Adolescent development

===Lecture Details===
Glenn Melvin; Week 4 MED1022; HLSD
===Lecture Content===
Puberty consists of dramatic height and weight changes with body fat distribution along with changes in reproductive organs that mark sexual maturity as well as secondary sexual characteristic changes. Girls may gain as much as 9kg a year and boys 11.4kg. Girls start about 2 years prior to boys. Girls start around 11 until 15; boys 13-17.
Secondary sexual characteristics are signs not directly linked to reproduction. First menstrual cycles are anovulatory and irregular. Spermarche starts with few sperm. Psychosocial stress is associated with early menarche as well as higher BMI.
Puberty is more likely to have a negative body image impact on women, boys are pleased. Women share menarche with mothers/friends; boys do not talk about spermarche. Early maturing women have negative feelings, early boys have positive feelings. Increased hormone levels have greater irritability and impulsivity, not moodiness. Moodiness is more associated with recreational activities.
Teenagers need higher caloric intake, women about 2200, boys 2700. Diet is linked to cancer, diabetes. Overweight and obesity linked to low SES, minority groups, rural and remote populations. Sports increase self esteem and initiative, learn about cooperation and teamwork. Vehicle accidents, other accidents, suicide are leading teen causes of death. Accidental deaths usually due to decisions to engage in high risk behaviours. Adults and adolescents reason risks the same but greater weight of importance is given differently.
Physical strength peaks in late 20s/early 30s. Hearing declines in late 20s. Binge drinking is 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more for women. Boys have more positive feelings about first dating experience, more likely to describe it as casual, girls have more feelings of love and have guilt and fear about experience. Sex in young people has increased in the last 10 years, as has condom use.
Sexual coersion is associated with judgement/assertiveness impaired by alcohol, submissive beliefs about female role, couple has had sex before. Those that coerce usually have been abused or witnessed domestic violence, believe that violence is a part of normal relationships.
Identity vs role confusion is a stage here- may engage in delinquency, rebellion, experiment with possible selves, integrate roles; intimacy vs isolation has forming of intimate relationships, settling down; generativity vs stagnation is career and family, contributing to the next generation. Integrity vs despair has reflection on life achievements and moving on without regret, contentment and fulfilment.
===Readings===