FAMILY LIFE WEEK 2
Anne began by answering some of our questions from the last lesson.
Are wet dreams just like periods?
No, male and female bodies work differently.
What is ovulation?
When the egg is released from the ovaries into the fallopian tubes.
What age is it most likely to go through puberty?
Puberty normally begins between the ages 8-16
How does transgender work?
Babies are usually born with all the body parts that make them either a girl or a boy. A
person is born with one gender’s body parts, but in this case, in their mind they do not feel
like that gender at all. Some people make the decision to live their life as the other gender.
Hormones can be taken to change their body. Some people have surgery, but not everyone.
Everyone’s journey is different and personal. It can be a big deal for the person and their
family. We talked about a few famous transgender people.
How can somebody get rid of pimples?
Pimples tend to be genetic. If your parents had pimples, you are likely to have them too.
Pimples will heal up and go away on their own. People going through puberty are likely to get
them because our oil glands produce more oil due to hormones. The pores block up and a
pussy pimple appears. By squeezing them, we can make them dirty. Washing with warm
water or mild soap will help to get rid of some of the oil. We discussed blackheads, blind
pimples and white heads.
White head
Blackhead
Blind pimple
SPERM PRODUCTION
Sperm is the smallest cell in the body. You need a very powerful microscope to see it.
Sperm look a little like a tadpole under a microscope, but they are not tadpoles – they are
human cells. Sperm are produced in the tubules which are inside the testicles. A boy has up
to 1 kilometre of tubules. Sperm comes out of the body through the penis. There are up to
72 million sperm produced per day. Only one sperm is needed to make a baby. Once sperm
production starts at puberty, the body continues to produce sperm for the rest of his life.
A wet dream is a way of the body getting rid of the old sperm. A boy can have an erection
(his penis is firm and standing out from his body) while he is asleep. A small amount of liquid
comes out of his penis. This liquid is called semen. It is usually a couple of teaspoons. There
is no ‘right amount’ of times that this may happen. Some boys never have a wet dream and
some have quite a few during puberty. Sperm can only come out with an erection. There is a
valve that changes between letting the urine through the penis or sperm. Boys get erections
for lots of reasons. Even babies can get erections.
PERIODS
A girl is born with eggs already in her ovaries, between 200,000 and 400,000 of them. The
ovaries are part of the reproductive system. Ovaries are not connected to the digestive
system. An egg is the biggest human cell. If the egg is not needed for a baby to grow, it
dissolves. At the same time, a lining of blood and extra nutrients is building up in the uterus.
This is needed if a baby does grow. A period is the body’s way of getting rid of the egg and
lining if it is not needed for a baby. A period lasts about 7 days. Females need to use a pad
or a tampon to soak up the liquid. They should be changed about every 4 hours. At school we
have special bins to put used pads or tampons. They should never be flushed down the toilet.
Pads are more common for young girls to use. They are for the outside of the body.
Tampons can be used for swimming because they are used inside the body. It is every
person’s choice of which they use.
Tomorrow we will talk about the usual way that a baby is made through sexual intercourse
and how a baby grows.