You're listening to Well Now,

You're listening to Well Now,

Slate's podcast on Health and Wellness.

I'm Maya Fellick.

And I'm Kavita Patel.

Puberty is changing, and we don't mean developing Adam's apples and growing hair in new places.

For many youth it's beginning earlier and lasting longer.

This stage of life is challenging for both children and their parents and it's becoming even more complex as we see children entering this phase earlier than ever before.

That's right, Kavita, and when we talk about puberty, it's important to remember that it's a natural and

necessary part of growing up. It's the process that transitions a child's body into an

adult body capable of reproduction.

For many girls, one of the first signs of puberty include growing breasts,

while for boys it's growing testicles.

Currently, puberty is said to start between the ages of 8 to 13 for girls and 9 to 14 for boys.

Not only is this a wide range, it's considerably younger than in decades prior.

It's important to understand what's driving this change and what it means for our kids' health.

But first things first, Kavita, let's talk about our experiences. Okay so I kind of want you to

hold on to your seat kavita because you know that I grew up in this house that was led by

two women so a lesbian home And there was a lot of conversation about puberty because it was a women's home.

So when I got my first period, there was a party and there was a cake and there was a new outfit and every woman in my mother's circles sat around and talked about their puberty experiences.

I mean, it was probably the healthiest way that I experienced it

and I felt fairly good about my changing body because of the home that my mother's created.

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