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Enjoy Golf Holiday in Germany

Golf is a sport known as an expensive sport, to play golf because it takes several inexpensive things you do not like golf sticks and golf course rental fees. Even so, for people who love to play golf and have enough money, it does not matter. Germany is country that famous by golf lovers, because there are a nice golf court with a beautiful panorama.
Golf Pro is a Germany online site that offer golf holiday and also golf lesson. They offers beautiful golf court that will make you enjoy your holidays. You also will get golf lesson because they also provided some golf tips for their costumers.

There are also Golfversand ,an online Golf shop that will help you to get your golf equipments. They offer various golf equipment and also various brands, you can order what you wants in this site easily.

In addition there are golf club named Chiemsee Golfclubs.. This is a golf lovers club in Germany. On the website you can find news about golf, golf court, nearby vacation spot, and also information on events related to golf there. If you are a golf lover, Germany is the perfect place for your vacation.

Travelling post

I love travelling to different places. I want to explore and discover new things around the world. For now, I’m just exploring my country because we have lots of beautiful places to go to. Like our beaches, lake, volcanoes and wild life.

It’s been my dream to go to different places around the world. I’ve been dreaming to go to France, Italy and Japan. If you’re planning to go to Europe, UK hotel directory is what you need. You can choose from hotels, to bed and breakfast directory. If I have lots of money, travelling would be my passion. I also would also like to travel via cruise. I wanted to see the eiffel tower in France, visit the Rome in Italy and see the geisha and cherry blossom in Japan. Those were listed in my wish list. I’ve been thinking of lots of things lately that I would like to write in my wish list.

Printable Birthday Card"

What's the most important thing to receive aside from gifts when someone is celebrating birthday? Yes, a birthday greeting card. The soul of each and every gift given no matter how long or short it is. Just like the saying ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’.

But now a day, I think computers are mightier. No matter what is the medium that is used still the thought is the one that counts.

Just like this website that offers thousands of symbols, subject gifts, and different designs of greeting cards to choose from. You can send it through email or you can just print it like what I’m going to print for Maki, a printable birthday card, as gift for his playmate.

What Would a Free iPhone Do for Sales?

How much difference will dropping the price of an iPhone from $199 to $99 make in Apple’s sales?

If you are being rational, it shouldn’t make that much of a difference, given that the $30 per month data plan costs $720 over two years. In other words the $100 price cut only reflects an 11 percent reduction in the total cost.

But since when were people rational? A year ago, Apple dropped the upfront cost of an iPhone from $399 to $199, but AT&T increased the monthly data plan’s cost by $10 a month (leading to a net increase in cost of $40 over two years.) The result: sales in the United States doubled, according to an analysis by Gene Munster, the analyst at Piper Jaffray. (There’s more to the increase of sales of course. The second generation iPhone was much faster and the App Store has been creating lots of new reasons for people to buy an iPhone.)

Mr. Munster continues to believe that this year’s price cut will help drive iPhone sales even higher. Indeed, he predicts that Apple will sell more of last year’s 3G phones at $99 than it will this year’s 3GS models, which are faster and have video recording capability, at $199 and $299. (I know you, Bits readers are early adopters and would likely spend the extra $100 if you were in an iPhone-buying mood, but not everyone takes gadgets as seriously as you do.)
“Ninety-nine dollars is a magic price point,” he said. That’s on the low side for top-tier smartphones. AT&T is currently selling a refurbished Blackberry Curve at that price, and Verizon has the aging Palm Centro at $49.

Apple is also throwing a sharp elbow at Palm, Google and anyone else that might be tempted to compete with Apple by undercutting the iPhone’s price.

“It’s classic Apple,” Mr. Munster said. “They are doing the exact same thing in the phone market they did with the iPod, when Samsung and Sony and Microsoft were trying to get in there. They kept innovating and kept lowering their price, so the others couldn’t get in.”

Mr. Munster said that Apple’s component costs have probably fallen enough that it can cut nearly $100 off the wholesale price of the 8GB iPhone 3G, which it had been selling to AT&T for about $550, and keep its profits steady.

It doesn’t take much to imagine that the price well can fall by another $100 or so over the next year. That would represent less than a 25 percent decline in the wholesale cost after all. But then Apple could offer an iPhone at the most magical of all prices: Free. Mr. Munster says a free iPhone is likely within a year.

That’s free, of course, if you ignore that extra $30 a month, but it seems that many people do.

Nap Mats For Toddlers and Children

If you're looking for the perfect nap mat for your toddler to take along to sleepovers, to use at a daycare or simply to camp out, look no further! This adorable nap mat from Baby Boom, a division of the Betesh Group, is functional, practical, and good to look at too. The ultra light nap mat comes with an attached blanket and built-in pillow. The best part about the nap mat is that you can simply fold it up and put it away in a convenient carry backpack which your child can easily handle. Or, you can tote it around via the attached carry handles.
The nap mat comes in a variety of fun prints which will appeal to your toddler. Nap Mats are available at JC Penney. Here's the review of the nap mat from Baby Boom.

What have you got on Mother's Day?

Last Sunday after church, I dragged (he..he..sorry for the term...) my hubby to the nearby mall because of the on-going advertisement they have offering sale of 50-70% off to almost all of the items!

My hubby decided to buy something for me since it's Mother's day (though here in Thailand, it will be on August 12). He let me chose something affordable (he..he..pay day is yet to come...)and what I most needed at this time. I chose this shoulder bag since it's "back-to-school time" already and it's very useful for a working mom like me:



Anyway, my hubby isn't used to surprise me with gift items. He will always ask me first on what I want before buying it for me. His point is that he wants to give me the "BEST" that's why it's "ME" who have to choose. Well, he has his reasons but I already made a deal with him to practice making surprises for me once in a while...LOL! to bring back romantic memories.

So much for that, when we're making our way to the exit, a monogrammed towel wrap caught my attention! I love it's color and the fabric is extremely soft and pleasant to the touch. My hubby promised to buy it for me next Mother's day! He..he...I'll have to wait two more months. I have to post it here so I'll never forget to remind my dearie..he..he..





How about you? What have you got on Mother's day?

