Girlology A Girl's Guide to Stuff That Matters Relationships, body talk & girl power!

Why Me? Why Now? Spin, spin, spin. If you are a preteen or teen girl, we bet that's what your head is doing right now! You are probably whirling in a sea of mysterious body changes, relationship blowups and confusing information. At school and with friends, you hear chatter about periods, gossip about boyfriends andwhispers about sex. And you are probably bursting with questions. What is all this hair in weird places? Exactly how does sex happen, and why would anyone want to do that? Do I use the nasty words I see on the bathroom wall to talk about sex? What's this stuff in my underwear? What's up with myfriends? Why do we fight and then make up all the time now? How doyou tell the difference between a "boyfriend" and a friend who's a boy? How about love and lust? And why don't my parents get it anymore? Guess what? There's nothing wrong with having questions or wanting to know more-especially when it comes to your body, sex and relationships. All those crazy and confusing questions . . . they're normal!And you probably are, too! (Do we hear a big sigh of relief?) Girlhood Is a Gift! You're a girl. And you are made in an amazing and wonderful way. Because you are a girl, some things are going to happen to you: breasts, hips, pimples, periods, crushes on guys, fights with girlfriends, parents who don't get it. You have no choice; they will happen! You are turning into a young woman, and your body and your brain are making these changes because you are developing sexually. So doesn't it make sensethat this is the time in your life to learn about these things? Some things are guaranteed to happen. But there are other girl things you can make choices about-how you take care of your "new" body, how you use your newfound sex appeal, when you will kiss a guy or how you talk about sex to your parents. Even though there are a lot of things happening to you that are out of your control, it's good to know thatthere are a lot of other things that you can control. Girlology is going to help you open up your girlhood like a gift. We'll rip off the wrapping paper, explore the mysteries inside, learn facts about"all things girl" and help you gain the confidence you need to decidewhat kind of girl you want to be. So, What Is Girlology? Before we dive in, let's first tell you what Girlology is not: bull; Girlology is not a sex talk like you get at school. bull; It's not a science lesson. bull; It's not like a lecture from your parents. All those things can be good, but they are not Girlology. Girlology is different. Girlology was written by two female doctors who also happen to be mothers of daughters; one of us is a pediatrician (a doctor for children and teenagers up to about 18 years old) and the other is an obstetrician/ gynecologist (fancy words for a doctor who specializes in delivering babies and taking care of girls' and women's body parts that are involved in making babies). Both of us take care of lots of teens who are developing sexually. That means every day we talk to girls thinking about sex . . . avoiding sex . . . having sex . . . confused about sex . . . scared to death about consequencesof sex. . . . You name it, we've seen it and talked about it. We think girls are smart, unique, brave and strong, and we want you to have information that will let all that good stuff shine through! As doctors, we see girls every day who have the same questions you do. And we see lots of girls and even women who have gotten some really wrong answers! No, your period will not stop when you go swimming. Yes, you can get pregnant the first time you have sex. No, you are not gay if you look at a naked girl in the locker room. Girlology is about givingyou the straight, true facts about your body. We also treat paHolmes, Melisa is the author of 'Girlology A Girl's Guide to Stuff That Matters Relationships, body talk & girl power!', published 2005 under ISBN 9780757302954 and ISBN 0757302955.