Table Of ContentIt’s
Per fectly
Nor ma l
Changing Bodies, Growing Up,
Sex, and Sexual Health
Robie H. HaRRis
illustrated by
MicHael eMbeRley
A Note to the Reader
Celebrating the Twentieth-Anniversary Edition
of It’s Perfectly Normal
Ever since It’s Perfectly Normal was first While writing and illustrating this book, we
published twenty years ago, we have never checked and rechecked the scientific information
stopped talking with kids, teens, and adults and the latest research. What we learned from
about the information and issues in this book. scientists and health professionals is that
This has given us the opportunity and privilege knowledge about this subject is continually
to learn even more about what you — kids and evolving and changing. While there is much
teens — need to know to stay healthy. agreement, there is also some disagreement, and
Over the years, we have also continued to ask some questions still remain. At this time, the
experts, including parents, teachers, librarians, information in this book is as up-to-date and as
doctors, nurses, psychologists, psychoanalysts, accurate as possible. But if you have more ques-
scientists, and clergy, what information about tions or need further information, most always it
puberty, sex, and sexual health needs to be can be very helpful to talk with someone you
changed, updated, or added to keep you healthy. know and trust — a parent, doctor, nurse, teacher,
Whenever changes in the text and the art are school counselor, therapist, or clergy member.
necessary to make this book as up-to-date and Today, even more kids have a chance to read
accurate as possible, we make them. It’s Perfectly Normal, as it has been translated into
For this twentieth-anniversary edition, we have more than thirty-five languages and continues
updated the scientific and medical information to be used around the world — from the United
about reproduction, birth control, abortion, States to the United Kingdom to Denmark to the
sexual abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases, Netherlands, from Germany to Italy to Spain to
including HIV/AIDS. And we have included Poland, from Japan to Taiwan to Mongolia to
information about gender identity. South Africa.
Since so many of you use cell phones, tablets, We hope that our newest edition will help
and computers to go online to find information to keep you — our next generation of kids and
and to communicate with others, we have also teens — healthy and safe. We also hope it will
added more information about the benefits help you and your friends make informed and
and risks of being online. We believe this will responsible decisions about sexual health as you
help you use the Internet to find accurate and continue to grow up and go through puberty
responsible information about sexual health and and adolescence.
will also help you protect your own as well as
your friends’ and your family’s personal safety. Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley
Contents
IntroductIon Part two
Lots of Questions Our Bodies
1 12
Changing Bodies, Growing Up, 6 The Human Body
Sex, and Sexual Health All Kinds of Bodies
16
7 Outside and Inside
The Female Sex Organs
19
8 Outside and Inside
The Male Sex Organs
22
9 Words
Part one
Talking about Bodies and Sex
What Is Sex?
Part three
2
1 Girl or Boy, Female or Male
Puberty
Sex and Gender
3
2 Making Babies
24
Sexual Reproduction 10 Changes and Messages
Puberty and Hormones
4
3 Strong Feelings
27
Sexual Desire 11 The Travels of the Egg
Female Puberty
6
4 Making Love
32
Sexual Intercourse 12 The Travels of the Sperm
Male Puberty
8
5 Who You Are
36
Straight, Lesbian, Gay, 13 Not All at Once!
Bisexual, Transgender Growing and Changing Bodies
Part fIve
38
14 More Changes!
Decisions
Taking Care of Your Body
40
15 Back and Forth,
65
23 Planning Ahead
Up and Down
Postponement, Abstinence,
New and Changing Feelings
and Birth Control
43
16 Perfectly Normal
71
Masturbation 24 Laws and Rulings
Abortion
Part sIx
Staying Healthy
Part four
Families and Babies
74
25 H elpful — Fun — Creepy —
Dangerous
Texting, Messaging, E-mailing,
45
17 All Sorts of Families
Being Online
Taking Care of Babies and Kids
80
26 Talk About It
48
18 Instructions from Sexual Abuse
Mom and Dad
83
27 Getting a Checkup
The Cell: Genes and Chromosomes
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
50
19 A Kind of Sharing
86
Cuddling, Kissing, Touching, 28 Scientists Working
and Sexual Intercourse Day and Night
HIV and AIDS
54
20 Before Birth
90
Pregnancy 29 Staying Healthy
Responsible Choices
58
21 What a Trip!
Birth
62
22 Other Arrivals
More Ways to Have a
Baby and Family
The
Bird
and
the Bee
Hey! Do you want to No. Not now. I’m I’m reading
know what I’m reading? in the middle of about science You are!
reading about too, you know. Well, that’s
astronomy. a first!
This book will be a first Ohhh . . . my sex. You have I certainly do!
for you. Take a look. I goodness. This a problem with I’ll stick to the
guarantee you will like it. is a book on . . . that? stars, thank
you.
Have you lost your If that’s true, then take
You’re a chicken. mind? I’m a bee. a look at this book.
And bees are
extremely
brave.
Well, okay, but
just a quick look.
IntroductIon
Lots of Questions
Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
Sometime between the ages growing bodies. Most of the Whew! I was I was feeling
feeling weird. perfectly
of eight or nine and fifteen changes — but not all — that normal.
or so, kids’ bodies begin to take place during this time make
change and grow into adult it possible for humans to make
bodies. a baby and give birth to a baby.