Dog clothes and Top Knot bows

My dog Mya is definitely not a fashionable dog. Forget the cute little dog dress, or the little dog coat. She refuses to wear them. My dog is anti dog clothing. She doesn’t like to wear any dog apparel at all.

She also doesn’t like wearing bows. No top knot for her. She will simply not keep her top knot in. She rubs it on the floor, until she has completely pulled the bow out.



I guess there won’t be any Sugar and Spice Dog Dress in my shih-tzu’s future.

Come to think about it,while the clothes are cute, do dogs really need clothes? Mya knows when she looks ridiculous.

Isn’t she adorable?


I'm innocent!

Golf in Germany

You want to play golf in Germany, you packing your clubs and shoes to take the journey with you. Please do not forget your license. Permit?

Play golf in Germany, the majority of golfers must have a permit known as Platzreife only accessible green. To obtain permission, you can pay 300 U.S. dollars, at least for a 5-day curriculum, involving several hours of training every day. You must pass a series of tests.


The Platzreife are in fact a legal requirement to play golf in Germany, filed more than 40 years ago. No other country in Europe needs such a permit, but the German Golf Association said that it was necessary to prevent non-skilled players of the Games were held in other people. Germany did not curriculum open to all public, such as in the United States, therefore, Platzreife are a kind of control who gets to play





The Platzreife requirements are stringent, consists of two parts - written and practical test. In practice tests, you at the golf course, you must prove their driving skills, and thereby cutting skills, then there is beneficial to add to play 18-hole golf course, the highest 108.

Written test to check your proficiency in the rules and etiquette on the golf course. . If you missed six of 30 questions, you have failed. Of course, the tests are in Germany.

Germany formulate these rules in order to enable deceleration hackers to play others. Some players, however, is a Platzreife consider the maintenance of elite golf. . It needs to use a considerable sum when you count the training fees, hotel fees and equipment.

. German courses will allow foreign tourists to play, but usually only when they are obstacles to be able to produce cards from their home club. German club already know to avoid foreign players, because they can not prove their skill level.

Germany found a person at a strict system for golf vacation to other countries, such as Italy, Austria and Switzerland are usually easier to pass the test at in Germany. . The end of training courses and golfers almost always get Platzreife, this approach hated Germany Golf Association.

Some German players are trying to delete the requirements in Germany Platzreife playing golf course, especially the golf course who want to increase the development of the sport in Germany. It is not clear whether they will succeed in overthrowing the laws.

In the meantime, please remember to bring proof of your obstacles, as well as your clubs and shoes, golf in Germany. . Or, maybe just at home insist combat

Personalized Sippy Cups For Your Baby

One of the joys of motherhood is choosing and buying things for our baby. Usually, we choose those that are of good quality, cute and adorable.I had a great time shopping for baby essentials when I had Gabby and Sunday. I would scan the baby section aisles, scrutinize each item, and even read the manufacturer’s notes. I wanted to give my kids the best baby items then!And being the proud mom that I was, I would always bring Gabby and Sunday along on family occasions like birthdays and christenings. It’s always a good feeling to show my babies to the world. But since there were also parents with babies there, we tend to mix our things with theirs especially if the baby bottle and cups that we both used look too ordinary and plain. I remember on one reunion we attended, I accidentally picked up a blue cup to give to my son! Good thing I noticed that it wasn’t my son’s before I feed him with it! Had I known that there are personalized sippy cups, I would have bought two for them so that every time we go out, I didn’t have to worry whose cup I use. Now that Gabby and Sunday are on their preschool and grade school ages, I still scan kids’ sections of department stores for quality items. Since they’re my kids, I believe they always deserve the best. :)

