I was a teen once, so I know how confusing, irritating, scary and even exciting body changes can be. One thing that I also know about being young and going through puberty, is that it’s so hard to talk about – whether with your friend, a parent, caregiver or teacher.

These days you might just go straight to the Internet and search certain things just to check if you’re normal. Well, I may not be Google, but I can tell you chomas that what you’re going through is perfectly natural.

This is exactly why, instead of feeling shame, you should be feeling excited. You’re growing! To help you out, here are some really interesting facts about your growing body:  

1) The vagina is not actually the “vagina”

Don’t worry, many people get this one wrong because calling it a ‘vagina’ has become so common. The vagina is actually the tube or passageway. It is the passageway (or you might say ‘hole’) that the penis is inserted into, that your menstrual flow passes through and that a baby passes through out of a woman’s body.  The right word for the part of your body that includes the labia (you might know it as the ‘vagina lips’), the clitoris (the small sensitive organ in the middle) and the vagina (the passageway/hole) is actually called the ‘vulva’. (vul-vuh)

Interesting hey?  

2) Your breasts are not equal

Different-sized breasts are actually common. Most of the time it’s the left breast that’s bigger than the right. When you’re still developing, the difference in breast size is even more noticeable. But don’t worry about it too much, they tend to ‘even’ out as you get older, but they will still be slightly different in size once you’re fully grown.

So no two breasts are exactly alike, not even on your own body. Isn’t it interesting to know that breasts are SO unique?  

3) Your body parts will probably grow in different stages

You might feel awkward about your body when you’re growing. This could be because it seems like everything is growing out of place. Well, sometimes your arms, legs, hands and feet develop faster than the rest of your body. So don’t worry too much if you’re feeling a bit clumsy and weird while growing, it will pass.

4) It’s actually quite acidic down there

Your vagina is just as acidic as a tomato or as beer. Don’t get nervous about this fact chomas, this is a good thing.  The reason why your vagina contains acid is so that certain healthy microorganisms (very very tiny things such as bacteria, which you can’t see with the naked eye) fight off bad bacteria and allow good bacteria to enter to keep us from getting all types of infections. So the vagina basically does it’s best to take care of itself. This is why soap, powder and feminine hygiene products are so bad for your vagina. Water and a wash cloth is enough when you’re cleaning down there.

Did you know that semen (sperm) is also not good for your vagina? That’s because semen is less acidic than the vagina so it can throw the healthiness of your vagina out of balance and can lead to infections such as bacterial vaginosis or a yeast infection. This is why women are often told to pee after sex because this will decrease the risk of these infections.

More importantly, use a condom to prevent these infections AND other STIs.

There are so many other interesting facts about your body chomas that will make you realise how wonderful your body is. So no matter what, embrace it and love it!