Why Me? Why Now?

Girlology : A Girl's Guide to Stuff that Matters
by Trish Hutchison, M.D., Melisa Holmes, M.D.

The ultimate straight-talk book for teen girls (ages 11 & up).

According to Girlology, knowledge is power-or more specifically-Girl Power! Whether you believe it or not, there's a lot more to know about the body and the opposite sex. This book will give you confidence and girl power to build you goals, beliefs and future.

In this book you will find straight-talk about:

• Friendships
• Parents
• Sex
• Sexuality
• Teen relationships
• Media influences
• Values
• Decision making

And it does it without being preachy, dull and scientific. Think about it, couldn't you use a little Girl Power to deal with everything in your life?!

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 and whispers 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 my friends? 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 sense that 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 that there 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 decide what kind of girl you want to be.

So, What Is Girlology?

Before we dive in, let's first tell you what Girlology is not:

• Girlology is not a sex talk like you get at school.
• It's not a science lesson.
• 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 consequences of 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 giving you the straight, true facts about your body.

We also treat patients who have made healthy decisions about sex and relationships and others who aren't so happy with the decisions they've made. We want you to be happy with the decisions you make! Girlology is about helping you figure out what's important to you so that you can make decisions you will be pleased with for a long, long, long time.

Girlology is about helping you figure out a lot of things that matter- your body, your relationships and sex. It may sound scary but it's not. Girlology is about periods and body parts "down there." It will help you decide how you feel about sex and sexual things. It will help you understand guys and learn how to speak up for yourself. It will help you talk to parents and other adults and gain their trust. Girlology will also teach you how to understand your friends' and family's values and decide what is important to you. All in all, it's about gaining the confidence you need to develop a special type of "Girl Power!"

© Copyright 2005 Health Communications, Inc.

About the Author

Dr. Hutchison is a South Carolina girl. She grew up in Rock Hill, graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston and earned her M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina. After completing her Pediatrics internship and residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Trish came back to Charleston, where she was in private practice for ten years. She currently practices in the Adolescent Medicine Department at MUSC where she directs Girls2Women, a young women's health center. She, too, has been named among the Best Doctors in America.

During her twelve years of clinical practice, Dr. Holmes was director of the MUSC Teen Clinic and founder and director of the Sexual Assault Follow-up Evaluation (SAFE) clinic. As a nationally recognized advocate for adolescent health, she has served on the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Committee on Adolescent Health Care, and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. She has written numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers in the medical literature, as well as textbook chapters on a variety of subjects related to adolescent gynecology and care of the sexual assault victim. In the medical community, she is a nationally recognized speaker on topics of adolescent gynecology, teen sexuality, interpersonal violence, and other issues in women's health.