U.S. gay culture

gay "in English is the meaning of homosexuality, so regardless of gay or lesbian, they can say" I am gay! "non-gay people in English is called" straight ". In Asia, I almost do not feel or to homosexual groups, the existence of gay culture. If a boy is too feminine manners conversation, we at most say that he is "sissy" only, but will never be such a personal style rose to a high degree of sexual orientation. In the United States may be is another question entirely. Here, if a boy speaking in satay satay gas, like the same as the girls bounce to bounce to, or兰花指out at every turn, then, he do not need any explanation and excuse, 1 "He is gay" will be deducted immediately predominant around. dumplings have a friend TOM, everyone told me that he must be gay, but it does not recognize his own. Later, I asked those who feel that the TOM is gay friends in the United States, based on the reasons for what they will think that TOM is gay, they cited the following reasons: 1 TOM talk particularly high tone (high pitched). 2, he has never taken the initiative to introduce his girlfriend to everyone understanding of the mystery all day long. 3 winter when he is always wearing a scarf. (United States more than boys regardless of winter cold, it will adhere to resist the scarf, because they feel that the only girls and gay boys thought it would be wearing.) 4 he did not like bowling, because he felt it would hurt his hand. 5 He likes the film "Amelie" (translated into English ' ), it seems the boys in the United States, it is only girls and gay boys only like to watch movies. 6 His hobbies are painting (oil painting). 7, his uncle is gay, so his body gay gene. They also have a lot of strange reasons, anyway, is absurd . Recently, TOM has a new girlfriend, but also to introduce a lot of initiative. I thought that way, those who think that TOM is the gay friends who shut up the bar, but others like a woman, but a friend dumplings TOM feel they are gay because they think that TOM urgent need to cover up their sexual orientation, so hastily to find a girlfriend. now I am afraid I am the only one in a protest against an injustice TOM. Therefore, in the United States, as a boy, If you lack of masculinity, then, I am sorry, you are often baffling to wear a "you are gay" has been predominant. thing from tom, I gradually found that Americans love to others with labels, labels. If you are certain behavior is not understood by others, or with their heads fixed in the image you should be different, (for example, straight man should be how, gay man should be how) they would feel very uncomfortable, so they will give you a label, you should you fall into the group, and then tell them myself, Oh, I see. In this way, your behavior can be explained perfectly justifiable . Americans all kinds of people to define the criteria too much, of course, their control of these is called "stereotype" (model of the opinion, old-fashioned, the old frame). Although the Americans also know that to use these rules to individuals under the is defined to represent the whole picture, ignore individual differences, but in society, this phenomenon is still popular. In particular, the U.S. media, a lot of TV shows and movies are among the invisible homosexuality to be reinforced with the image. which There are several in the United States is fire program. One of them is "queer eye for the straight guy". This program has been broadcast in Hong Kong, Hong Kong-style translation for the "powder-hung reinforcement." each episode focuses on its five different expertise in how to gay guys in straight guys (non-gay) to the outside from the inside out there. Having said that, I have to talk about the Americans and the eyes of gay guys is how the image. Of course I am talking about is still the stereotype . may not be all gay guys are like. "gay guys" image of the public in general is: 1 on the fashion, the trend of a particular opinion, there is taste. 2 usually wear their attention particularly. the average U.S. male is the upper T-shirt, shoes jeans lower part of the body. and definitely not gay guys. Their clothes are always carefully match a particular style looks will not be looked sloppy slovenly . They will wear silk clothes, boys generally do not. 3 They like to go to the gym to do exercises, so very good shape. They do not mind wearing a tight T-shirt, because that can build their highlights. but there are many of them are very handsome, and so in the United States, some in praise of their favorite girls When the boys would say: "you are too cute to be straight" (You are too handsome, and can not not gay!) and some girl told me that the United States, they have fallen in love with gay guys than gay guys because they really long may be a太帅. had they thought that their women can be gentle on those gay boys to be modified, but the result always failed. listened to them lament that sound, you can imagine that the degree of handsome gay guys a. 4, their feelings are very delicate, as compared with other men, gay men are usually more understanding. In addition, they are usually very competent and girls come. in the "powder reinforcement hung" in that each of the five gay men have their own specialty. Some people responsible for the straight man who selected choice of hairstyle, clothing; some man-made changes in his household furnishings; Some people taught him how to start from the diet to improve the quality of life. In short, this 5 will be gay men, gay men with a unique and delicate care to save one , there is no taste of style straight man. the United States in recent years in the hit TV series "sex and the city" (Chinese translation for 'sexy city 'or' Sex and the City '). The TV series from the four single women start to experience feelings of each person the main line to explore the American single women for love, marriage and sexual views. In this series, the beautiful of Carrie and Charlotte have a gay friend (gay boyfriend), always guarded in their side, for their advice. With the "sex and the city" of the epidemic, the current way of life is cool in a few gay hand friends. a lot of girls think this is nothing. First of all, gay men are not interested in on the President, so the girls do not have to worry about his interaction with her is "with ulterior motives, and another attempt." Second, women children can complete their gay friends as "blue-green friend", aware that certain衷肠, just as girls and girls. There is another girl who could be with a male friend shopping spree . the next time, if you are in shopping malls to see a girl in a boy's hands linked, to buy clothes in high spirits, they can not take for granted that they are the couple, because very few non-gay men to be with his girlfriend interested in shopping. Generally speaking, the U.S. men will go shopping whenever the listlessness. I once drove the streets in Salt Lake City, when I stopped at a red light when the two Asian girls (up from the behavior look at Chinese people should be) started to cross the road hand in hand. This would in China, should be a very common thing. sisters, feeling good; hand in hand, crossing the road. But in the United States, is to provide the men's sexual fantasies are unlimited material. only in my car stopped next to the men seated, all eyes looked at this two-China sister有说有笑their way through the front of the car for water DC-like. I am particularly clear what they thought, they think: "God! How can I be so fortunate, so a pair of hot lesbians (lesbian sexy) so I ran into a. Whenever I tell my friends here in China, men, girls walk hand-in-hand in the street is a very common thing is that their sexual orientation can not, they always feel Daihatsu Road: "That's HOT ! (a sexy too! Americans at every turn on the use of the word, meaning and sexy almost) revealed that unconsciously envious of the Chinese men's eyes, revealing no doubt. In the United States, men (except outside the gay men) to women homosexuality] are, in particular, are beautiful lesbian obsession with a particular fascination. In their eyes, I am afraid there will be no more than lesbians are more affectionate with the idle speculation. If you have read the film "American pie "(American Pie), it should still remember the scene: the leading man in films at the expense of their own sex (with boys affectionate) in exchange for a pair of beautiful lesbian mutual affectionate. I also participated in some of the more crazy party. some pretty girl to become the focal point of kissing with another girl. This practice has never lapsed. immediately, all the boys will come Wai, because no one wants to miss this "free lunch, "brilliant scene. Some Americans of open-minded horrifying. in the United States in addition to gay (gay) and lesbian (lesbian), there is a group known as the" bi ", which is" bisexual (bisexual) "acronym. this group of people in both men and women can be. They are interested in women and men. Their logic is that" It doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman . What matters is the person himself / herself. "(gender does not matter, it is important that the person itself.) freedom of the United States is a very popular local culture. For this reason, many homosexuals have the courage to stand up and be able to recognize their own sexual orientation. However, in recent years, many people argued whether sexual orientation is completely determined by the congenital or acquired as a result of too liberal social environment for many people take it for granted that homosexuality was a life choice of life way. Many people are worried that society is too lenient to the extent that was originally formed by a right and wrong standard because "This is his personal choice, the right to interfere in other people" and be forgotten. more people in In this environment of fear of the younger generation will grow up not because the lack of social environment on sexual orientation "wrong with" a clear standard to follow to become free, or even worse to try to catch up with homosexual lifestyle trend thrills. in the Clinton sex scandal and can be narrower Jane's " " After the incident, more and more Americans began to reflect on the freedoms of this great social atmosphere, as well as almost everything people "do not care" attitude as they perfect as advertised. it is necessary to mention here, not all parts of the United States will be less tolerant of homosexuality and understanding. The United States is rooted in a Christian country. mentioned in the Bible, marriage is a sacred creation of God, and Marriage must be a combination of man and a woman. This explains why the central United States, the Southern conservative Christians would be so intense to resist and obstruct the legalization of same-sex marriage. Last watched a documentary, which tells the central United States on a where more extreme conservative Christians discrimination against homosexuality. they do not allow their children and friends of homosexuals. last year's U.S. presidential election, the legalization of homosexual marriage is that the United States the two political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican debate on sensitive issues. the United States homosexuality were the main gathering strong trend in the United States free of major cities, particularly Los Angeles and New York to the most significant.

Will Gay Marriage Help Tame Men’s “Piggishness”?

