Adolescence and Reproductive Systems

Study Notes

Adolescence is a period that begins with puberty and ends with the transition to adulthood (approximately ages 10-20).
Puberty is triggered by hormones and includes physical and cognitive changes.
Physical changes include growth spurts, development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics, and changes to internal reproductive organs.
Cognitive changes include improvements in complex and abstract thought, and increased propensity for risky behavior due to delayed cognitive control.

African American girls tend to enter puberty earliest, followed by Hispanic, European-American, and Asian-American girls.
The Tanner staging scale is used to track and document the development of secondary sex characteristics during puberty.
Males produce sperm on a continuous cycle, whereas females have an ovulation cycle.

The main male sex organs are the penis and testicles, which produce semen and sperm.
Male anatomy includes secondary sex characteristics.

The female external genitalia is collectively known as the vulva, consisting of the mons veneris, labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, vaginal opening, and urethral opening.
Female internal reproductive organs consist of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
The uterus hosts the developing fetus, produces vaginal and uterine secretions, and passes the male's sperm through to the fallopian tubes.
The ovaries release eggs, and the vagina is attached to the uterus through the cervix.

Conducting a focused reproductive system health history is essential.
Ethical-legal aspects of the reproductive system assessment include physical, emotional, and psychological safety, privacy, HIPAA, laws governing new procedures to assist with conceiving, ethical and moral conflicts, and laws concerning parental consent for birth control and abortion.
Nurses need to be aware of laws concerning the physical and sexual abuse of minors.