeyou’ll

experienceduringpuberty.It’saverynormal,healthyand

positivepartofgrowingup!It’spartofanaturalcycle

(themenstrual cycle)thatpreparesthebody’sabilityto

havechildren.

A quick def inition. Yourperiodiswhenyoushedtissue,fluidandbloodfrom

youruterinelining(alsocalledmenstrualdischarge).It

leavesyourbodythroughyourvagina.Formostgirlsand

women,itusuallyhappenseachmonthandlastsbetween

3and7days.Itmaycomeasasurprisewhenyouget

yourfirstone–that’sokay,ithappenstoalotofgirls.

The whole story. Thecompleteexplanationmaysoundlikeascience

lesson.Butunderstandingthemenstrualcyclewillhelp

takethemysteryoutofyourperiod.Itwillalsohelpyou

predictwhenyourperiodwillcomeeachmonthonce

yourcyclestarts.

Good feminine hygiene can help protect you from infections:

After going to the bathroom, wipe from front to back to avoid spreading bacteria from your anus to your vagina.

Avoid heavily perfumed soaps or shower gels – these can sometimes irritate the delicate skin around your vagina.

Remember, if you’re taking antibiotics, vaginal infections are more likely to occur.

Your Period

Your Period15®

Your Period16

The cycle repeats itself. Acompletemenstrualcyclerunsfromthefirst

dayofoneperiodtothefirstdayofthenext.

Theaveragetimethistakesis28days,butanywhere

between21and35daysisnormal.Thenthecycle

startsagain.

1

4

2

3

An ovary gets ready to release an egg.

The egg is released. The endometrium starts to thicken.

The endometrium is not needed and most of it is shed through the vagina.

The egg travels along the fallopian tube to the thickening endometrium.

The phases of the menstrual cycle.1. Pre-Ovulation.Femaleshavetwoovariesthatcontain

thousandsofeggs(ova).Estrogentellsanovaryto

releaseaneggeverymonth.(Oneovaryreleasesanegg

eachmonth.)Atthesametime,thesoftlining

(endometrium)oftheuterus(theplacewhere

ababycangrow)startstothicken.

2. Ovulation. Ovulationoccurswhenamature

eggisreleasedfromtheovary. Aftertheegg

isreleasedittravelsalongthefallopian

tubetothethickeningendometrium.Ifa

sperm(themalereproductivecell)

fertilizestheegg,ababydevelops.

3. Premenstrual. Iftheeggisn’tfertilized,

itbreaksdownandtheendometrium

isn’tneeded.Asaresult,hormonelevels

dropcausingtheendometriumtoshed.

4. Menstruation. The

endometriumleaves

thebodythroughthe

vaginaasareddish

fluidcontainingblood.

Thisisaperiod.

Endometrium

Uterus Vagina

Ovary

Fallopian Tube

Eggs

Position inside body

Your Period17®

Your Period18

When will your period start? Mostgirlsgettheirfirstperiodbetweentheagesof9and

16,butthereisno“right”time.Yourperiodwillstartwhen

yourbodyisready.Ifyouhaven’tstartedbythetime

you’re16,youmaywanttotalktoyourdoctor.

Asaroughguide,yourperiodwillprobablystart:

Abouttwoyearsafteryourbreastsbegintodevelop.

Withinayearorsoafteryou’vedeveloped

pubicandunderarmhair.

Afteryoustarttonoticesome

vaginaldischargeinyourundies.

Getting into a groove. It’sagoodideatogettoknowyourcyclerightfromthe

start.Manygirlsandwomenpreparefortheirnextperiod

bytrackingtheircycleonacalendar.Youcanuseyour

owncalendarortheoneonlineathttp://www.beinggirl.

com/article/period-predictor/.

Eachmonth,markthedaysthatyouhaveyourperiod.As

yourcycleevensout,you’llbegintoseearegularpattern.

Byfiguringtheaveragenumberofdaysbetweenyour

periods,you’llbeabletotellwhenthenextonewillmost

likelystart.Youcanalsorecordhowyoufeelonyourpre-

perioddays.Thesefeelingsmaybefuture“hints”that

yourperiodiscoming.

Being irregular is a regular thing.In the beginning, your period may be irregular. You could have one period and then wait as long as 6 months for the next one! Or, one period may last one day, while the next lasts 10 days. This happens to a lot of girls. Oftentimes, it takes a while before a girl’s body settles into a regular cycle. In fact, it may take up to 2 or 3 years.

sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15

22

29

16

23

30

17

24

31

18

25

19

26

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27

21

28

Mood Changes Light Period Day Heavy Period Day

Your Period19®

Your Period20

Sometimes your period brings uninvited guests – cramps. Alotofgirlsandwomenexperience“periodcramps”

causedbythecontractionoftheuterus.Ifyouget

cramps,youmayfeelachesinyourabdomen,yourlower

backorevendownyourlegs.