Before Andrew Sullivan decided that the purpose of gay marriage was to confer “dignity” on gay relationships (a definition ironically bought by the California Supreme Court), he made perhaps the most solid social argument for extending state recognition of marriage to same-sex couples.In his landmark 1989 essay, “Here Comes the Groom,” what he called a “socially conservative” argument for gay marriage, Andrew claimed the institution is “good for gays” as it “provides role models for young gay people who, after the exhilaration of coming out, can easily lapse into short-term relationships and insecurity with no tangible goal in sight.”If the experience of Patrick Range McDonald, an openly gay writer for the LA Weekly (and correspondent of Bruce and myself) is any indication, the recent spate of gay weddings in California appears to be proving the point Andrew made now nearly twenty years ago. After covering the gay weddings this week in West Hollywood for his paper, Patrick wrote me (and granted me permission to publish his comments):The wedding on Monday touched my deeply. I don’t feel any peer pressure to get married, which I think some gays may be feeling these days, but it made me realize how nice it would be to go forward in life with another man as my husband. Life turns into something bigger than yourself, and I like the idea of that.Maybe gay marriage will indeed promote the cultural change Andrew once (and may still) advocated.Yet, other evidence suggests that for many gay men, marriage does not impose the same requirements on them as it has on heterosexual couples. According to the New York Times, one “married”* gay man, Eric Erbelding says, “men view sex very differently than women. Men are pigs, they know that each other are pigs, so they can operate accordingly. It doesn’t mean anything,” adding that while “most married gay couples he knows are ‘for the most part monogamous, but for maybe a casual three-way.’”Sorry, Eric, that ain’t marriage. If you want to engage in occasional threesomes or any other extramarital liaisons, you should certainly be free to do so, but once you do, you can’t call yourself married. Nor should a swinging heterosexual couple call their non-exclusive union marriage.With advocates like Erbelding, no wonder Maggie Gallagher (whose National Review article alerted me to the Times piece) claims “the conservative case for same-sex marriage is looking pretty tattered.”She contends current evidence suggests marriage will not help tame what Erbelding might call men’s piggishness. Taming such “piggishness” has been one of the institution’s many purposes for as long as it’s existed.Unfortunately, Gallagher conflates her argument with another, contending gay marriage will limit religious freedom, a point Dale Carpenter effectively demolishes in this piece, noting the problem is not so much state-sanctioned gay marriage as it is non-discrimination laws. Dale’s post helps make my point about the detrimental effects of such laws.While I don’t agree with everything Maggie and Dale have to say in their respective pieces, each makes strong points. I recommend their pieces highly. We do need address the problem Maggie raises about gay men wanting marriage without the monogamy long associated with the institution.If gay marriage is to have any meaning, its advocates must take issue people like Eric Erbelding who wish to redefine the institution so it does not limit their ability to mess around with someone other than their partner. If they want an open relationship, fine, just don’t call it marriage.Those who are serious about gay marriage should call him — and others like him — on their failure to acknowledge monogamy as a defining aspect of the institution..Please contact me if you find other gay bloggers, pundits or activists taking issue with such redefinition and I promise to link them in this post.

Gay bondage wrestling videos

After a gay hard day’s work, James Hamilton comes home and plays with his gay bondage boy to relieve his stress. Our boy toy Luke Riley loves to get tied up — and he loves the flogger even more. James drags Luke into the living room and treats him like an animal, complete with a butt-plug tail. While tightly gay bound, Luke is made to suck James’s cock and lick his feet. James then pulls the bound Luke into the bedroom for some ass-caning, and fucks him until he cums all over.

Why Married Women Need Friends

You've seen them in the back of the restaurant. You've heard their peals of laughter. You've heard the group running together every morning. You've seen them walking side by side down the street - sometimes they are pushing strollers; sometimes they are just walking together. You've seen them sitting together at the park; talking and laughing.

Who are they, you ask?

The Female Connection


Girlfriends are vital for all women. Female friendships are precious commodities for married women. Whether their girlfriends are married or single, mothers or childless, they are the people that we find our precious moments of reprieve with. We can let down our hair. We can let down our guard. We can be selfish. We can crack jokes. We can be ourselves and relax.

Married women need female friends for their coffee breaks, their girl's night out or just their morning walks. They need them when they take their children to the park. They need them when they are sharing errands and chores like getting the kids to school, planning the big recital or wanting to throw a birthday party.

Female friends let married women take a break from being Super Mom and Super Wife. They can be women. They can relate. They can talk about issues with each other that they can rarely talk with others about.

Multi-Tasking Friendship

We are so used to multi-tasking in our lives and we are so used to running all the time that we sometimes forget how important our social connections are. As mothers, we benefit from talking to other moms who have been through the same things we have. As wives, we relate better to women who have shared our experiences. As women, we experience a unique emotional connection with our female companions that is very different from the intimacy and emotional connection we feel with our spouses.

Our friendships, our social connections are vital to our emotional health. Our friends provide a unique support that we cannot receive from our families or children. They care about us as individuals and they care about our opinions and our feelings. They also enhance how we feel about ourselves.

Sometimes, we get so caught up in caring for our families, our spouses, our children, our jobs and our responsibilities that our girlfriends may be the only people who can reach out to us and let us slow down. They can share our experiences. They can tell us jokes. They can listen to our stories. We need our girlfriends. The need for these social connections does not minimize our other relationships by any measure - but we need all of these relationships for different reasons.

Bored cheating housewives and why they cheat

Today’s married women are having affairs more than ever before, with a record number of 1 in 5 women seeking sexual pleasure outside of their current relationship. This statistic is now comparable to that of married men. Unlike men who cheat though, who have rate the top reason for an affair as purely sexual, married women are more likely to cheat on their husbands for emotional reasons.

Here are some of the reasons why housewives cheat on their husbands.

Boredom
- sex is no longer interesting, their husband is unwilling to try new things, they rarely climax, encounters are more routine than exciting. The husband is often needing Viagara or other stimulations just to get aroused.

Loneliness
- their husband works alot, often away on business, not attentive to their needs or desires.

Emotional
- a desire for closeness outside of the bedroom, craving more attention, a need to feel more valued or respected, to reaffirm their desirability.

Revenge
- their husband or past boyfriends have cheated on them and they feel the need to show them the pain they caused.

