This is
probably the most frequently asked question I get from readers,
okay male readers:
Q.
How big should my penis be for my age?
A.
The size of your penis is simply determined by genetic traits,
which you inherited from your parents, so ask your father
or an older brother about how he developed if you are very
concerned. There is not much you can do to increase or decrease
the size of your penis, it will develop into its adult size
as you change from a boy to a man through the process known
as puberty.
Most
boys start the changes of puberty between 10 and 14 years
of age, though a few will start earlier or later than these
ages. First, the testicles begin to enlarge and then hair
starts to grow around them. The penis then starts to enlarge,
first in length and then later in thickness. Though there
is much normal variation, the final penis size is reached
four to six years after the testicles first started to enlarge.
There
is a chart showing age, race and average penis sizes on this
page called: Penis Size, hey,
you guys asked for the information.
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(Yes,
this was on another page, but it kind of goes with the first
question on this page, so I put it here too.)
Q.
The skin on my scrotum (balls) is getting darker. Is this
normal?
A.
It IS normal
for skin over the scrotum to get darker as you change from
a boy to an adult (puberty).
Darkening of the skin over the scrotum is actually one of
the first steps of puberty. It usually occurs at the same
time the skin over the testicles changes from a smooth appearance
to a more rough appearance (called stippling).
Also
at this time, the testicles will begin to enlarge. These changes
are all the first visible signs that puberty has begun. The
darkening of the scrotal skin is perfectly normal and will
be followed over the next few years by even more dramatic
changes: adult pubic hair, growth of the penis, hair in the
armpits, larger and stronger muscles, facial hair, and growth
to an adult size. These changes are all determined by factors
called genetic traits -- these traits come from your parents
and determine how fast these changes will occur and what the
final results will look like.
Good question, I get that one a lot also.
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Q.
How do I insert a tampon? The instructions that came with
them don't help me much, am I stupid?
A.
You are not stupid. The information
included in the box by tampon manufacturers is usually too
vague to be of much use to young teens wanting to know how
to insert a tampon. If a young teen has trouble inserting
a tampon, she usually has no where to turn for guidance, (so
she often writes to me). Tampon manufacturers seem to be more
concerned with not offending people (who will never use their
product anyway) than with educating people who need the information.
They appear to feel we are too embarrassed by the subject
of menstruation to need or want to know all the facts concerning
tampons. That has been my observation about this subject.
Now to answer your 'insertion question'.
The
vagina is a 'potential' space. The walls of the vagina are
normally in contact with each other -- they are touching in
other words, unless something is inserted between them, contrary
to what most anatomy illustrations would appear to indicate,
showing it as an 'open' canal. See illustration on page
15 of the FAQs. The opening into the vagina is called
an orifice, as are other openings in your body. The vaginal
opening is normally closed. It is important to realize that
the vagina isn't a hole or cavity inside the body. When something
enters the vagina, the body must make room for it, no matter
how small it may be. Hence, the TAMPON!
The vaginal
and pelvic muscles of the first time tampon user are likely
to be inelastic and weak from lack of use as she is often
a virgin. This means the vagina will resist the insertion
of anything, including a tampon. You may feel the muscles
tighten as you try to insert a tampon for the first time.
Why? Here's why...
When
we are nervous our muscles contract as a defense mechanism,
to protect our internal organs from injury. When a girl is
nervous about inserting a tampon, her vaginal muscles may
constrict making insertion of a tampon painful or impossible.
The vaginal and pelvic muscles can play an important role
in the insertion of a tampon, or the inability to insert one.
The vaginal and pelvic muscles of the first time tampon user
are most likely to be inelastic and weak from lack of use
as she is often a virgin. Muscles that go unused for any length
of time loose their elasticity and strength. (More on Kegel
exercises soon).This is usually why the vagina will resist
the insertion of anything, including a tampon, especially
without any lubrication.
If
you have difficulty inserting even the slim tampons, you may
find using a small amount of lubricating jelly, KY Jelly (not
petroleum jelly) on and around the tip of the tampon and the
tube will help with insertion. When the tampon has been inserted
correctly, you should not feel any discomfort. IF you don't
have any KY Jelly on hand, use some water, that does work,
and it's better than dry.
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Q.
I
can feel the tampon inside of me, is something wrong?
A.
Yes,
when the tampon has been inserted correctly, you should not
feel it or any discomfort. If you are able to feel the tampon,
it probably has not been inserted far enough into the vagina
and from time to time it happens to all women. Remove that
tampon and insert another one if your menstrual flow is heavy
enough.
Maybe your menstrual flow was not heavy enough and that is
why the tampon would not go inside all the way. Use a panty
liner and wait until there is more flow which will help with
insertion also.
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Q.
What are feminine deodorants
and should I use one?
A.
Women
should NEVER use deodorant feminine hygiene products. IMHO.
The camouflaging scents are created with chemicals, which
should NOT be used on or near your vagina.. Some woman are
very sensitive to small amounts of some chemicals.
If
you are experiencing a problem with odor during your period,
this can mean you're not changing the napkin or tampon as
often as you should, OR you may have some kind of infection,
not related to your period.
Odor
is usually caused by bacteria. If you have any strong vaginal
odor, see a gynecologist or go to a women's health clinic
or even a planned parenthood health clinic.
The vagina
is always home to several different bacteria strains. There
are always both beneficial and harmful bacteria are present
in the vagina. The idea is to be able to keep them in a normal
balance and your body knows how to do this if you don't interfere
too much. The good bacteria normally keep the bad bacteria
in check, when they don't, infection can occur. A yeast
infection is an irritating but less severe example of
what happens when the bad bacteria don't keep the normally
found yeast in your vagina in balance. If you want to read
about Toxic Shock Syndrome,
go there, but remember it is not a very common infection anymore,
the tampons that caused this were taken off the market years
ago. I am old enough to remember them, they were called “Rely”
and were made of a foam-substance.
Women
should not assume that since a feminine hygiene product is
available to them at their local store that it is safe and
okay to use. Products like scented douches and scented tampons
and pads are totally unnecessary and can actually irritate
the heck out of you!
The
vagina is self cleaning, that is what 'normal discharge'
is doing. Anything that interferes with the process by killing
off beneficial bacteria or changes the vaginal environment
(the pH) in any way, increases the chances a woman will develop
a vaginal infection. Those douches and sprays were probably
invented by men to increase sales to companies that made other
products for women. You do NOT need any.