Ways to put cramps in their place. Takeawarmbath,unwindandlistentosometunes.

Placeaheatingpadorheatwraponyourabdomen.

Thenkickback,relaxandreadamagazineorwatchTV.

Dosomemildexercisethat

youenjoy,likewalkingyour

dogorridingyourbikewitha

friend.

Ifcrampscontinuetobeaproblem

foryou,makesureyoucheckwith

anadultbeforetakinganykindof

medication.

Some popular questions about your period. Is it okay to take a bath or shower when you have

your period? Yes.Duringyourperiodisanimportanttimetokeep

yourselffreshandclean.

Is there anything you won’t be able to do when you

have your period? No.Itdoesn’thavetostopyoufromdoingthethings

youusuallydo.Youcanstillgotoschool,helpat

home,seeyourfriends,playsportsandsoon.

Will anyone notice when you have your period?

No.Notunlessyoutellthem.

How much blood do you lose during your period?

Theaveragefemalelosesabout4to12teaspoonsof

menstrualfluidduringherperiod.Butonlyasmall

amountofthatisblood.Sinceyourbodycontains

morethan5quartsofblood,itdoesn’tmissthelittle

bitlostduringaperiod–andyourbodymakesupfor

itquickly.

Your Period21®

Your Period22

Feminine Protection

What is Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)? PMSreferstothesymptomsthatsomegirlsandwomen

experience1to14daysbeforetheirperiod.Thesesymptoms

arecausedbychanginghormonelevelsandmayinclude

headaches,backaches,foodcravings,depression,moodiness,

breasttenderness,paininthejoints,generaltiredness,and

weightgainorabloatedfeeling.Skinblemishesmayalsoflareup.

HereareafewthingsyoucandotohelprelievePMS:

Exerciseregularly.

Limitdrinkingcaffeinateddrinkslikecolas.

Avoidsalt.

Askyourdoctorforremedies.

Checkwithatrustedadulttoseeifyoucantakean

over-the-countermedication.

Whattouseduringyourperiod.Feminine protectionreferstotheproductsgirlsand

womenusetoabsorbtheirmenstrualflowortostay

feelingfresh,comfortableandconfidenteveryday.

There are three types of feminine protection:(You’llfindmoredetailsabouttheseonpages24to31.)

Pads.

Pantiliners.

Tampons.

Where to buy them. Youcanbuypantiliners,

padsortamponsinmany

placeslikesupermarkets,

pharmaciesanddiscount

stores.Ifyoufeelalittle

funnyaboutbuyingthem

atfirst,justasksomeone

likeyourmomorolder

sistertomakethepurchase

foryou.

What is right for you?Some girls and women

prefer pads and pantiliners, some prefer tampons, and some like to use pads on some days and tampons on others. We recommend you start off with pads and pantiliners, and if you want to use tampons, talk to your mom, school nurse or another trusted adult.

Feminine Protection23®

Feminine Protection24

Pads areworninyourunderwearduringyourperiod

toabsorbyourmenstrualflow.Apadhasasoft,

cotton-likelayeronthetopandastickytapeon

thebacktokeepitfirmlyplacedinyourunderwear.

Startingout,mostgirlsusepads.

Someflowsareheavy,some

arelight,andsomearein

between.That’swhypads,

likeAlways®,comein

differentshapes,lengthsand

absorbencies.Somepadsalsohave

wingsthatwraparoundyourunderweartofit

securely.Padsalsocomeinscentedorunscentedforms.

Tofindthepadthatworksbestforyou,asksomeonelike

yourmomoraschoolnurseforhelp,seepage31,orgoto

beinggirl.comtolearnmoreaboutthedifferenttypesofpads.

How to get rid of a pad. 1. Fold it up.

2. Wrap it in tissue, toilet paper or the wrapper of your new pad.

3. Put it in the trash. (Most restrooms have a trash can in each stall for feminine products.)

4.Don’t flush pads down the toilet because they can clog it.

5. Wash your hands.

How to use a pad. 1. Pull off the paper strip or wrapper that

covers the sticky part on the back.

2. Attach the sticky part securely to the inside center of your underwear.

3. When you need to change your pad, just pull it off.

How often to change a pad. Changeitevery4to6hoursormoreoftenifyourflowis

heavy.Also,ifyou’rewearingasmallerpadoronewithless

absorbency,youmayneedtochangeitmorefrequently.

Yourpadmaybegintoleakifyouwearittoolong.

Types of Always® pads: Always® Infinity™.Asuper-absorbentthinpadmade

withasuper-softcoveranduniquematerialthatfeels

incrediblylight.LookfortheAlwayspadsinabox.

