The Truth/Script

[At school, Mrs. Bergman arrives into the classmate...]

Mrs. Bergman: Alright, class. Today we'll be talking about puberty and you need to learn the truth about growing up. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong emotions that you've never experienced before. You may feel anxious about how your changing body looks. You might feel overly sensitive or become easily upset. Some teens lose their tempers more than usual and get angry at their friends or families.

Mimsy: What about body changes?

Mrs. Bergman: Well Mimsy, everyone has their own experience of puberty. It's a good idea to get the facts so you know what to expect. One of the first things you might notice during puberty is that your body shape starts to change. Girls will start to develop breasts and your hips will grow rounder. It’s normal to put on some weight and to grow a bit taller during puberty Boys will go through a growth spurt and become taller during puberty as well as becoming more muscular. You might have food cravings as your body adapts to all the changes. Girls often put on a little weight and feel uncomfortable and bloated few days before your period.

Carol: What about masturbating?

Mrs. Bergman: Both girls and boys masturbate and it's completely natural. Masturbation is when you touch your body and your genitals because it feels good or pleasurable. You can make yourself orgasm or 'come' by doing this. It's a way of discovering your body, how it makes you feel and what kind of things make you feel good during sex. It's a normal part of life. It’s ok to masturbate in private if you want to and it’s not something to be ashamed of.

Mimsy: So masturbating is a normal thing?

Mrs. Bergman: Some people masturbate a lot and some people hardly do it at all. Everyone's different. It's normal to have urges or want to masturbate often when you're going through puberty. But there are some things to think about. It's important to make sure this doesn't lead to anything that makes someone else feel uncomfortable. For example, masturbating in public when other people are around is not acceptable. Think about if you feel uncomfortable with how often you do it. Do you find it hard to concentrate at school or while doing homework because you want to masturbate? Are you less interested in your hobbies? If this is the case, you could try masturbating slightly less each week until you are only doing it as much as you feel comfortable with.