Loss of Love
- they no longer have the same feelings for their partner, they cheat as a way to try out freedom before ending a relationship.

It is quite common for married men to be unsuspecting of their wife’s infidelity. Unfortunately women tend to attach more significance to an affair and use this as a testing ground before dissolving a relationship. Feeling neglect, they seek companionship elsewhere and if successful use this to confirm the relationship had ended long before the affair began, thereby, alleviating any guilt on their part.

So husbands beware! Be involved and keep communication open to avoid circumstances such as these.

Figuring Out Fat and Calories

From all you hear, you'd think fat and calories are really bad for you. It's true that many people are eating more fat and calories than they need. But we all require a certain amount of fat and calories in our diets to fuel our growth and activities — everything from solving a math problem to racing up and down the soccer field. So what's the truth on fat and calories?

What Are Fat and Calories?
Fats, or lipids, are nutrients in food that the body uses to build nerve tissue (like the brain) and hormones. The body also uses fat as fuel. If fats that a person has eaten aren't burned as energy or used as building blocks, they are stored by the body in fat cells. This is the body's way of thinking ahead: By saving fat for future use, it plans for times when food might be scarce.

A calorie is a unit of energy that measures how much energy food provides to the body. The body needs calories to function properly.

Food Labels: Calories
Calories
Food labels list calories by the amount in each serving size. Serving sizes differ from one food to the next, so to figure out how many calories you're eating, you'll need to do three things:

Look at the serving size.
See how many calories there are in one serving.
Multiply the number of calories by the number of servings you're going to eat.
For example, a bag of cookies may list three cookies as a serving size. But if you eat six cookies, you are really eating two servings, not one. To figure out how many calories those two servings contain, you must double the calories in one serving.

When you start looking at food labels, you may be surprised at some of the serving sizes. For example, on the labels of six cold breakfast cereals, the serving size ranges from ½ cup (118 milliliters) to 1¾ cups (414 milliliters). You would have to more than triple the smallest serving size (½ cup, or 118 milliliters) to compare the calories in that cereal with the calories in the cereal with the largest serving size (1¾ cups, or 414 milliliters). A small bag of corn chips may contain two or more servings — although most people would eat the entire bag! That's why it's always important to check the serving size of all foods on the label.
Food Labels: Fat
Fat
When it comes to fat, labels can say many things. Low fat, reduced fat, light (or lite), and fat free are common terms you're sure to see on food packages. The U.S. government has strict rules about the use of these phrases: By law, fat-free foods can contain no more than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Low-fat foods may contain 3 grams of fat or less per serving. Foods marked reduced fat and light (lite) are a little trickier, and you may need to do some supermarket sleuthing.

Light (lite) and reduced-fat foods may still be high in fat. The requirement for a food to be labeled light (lite) is that it must contain 50% less fat or one third fewer calories per serving than the regular version of that food. Foods labeled reduced fat must contain 25% less fat per serving than the regular version. But if the regular version of a particular food was high in fat to begin with, a 25% to 50% reduction may not lower the fat content enough to make it a smart snacking choice. For example, the original version of a brand of peanut butter contains 17 grams of fat and the reduced fat version contains 12 grams. That's still a lot of fat!

It's important to figure out how many of the calories you're getting come from fat. The 2005 U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that children and teens ages 4–18 get between 25% to 35% of their daily calories from fat. But food labels don't always show the percentage of fat in a food. It is easy to calculate, though. Divide the number of calories from fat by the number of total calories and multiply by 100:



For example, if a 300-calorie food has 60 calories from fat, you divide 60 by 300 and then multiply by 100. The result shows that food gets 20% of its calories from fat:



4, 4, and . . . 9?
The calories in food come from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories. A gram of protein also contains 4 calories. A gram of fat, though, contains 9 calories — more than twice the amount of the other two.

That's why one food with the same serving size as another may have far more calories. A high-fat food has many more calories than a food that's low in fat and higher in protein or carbohydrates.

For instance, a ½-cup (118-milliliter) serving of vanilla ice cream contains:

178 total calories
2 grams of protein (2 grams times 4 calories = 8 calories from protein)
12 grams of fat (12 grams times 9 calories = 108 calories, or 61%, from fat)
15.5 grams of carbohydrate (15.5 grams times 4 calories = 62 calories from carbohydrate)
Compare this with the same serving size (½ cup, 118 milliliters) of cooked carrots:

36 total calories
1 gram of protein (1 gram times 4 calories = 4 calories from protein)
0 grams of fat (0 grams times 0 calories = 0 calories from fat)
8 grams of carbohydrate (8 grams times 4 calories = 32 calories from carbohydrate)
So fat makes quite a difference when it comes to total calories in a food.

But let's face it, who's going to choose a heaping bowl of cooked carrots over ice cream on a hot summer day? It all comes down to making sensible food choices most of the time. The goal is to make tradeoffs that balance a higher-fat food with foods that are lower in fat to keep the fat intake at 30% for the day. So if you really want that ice cream, it's OK once in a while — as long as you work in some lower-fat foods, like carrots, that day.

Not All Fats Are the Same
Although all types of fat have the same amount of calories, some are more harmful to your health than others. Two of the most harmful fats are saturated fat and trans fat. Both of these fats can increase a person's risk of heart disease. Food labels show the amounts of saturated fats and trans fats in a particular food.


Saturated and trans fats are solid at room temperature — like butter, shortening, or the fat on meat. Saturated fat comes mostly from animal products, but some tropical oils, like palm kernel oil and coconut oil, also contain saturated fat. Trans fat is also found in whole dairy and meat products.

Trans fats are often found in packaged baked goods, like cookies or crackers. They are also in fried foods like french fries and doughnuts. Because saturated fat and trans fat raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing a person's risk of developing heart disease, a gram of one of these fats is worse for a person's health than a gram of unsaturated fat.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats can be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated. Polyunsaturated fat is found in soybean, corn, sesame and sunflower oils, or fish and fish oil. Monounsaturated fat is found in olives, olive oil or canola oil, most nuts and their oils, and avocados.

Fat and Calories in a Healthy Diet
Fats should be eaten in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends that people get as much of their daily fat intake as possible from unsaturated fats and that they limit saturated fats and trans fats.