Ultra Thin.Athinpadthatprovidesgreatprotection

andcomfortwithoutthebulkofamaxipad.Lookfor

thegreenAlwaysbag.

Maxi.Athickerpadwithaclosebodyfitandgentle,panty

huggingshapeforcomfort.LookfortheblueAlwaysbag.

Feminine Protection25

Always® Flexi-Wings® flex when you move.

They wrap securely around your undies to protect you from side leaks and to keep your pad

where it belongs.

®

Feminine Protection26

Be ready at school. Untilyourcyclebecomesregular,yourperiodmaytake

youbysurprise–especiallyyourfirstone.Soithelpsto

beprepared,particularlyatschool.

Apantilinerisagreatwaytohelpyoufeelfreshand

preparedeveryday.

Preparealockerorbackpack“emergencykit.”Keep

apantiliner,apadandapairofcleanunderwearina

discreetbag.

Keepapantilinerorapadinyourpurse.

Youcanusetoiletpaperortissueuntilyoucangeta

pantilinerorapad.Yourperiodwon’tstartallatonce,

soyouhavealittletime.

Askafriend,aschoolnurseorateacherforhelp.

Mostschoolskeepextrapantiliners

orpadsfor

timeslikethese.

Pantiliners canbepartofyourdailyhygiene

routine,likebrushingyourteeth,tohelpkeepyou

feelingcleanandconfident.

Apantilineriswornontheinsideofyourunderwearlike

apad,butmostaresmallerandthinnerthanpadsand

canfeelinvisible.

Pantilinersaregreatfor:

Vaginaldischarge.

Absorbingperspirationfrom

sportsordailyactivity.

Lightperioddays.

Asabackuptoatampon.

Pantiliner types Girlsandwomenarealldifferentshapesandhave

differentlevelsofnaturalmoisture.Sopantiliners,

suchasAlways®,areavailableindifferentlengthsand

absorbencies.(Seepage30formoreinformation.)

How often to change a pantiliner. Youcanwearonedailyandchangeitasoftenasyou

needtofeelclean.Todisposeofit,treatitlikeapad.

To feel fresh all day try a pantiliner.

Feminine Protection27®

Tampons provideprotectionthatisworninside

yourbody,inyourvagina,duringyourperiod.

Atamponismadeofsoftabsorbentmaterial

compressedintoasmalloblongshapewithastring

securelysewnthroughitforremoval.Itisheldintoplace

bythemuscularwallsofyourvaginaandgentlyexpands

toabsorbyourflow.Manygirlsfirststartusing

tamponswhentheygoswimming.Somegirls

findthemmorecomfortabletowearwhenthey

areactiveinsportsduringtheirperiod.But,the

choiceisuptoyou.

How do you choose a tampon? Tamponscomeindifferentabsorbencies.

Chooseonewiththeminimumabsorbency

neededtocontrolyourflow.Manygirlsfind

thatatamponwitharoundedtip,likeTampax

Pearl®Plastic,iscomfortablefor

first-timeusers.

How often do you change a tampon?

Itdependsonhowheavyyourflowis,butatamponshould

bechangedregularly,aboutevery4to8hours.Although

atamponcanbewornforupto8hours,neverleavea

tamponinforlongerthanthat,andonlyuseitduringyour

period.Ifyouaregoingtouseatamponatnightandsleep

longerthan8hours,youshoulduseapadinstead.

How do you put in a tampon? It’seasywithjustalittlepractice.Checkoutthe

instructionsintheboxorvisitbeinggirl.com forahelpful

demo.Foryourfirsttime,tryTampaxPearl®Plasticwitha

roundedtip;itmaybemorecomfortableforyoutoinsert.

Should you use tampons if you’re involved in sports or dance activities? Tamponsareagreatchoiceforathleticactivitiesbecause

theyallowyoutomovefullyandcomfortably.Ofcourse,

tamponsaretheonlysuitableformofperiodprotection

forswimming,sincetheyareworninsideyourbody.

What is Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS)? TSSisaveryrarebutseriousdiseaseassociatedwithusing

tampons.Besuretoreadandkeeptheleafletthatcomes

ineveryboxoftamponsandtalktoanadultifyouhave

questions.Themostimportantthingtoknowisthatifyou

getafeverandfeelsickwhileyouareusingatampon,take

itoutrightaway.TellanadultyouareworriedaboutTSS

andcontactyourdoctor.Tellthedoctoryou’vebeenusinga

tamponsoyoucangetthebesttreatmentquickly.

Position inside body

28Feminine Protection

Endometrium

Uterus Vagina

Ovary

Fallopian Tube

Eggs

Feminine Protection29®

Which®

productwasmadeforyou?Always®hasdifferentproductstofityourbodytype,

menstrualflowandpreferences.Ifyouneedhelpchoosing

what’srightforyou,usethefollowingproductguideor

gotobeinggirl.com/products/alwaystolearnmoreabout

ourproducts.