And making a baby has a lot to
do with sex.
Gr-r-reat! Gr-r-ross!
You may wonder why it’s a
Well, I do know It’s about
that this stuff is the facts good idea to learn some facts
not just about the of life. about bodies, about growing
birds and the bees.
up, about sex, and about sexual
health. It’s important because
these facts can help you stay
Most kids wonder about and healthy, take good care of
have lots of questions about yourself, and make good deci-
what will be happening to them sions about yourself as you are
as their bodies change and grow growing up and for the rest of
during this time. your life.
Sex is about a lot of things — Besides, learning about these
Me.
Not me. bodies, growing up, families, things can be fascinating and fun.
babies, love, caring, curiosity,
feelings, respect, responsibility,
Doesn’t sound Maybe
biology, and health. There are like that much you are
fun to me. weird.
times when sickness and danger
can be a part of sex, too.
Most kids wonder about and
It’s perfectly normal for kids have lots of questions about
to be curious about and want to sex. It’s also perfectly normal to
know about their changing and want to know about sex.
1
Lots of Questions
Part one
What Is Sex?
1
Girl or Boy, Female or Male
Sex and Gender
What is sex? What is it . . .
exactly? What is it all
about?
These are questions lots of
kids wonder about. You needn’t
feel embarrassed or stupid if
you don’t know the answers,
because sex is not a simple
matter.
Sex is many things, and
people have many differ ent
feelings and opinions about it. One way to find out about People always want to know
That’s why there is more than sex is to ask some one you the sex of a new baby. So it’s
one answer to the question, know and trust. Remember, no surprise that — even if the
What is sex? there are no stupid questions. parent or parents knew the sex
Another way to find out about of the baby before birth —
sex is to read about it. For the moment a baby is born,
Sex is not just
any old hugging Well, it’s example, you can look up the someone always seems to shout
and kissing. not just
And it’s not just making meaning of the word sex in the out, “It’s a giRl!” or “It’s a boy!”
about love. I babies, dictionary.
know that much. either. Here is what one dictionary Sex is in the Yep, sex is
a word, and
says under the word sex: dictionary! words are in
dictionaries.
1: Either of the two main groups,
female or male,
into which living things
are placed.
2
It’s Perfectly normal
And usually one of the first is female or male, a girl or a
questions kids ask when they boy, a woman or a man. That’s not That’s
all sex is! for sure.
hear that a new kid is joining Gender is another word for
their class is, “Is it a girl or a boy?” whether a person is male or
When people use the word female. Gender is also about the
sex in this way, they are usu- thoughts and feelings a person
ally talking about what gender has about being a female or
someone is — whether a person about being a male.
2
Making Babies
Sexual Reproduction
The dictionary tells us more Our bodies’ organs are the
about sex. It says, parts of our bodies that have
special jobs to perform. For
2: Sexual reproduction.
example, the heart is the organ Same
Sex is also about repro- whose special job is to pump Same
duction — making babies. To blood. Scientists know that Same
reproduce means to “produce most organs inside our bodies, Different
again,” or “make again.” such as our hearts, our lungs,
You’re and our stomachs, are the same
I’m lost. clueless! whether we are male or female.
One group of organs that is not
the same for a female and a
male is the reproductive organs.
People also call the reproduc- sex organs. Some are located
tive organs the sexual organs or between our legs and are on the
Certain parts of our bodies the sex organs. The female and outside of our bodies. Some are
make it possible for a male and male sex organs are designed tucked inside our bodies. The
a female, when their bodies to work in an amazingly inter- sex organs on the outside of a
have grown up, to reproduce — esting way. They are different person’s body are often called
to make babies. The parts of from each other because they the genitals, and the sex organs
our bodies that make this pos- have different jobs to do. on the inside of a person’s body
sible are called the reproductive Both males and females are called the reproductive
organs. have outer sex organs and inner organs.
3
what Is sex?
Does the
dictionary say
anything else I think we’ve
If you are female, your When the word sex is about sex? heard quite
enough.
vagina and ovaries are two used in this way, people are
of your sex organs. If you talking either about the female
are male, your penis and and male sex organs or about
testicles are two of your sex making a new human being —
organs. making a baby.
3
Strong Feelings
Sexual Desire
The dictionary tells us even
more about sex. It says,
3: Sexual desire.
Sex is also about the desire
to be physically close to someone,
as close as you can be.
Do you ever really want or
crave something? That’s desire,
like when you really want
someone to be your best friend You don’t know why you Sexual desire means you feel
or when you really want choco- want these things. You don’t attracted to someone in a very
late ice cream. even think about why you want strong way . . . like being pulled
them. You just want them. by a magnet. You want to be as
These are simply feelings of physically close to that person
wanting — of desire. as you can be.
I prefer I’m a chocolate
strawberry freak myself. Sexual desire is different Even though you may think
ice cream.
from these desires — different about that person a lot, sexual
from just wanting chocolate desire is mostly the way you
ice cream, or wanting someone feel in your body about that
to be your best friend, or even person. Your body may feel
wanting to snuggle up to your excited or warm or quivery or
mom or dad, a friend, a pet, or tingly. And sometimes these
a stuffed animal. feelings can be very strong.
4
It’s Perfectly normal