It's a bad idea to try to avoid fat completely, though, especially for teens. A certain amount of fat is necessary for development, especially during puberty when the body grows very quickly.

Fats are also needed to absorb certain vitamins that are essential for proper growth. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, meaning they can only be absorbed if there is fat in a person's diet. Also, fat cells act as insulation to keep the body warm and help protect the nerve cells.

Like fat, you need a certain amount of calories in your diet to fuel your body. In fact, nutritionists do not recommend calorie counting (keeping track of the number of calories in everything that you eat) for teens unless a doctor has specifically recommended it. So if you are concerned about your weight, speak to your doctor.

Maintaining a healthy weight means choosing a variety of foods that are low in fat (especially saturated and trans fats) and added sugars. Think about substitutes for foods that have a lot of sugar, fat, or calories. For example, you may want to drink water or skim milk instead of soft drinks, or choose mustard instead of mayonnaise on your sandwich.

Being aware of the amount of fat and calories you eat makes sense, as long as you eat a balanced diet. Establishing sensible eating habits, choosing foods wisely, and exercising regularly are the keys to long-term good health.

5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch

5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch
Most schools are trying hard to upgrade their lunch programs and offer the best food they can. But not every school cafeteria provides appealing, healthy lunch choices. Educate yourself when it comes to what your cafeteria has to offer. For example, did you know chicken nuggets have more fat and calories than a plain burger?

Even if your school provides healthy options, it can be too easy to give in to temptation and pick a less healthy choice when you're feeling really hungry. How do you take control? Take a packed lunch to school!

Here are the top 5 reasons to pack your lunch — and snacks — at least twice a week:

1. Control. Do you ever wait in the lunch line only to find when you get to the front that you don't like what they're serving? So you reach for pizza again. A healthy packed lunch lets you avoid the lunch line (and any temptations). Bringing your own lunch also lets you control exactly what goes into the food you eat.

2. Variety. It doesn't hurt to cave in and enjoy the occasional serving of pizza and hot dogs. But if you're eating these foods all the time, your body probably feels ready for a change. A packed lunch a couple of times a week means you can enjoy some favorites that you might not find at every school — like a piping hot thermos of your mom's chicken soup; hummus and pita bread; or some crisp, farm-stand apples.

3. Energy. If you have a big game or activity after school, plan a lunch and snacks that combine lean proteins with carbohydrates to give you lasting energy and keep you going through the late afternoon. Some ideas: your own "trail" mix of dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds, whole-grain pretzels and low-fat cheese, or a bagful of baby carrots and yogurt dip.

4. Cold hard cash. Pack healthy snacks so you don't feel tempted to step off campus for a fast-food lunch, or hit the vending machine or corner store for chocolate and a soda! Put the money you save on such snacks aside.

5. That warm and fuzzy feeling. Remember when your mom or dad used to pack your lunch? Pack yourself a retro lunch featuring healthy versions of your old faves — such as PB&J on whole-wheat bread.

Whether you pack or eat in the cafeteria, what’s important is that you make healthy choices. If you're concerned that your cafeteria doesn't offer enough healthy choices, get involved in trying to make changes. Ask a teacher or someone in food service for advice on how to get started.

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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Cecily never really worried that her periods weren't regular because, like many girls, she assumed her monthly cycle would take time to settle down. But then Cecily's periods stopped for several months, so she went to see her doctor.

The doctor noticed that Cecily's acne had worsened and that she had gained a lot of weight since her last appointment. She said she wanted to check Cecily for a condition called polycystic ovary sydrome (PCOS).

What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?
Polycystic (pronounced: pah-lee-sis-tik) ovary syndrome is a common health problem that affects teenage girls and young women. Although no one really knows what causes PCOS, it seems to be related to an imbalance in a girl's hormones.

Both girls and guys produce sex hormones, but in different amounts. In girls, the ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone, and also androgens. These hormones regulate a girl's menstrual cycle and ovulation. Even though androgens are sometimes referred to as "male hormones," every female produces them.

In girls with PCOS, the ovaries produce higher than normal amounts of androgens, and this can interfere with egg development and release. Some of the eggs develop into cysts, which are little sacs filled with liquid. Instead of being released during ovulation, as an egg is during a normal menstrual cycle, the cysts build up in the ovaries and may become enlarged. Because girls with PCOS are not ovulating or releasing an egg each month, it's common for them to have irregular or missed periods.

Although PCOS (which used to be called Stein-Leventhal syndrome) was first recognized in the 1930s, doctors can't say for sure what causes it. Research has suggested that PCOS may be related to increased insulin production in the body. Women with PCOS may produce too much insulin, which signals their ovaries to release extra male hormones. PCOS seems to run in families, too, so if someone on your mom's or dad's side of the family has it, you might be more likely to develop it.

If PCOS is not treated properly, it can put a girl at risk for lots of problems. Girls with PCOS are more likely to have infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal bleeding from the uterus, and cancer.

The good news is that, although there's no cure for PCOS, it can be treated. The most important step is diagnosing the condition, because getting treatment for PCOS reduces a girl's chances of having serious side effects.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
A key sign of PCOS is irregular or missed periods because the effects of the condition on the ovaries can make a girl stop ovulating. However, because it can take up to 2 years after her first period for a girl's menstrual cycle to become regular, missed periods may not be a reliable sign of PCOS in teen girls. Imbalanced hormone levels can cause changes in a girl's entire body, not just her ovaries.

So doctors also look for these other signs that might indicate PCOS:

very heavy periods or periods that come more than once a month

weight gain, obesity, or difficulty maintaining a normal weight, especially when the extra weight is concentrated around the waist

a condition called hirsutism (pronounced: her-suh-tiz-um), where a girl grows extra hair on her face, chest, abdomen, nipple area, or back (a little of this is normal for most girls, though)

thinning hair on the head (doctors call this alopecia)

acne and clogged pores

darkened, thickened skin around the neck, armpits, or breasts (this is called acanthosis nigricans)

high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes mellitus (high levels of sugar in your blood)
Girls who show certain signs of puberty early — such as girls who develop underarm or pubic hair before the age of 8 — may be at greater risk of having PCOS later on.

How Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Diagnosed?
If you've taken your concerns about your body to your doctor, you're on the right track. Your doctor may refer you to a gynecologist or an endocrinologist for a diagnosis.