For when you ’re ready...Tampax Pearl® Plastic• Smoothplasticapplicatorforcomfortandeasyinsertion.• LeakGuard™Core* andBraidhelpstop

leaksbeforetheyhappen.

*LeakGuard™Corepullsmoisturedeepintothemiddleofthetampon.

Slender Regular Long/Heavy Overnight

Infinity™

super thin, absorbent, & comfortable

Ultra Thinthin & absorbent

Maxithick & absorbent

shorter pad & daytime protection

longer pad & overnight protection

Always®padscomeindifferentlengthsandabsorbencies.Usethisproductselectortofindwhat’srightforyou.

pads A range of panty protection for your period needs.

Some also available in Fresh/Scented

30Feminine Protection

Perfect for feeling clean on your light days and in between.

• Invisiblefeelprotection

• Perfectforwhenyouwanttobecomfortable

anddiscreet

•Stay-in-placeadhesivehelpskeeplinerssecure

•Sothinandflexible,it’syourlittleeverydaysecret

Always® Thin Pantiliners

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Glossary32

AcneAninflammatorydiseaseofthesebaceousglandsthatcausespimplestobreakout,especiallyontheface.

AntiperspirantAsubstanceusedtoreduceperspirationunderthearmsinordertopreventbodyodor.

Apocrine glandsSweatglands(mostlyunderthearmsandinthegenitalarea)thatproduceperspirationthatcanmixwithbacteriatocausebodyodor.Apocrineglandsbecomeactiveduringpuberty.

DeodorantAsubstanceusedunderthearmstocounteractormaskodorscausedbyperspiration.

Eccrine glandsSweatglands(alloverthebody)thatproduceclear,odorlessperspiration.Eccrineglandsareactiveatallages.

EndometriumThesoft,spongyliningofbloodandtissuethatthickensinsidetheuterus.Itnourishesthedevelopingbabyduringearlypregnancy,orelseitisshedduringmenstruation.

Glossary.EstrogenThefemalehormoneproducedintheovariesthatisresponsibleformanyofthechangesthattakeplaceinfemalesduringpuberty.

Fallopian tubesTwotubesthroughwhicheggstravelfrom

theovariestotheuterus.

Feminine protectionTheproductsgirlsandwomenusetoabsorbtheirperiodflowandtostayfresh,comfortableandconfident.

FertilizeWhenamalespermjoinsafemaleeggtoformanembryo(thebeginningofababy).

HormonesThespecialchemicalsthatregulatethegrowthandactivityofbodytissuesandorgans.

MenopauseThestageatwhichwomenstophavingtheirperiods(usuallyaroundage50).

Menstrual cycleThetimemeasuredfromthebeginningofoneperiodtothebeginningofthenext.

MenstruationThemonthlyprocessofsheddingtheliningoftheuterusthatpassesoutofthebodythroughthevagina.

OvaTheeggsfoundinsidetheovaries.Theyarethefemalereproductivecells.

OvariesTwoglands,oneoneithersideoftheuterus,thatcontainawoman’seggsandproducethehormonesestrogenandprogesterone.

OvulationTheperiodicreleaseofamatureeggfromoneoftheovaries.

Pituitary glandAsmallglandbeneaththefrontofthebrainthatisresponsiblefortriggeringtheproductionofhormonesthatstartpuberty.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Acombinationofemotionalandphysicalsymptomssuchastension,worrying,breasttendernessandbloating.Thesemayoccurandlast1to14daysbeforeaperiodstarts.

ProgesteroneAfemalehormonethatcausesasoft,spongyliningofbloodandtissue(endometrium)tothickeninsidetheuterus.Italsopreparesthebodyforpregnancy.

Puberty Thestageoflifewhenhumanmalesandfemalesdevelopphysicalandemotionalchangesandbecomecapableofreproduction.

Pubic area TheV-shapedareabetweenyourlegswhereyourlegsmeetyourbody.

Sebum Anoilysubstance(fromthesebaceousglands)thathelpskeepskinmoist.Duringpuberty,toomuchsebumcancontributetoacne.

SpermThemalereproductivecell.

TestosteroneAmalehormonethatisresponsibleforthechangesthattakeplaceinmalesduringpuberty.

UterusThefemaleorganlinedwithsoft,nourishingtissuethatcarriesababyuntilitisborn.

VaginaAflexiblepassagewayleadingfromtheuterustotheoutsideofthebodythroughwhichmenstrualfluidflows.

Vaginal dischargeAclearorwhitishfluidthatcomesfromyourvagina.It’sthewaythevaginacleansesitselfandhelpspreventinfection.

Glossary33®

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