Reproductive anatomy and basics of function
Menstruation and menstrual care
Sexual feelings and masturbation
Wet dreams, erections, and bodily responses
Emotional and social changes
Consent and respectful relationships
Basic contraception and STI prevention (overview)
Safety, confidentiality, and where to get help
What is happening inside? Your testicles are producing the male hormone testosterone.
The Main Changes:
“I want you to know that puberty is a time when your body changes to be able to create a baby if you choose to someday. Your feelings will also change. You might have crushes. That’s okay. I’m here for any question – about bodies, sex, feelings, or even stuff you see online. There’s nothing off-limits.” Reproductive anatomy and basics of function
Key difference: 2025 invites ongoing dialogue; 1991 was a one-time lecture.
The year 1991 was a pivotal time. The internet was not yet public. AIDS was a terrifying, still-mysterious epidemic. Sex education in schools ranged from comprehensive to abstinence-only, depending on the country or even the local school board. Parents often felt ill-equipped to talk about puberty, relying on a single, awkward “birds and bees” conversation or a booklet like “What’s Happening to Me?”
For today’s parents, educators, and curious adults, understanding what boys and girls learned in 1991—and how that knowledge has been updated—provides a roadmap for better communication with the next generation. This article merges the best of 1991’s straightforward anatomy lessons with the psychological and digital-age updates needed in the 2020s.
Puberty does not happen on a schedule. Some kids grow hair at 10; others at 14. Some girls get their period at 11; others at 15. Boys’ voices may change early or late. There is no prize for starting first, and no shame in starting last.
If you are 14 and nothing has happened yet, don’t panic. If you are 16 and nothing has happened, then it’s smart to see a doctor – but often it’s still just “late bloomer” genetics. Menstruation and menstrual care
One last thing: Do not believe everything older kids tell you. They may laugh at you for asking a question. Asking is brave. Not knowing is fine. Staying ignorant is the only real mistake.
You are becoming the person you will be as an adult. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to others, because they are going through their own strange changes too.
— Adapted from multiple 1991 school health curricula and the book “What’s Happening to Me?” (Usborne, 1986/1991 edition)
If you would like, I can also provide a one-page “quick facts” summary for parents or teachers to use alongside this piece. Just let me know.