The gynecologist or endocrinologist will ask you about any concerns and symptoms you have, your past health, your family's health, any medications you're taking, any allergies you may have, and other issues. He or she will also ask you lots of questions specifically about your period and its regularity. This is called the medical history.

In addition to your medical history, your doctor will do a physical examination, which includes checking your weight, and checking especially for physical signs such as acne, hair growth, and darkened skin. If you are sexually active, the doctor may perform a gynecologic examination to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms, but this is not always necessary for diagnosis.

A doctor may also perform blood tests to diagnose PCOS or other conditions, such as thyroid or other ovarian or gland problems. Blood tests allow doctors to measure androgen, insulin, and other hormone levels. The results of these tests can help doctors to determine the type of treatment a girl will receive. Your doctor may also order another test, called an ultrasound, to look at your ovaries and to determine if you have cysts or other abnormalities of the ovaries. Because cysts are not always visible, this test is not always used.

Early diagnosis and treatment for PCOS are important because the condition can put girls at risk for long-term problems. Getting treated for PCOS is a good idea if you want to have a baby someday — PCOS often causes infertility if it's not treated. But when PCOS is treated properly, many women with the condition have healthy babies.

Also, many girls with PCOS can get pregnant. If you are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant, be sure to use condoms every time you have sex even if you have PCOS. This is important even if you are not being treated for PCOS.

How Is It Treated?
Although there's no cure for PCOS, there are several ways that the condition can be treated and managed.

If a girl is overweight or obese, a doctor will recommend that she lose weight. Weight loss can be very effective in lessening many of the health conditions associated with PCOS, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Sometimes weight loss alone can restore hormone levels to normal, causing many of the symptoms to disappear or become less severe. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can look at your food intake and your exercise and activity to tailor a weight-loss program for you. Exercise is a great way to help combat the weight gain that often accompanies PCOS as well as a way to reduce bloating, another symptom girls with PCOS sometimes experience.

Sometimes doctors prescribe medications to treat PCOS. A doctor might first have a girl try birth control pills or another hormone pill called progesterone to help reduce the androgen levels in her body and regulate her menstrual cycle. These medicines may help control acne and excessive hair growth in some girls, but they don't work for everyone.

Other medications used to treat PCOS include antiandrogens, which counter the effects of excess androgens on a girl's body. Antiandrogens can help clear up skin and hair growth problems in girls with PCOS. Another medication, metformin, which is used to treat diabetes, can lower insulin levels. In some girls with PCOS, it can help control ovulation and androgen levels. This can make a girl's menstrual cycles more regular. Some girls and women treated with metformin have also experienced weight loss and lowering of high blood pressure.

Coping With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Having PCOS can be hard on a girl's self-esteem because some of the symptoms, such as skin and hair problems and weight gain, are so noticeable. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the physical symptoms — and take care of the emotional side of living with PCOS.

Although the medications used to treat PCOS will slow down or stop excessive hair growth for many girls, there are lots of different types of products available to help a girl get rid of hair where she doesn't want it. Depilatory creams can gently remove facial hair on the upper lip or chin. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully so you don't develop a rash or allergic reaction.

Tweezing and waxing are other things you can do at home to manage hair growth. A girl can also visit a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in skin problems) or qualified hair removal specialist for electrolysis and laser surgery treatments. These procedures offer longer term removal of unwanted hair, but they are more expensive.

If you have severe acne as a symptom of PCOS, it may improve if part of your treatment includes birth control pills or antiandrogens. If it doesn't, your doctor may refer you to a dermatologist for further acne treatment. A dermatologist may also be able to recommend medications to help reduce skin darkening or discoloration, and to prevent hair growth.

Some girls with PCOS may become depressed, in which case it may help to talk to a therapist or other mental health professional. Talking with other teens and women with PCOS is a great way to share information about treatment and get support. Your doctor may be able to recommend a local support group.

If you can't find a local group, the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association offers a "Big Cyster" program for teen girls as well as online message boards. If you join, you'll be hooked up with other women or teen girls with PCOS to whom you can turn for advice, support, or just a listening ear.

Bad-Weather Driving

Braving the Elements
The term "joy ride" does not apply when it's pouring and the wind is gusting. The best strategy for driving in bad weather is to avoid it. But if going out is necessary or you get caught in bad conditions once you're already on the road, follow these safe driving tips:

Make sure your headlights are on.
Increase your following distance — if you're going slowly because of bad weather, is there really a point to being only 2 feet behind the car in front of you?
Slow down. Braking takes longer on slippery roads — the slower you go, the easier it will be for you to stop.
Make sure your car is prepared for the conditions (check your battery, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, windshield wipers, headlights, tires).


Use caution near intersections. Never assume that because you have the green light or the right of way that the intersection will be clear — always scan ahead to spot potential hazards.
Stay in one lane as much as possible — avoid unnecessary lane changes (don't go zipping in and out of traffic, passing people, etc.).
Keep two hands on the wheel and two eyes on the road at all times.
BRRRRRRRaving the Snow and Ice
Driving a car is never "easy," but this is especially true in wintry weather. To hone your skills, ask someone with winter driving experience to take you to a vacant parking lot where you can practice driving, turning, and stopping in the snow.


If you must travel, keep your car gassed up so that the fuel lines don't freeze. Clear snow completely off the car, remembering to sweep the taillights and headlights. Watch out for slow-moving vehicles like snowplows and sand trucks, and try not to get too close — the last thing you need in a snowstorm is a windshield full of sand. Also try to avoid passing these vehicles.

Put together a car emergency kit that contains:

an ice scraper and a snow brush
a bag of sand, salt or cat litter (for traction if you get stuck in snow)
warning flares or triangles
blankets
gloves or mittens
a flashlight and batteries
a first-aid kit
booster cables
nonperishable snack foods
a candle and matches
a cup in case you need to melt snow for water
If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle and call for assistance. Run the heater occasionally to keep warm, but avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by making sure your tailpipe isn't stuffed or blocked with snow or other debris.

Rainy Roads
Roads are dirty places. Between tires stirring up gravel and engines dripping oil and other fluids, a lot of oily and slick substances build up on roads. That's why roads are at their slickest almost immediately after it starts raining. The water brings those oils to the surface, making it sneaky-slick.


If you get caught in a slick situation and your car starts gliding or hydroplaning, don't panic or slam on the brakes. Take your foot off the gas and gradually press the brakes, making sure not to turn the steering wheel. To avoid hydroplaning:

make sure your tires aren't bald
easy does it around turns
if you can, go around puddles


Many states require drivers to have their headlights on if it's raining. Also, be aware of thunderstorm warnings. If a thunderstorm starts while you're driving and visibility is poor, pull over and wait it out. Don't run the risk of being struck by lightning — stay in your car and pull as far off the road as safely possible.

Scorching Sun and Fuzzy Fog
One of the most vital parts of driving is visibility. Both bright sun and soupy fog can cause limited visibility. To combat that pesky fireball in the sky, always have UV sunglasses somewhere in the car. Also, to reduce bad glare, pop down the visor.


Fog can be a little trickier to handle than bright sunlight. Fog can reduce visibility to less than ¼ mile. Fog can also trick you into thinking you're going slower than you really are, so keep the speed down. When you can't see far ahead, it's hard to see brake lights or traffic signs until you're almost upon them. And just because you can't see doesn't mean that your high beams will improve visibility. In fact, high beams reduce visibility in fog. If your car has fog lamps, though, use them.

No matter what's causing the bad driving conditions, just remember: Don't venture out if you don't have to.

Why Is My Voice Changing?

One minute, Dan's voice sounds normal. The next minute, he can barely get through a sentence without his voice sounding like it's out of control: high one minute, low the next, then high again. It's not a cold or a sore throat. In fact, everything feels normal — but nothing sounds right.

Dan's voice is changing. It's one of the many developments that happen to both girls and guys when they reach puberty. A guy's voice gets way deeper than a girl's, though.

What Causes My Voice to Change?
At puberty, guys' bodies begin producing a lot of the hormone testosterone (pronounced: tes-tass-tuh-rone), which causes changes in several parts of the body, including the voice. For starters, a guy's larynx (pronounced: lar-inks), also known as the voice box, grows bigger.

The larynx, which is located in the throat at the top of the trachea (pronounced: tray-kee-ah) or windpipe, is like a hollow tube about 2 inches (5 centimeters) high. The larynx is responsible for creating the sound of your voice.

Stretched across your larynx are two muscles, your vocal cords, which are kind of like rubber bands. When you breathe, your vocal cords relax against the walls of the larynx and completely open to allow air to get in and out of your lungs. When you speak, though, your vocal cords close together by stretching across the larynx. Air from your lungs is then forced out between your vocal cords, causing them to vibrate and produce the tone of your voice.

When you lower your voice, your vocal cords are relaxed and more floppy. When you make your voice higher, your vocal cords tighten. (You can notice this difference in how they feel as you adjust your speech.)

As your larynx grows, your vocal cords grow longer and thicker. Also, your facial bones begin to grow. Cavities in the sinuses, the nose, and the back of the throat grow bigger, creating more space in the face that gives your voice more room to echo. All of these factors cause your voice to get deeper.

Think of a guitar. When a thin string is plucked, it vibrates and produces a high-sounding tone. When a thicker string is plucked, it sounds much deeper when it vibrates. That's kind of what happens to your voice. Before your growth spurt, your larynx is relatively small and your vocal cords are relatively thin. So your voice is high and kid-like. But as bones, cartilage, and vocal cords grow, your voice starts to sound like an adult's.

Along with all the other changes in your body, you might notice that your throat area looks a little different. For guys, when the larynx grows bigger, it tilts to a different angle inside the neck. Part of it sticks out in the part of the neck at the front of the throat and forms the Adam's apple. For girls, the larynx also grows bigger but not as much as a guy's. That's why girls don't have Adam's apples.

Why Is My Voice So Hard to Control?
While your body is getting used to these changes, your voice can be difficult to control. A guy's voice "cracks" or "breaks" because his body is getting used to the changing size of his larynx. Fortunately, the cracking and breaking is only temporary. It usually lasts no longer than a few months. And even during that time, your voice won't crack every time you speak.

Some guys' voices might drop gradually, whereas others' might drop quickly. You may feel concerned, stressed, or embarrassed about the sound of your voice, but people usually understand — especially friends or brothers who've gone through it, too. Everyone goes through it, and once it happens, it takes a while to adjust to your larger larynx and the new sound of your voice.

When Will My Voice Change?
You may have noticed that some of your friends have cracking and breaking voices, some might already have deep voices, and some still have the same voice they've always had. Everyone's timetable is different, so some voices might start to change earlier and some might start a little later. Generally, a guy's voice will start to change somewhere between the ages of 11 and 15 — although it can be earlier or later for some people. It all depends on when a guy goes through puberty, and some normal guys enter puberty earlier or later than others.

How Deep Will My Voice Get?
How deep a guy's voice gets depends on his genes: The larger a guy's larynx, the thicker the vocal cords, and the bigger the resonating area, the deeper his voice will be.

Once your larynx has grown, your voice will be more stable and easier to control. But even then your voice hasn't finished developing! Even after the quick change that happens in your teens, your voice continues to develop. Although the squeaking and cracking stage doesn't last long, most guys' voices don't fully mature until they're in their twenties.

How to Perform a Testicular Self-Examination

The testicular self-examination (TSE) is an easy way for guys to check their own testicles to make sure there aren't any unusual lumps or bumps — which can be the first sign of testicular cancer.


Although testicular cancer is rare in teenage guys, overall it is the most common cancer in males between the ages of 15 and 35. It's important to try to do a TSE every month so you can become familiar with the normal size and shape of your testicles, making it easier to tell if something feels different or abnormal in the future.

Here's what to do:


It's best to do a TSE during or right after a hot shower or bath. The scrotum (skin that covers the testicles) is most relaxed then, which makes it easier to examine the testicles.
Examine one testicle at a time. Use both hands to gently roll each testicle (with slight pressure) between your fingers. Place your thumbs over the top of your testicle, with the index and middle fingers of each hand behind the testicle, and then roll it between your fingers.
You should be able to feel the epididymis (the sperm-carrying tube), which feels soft, rope-like, and slightly tender to pressure, and is located at the top of the back part of each testicle. This is a normal lump.
Remember that one testicle (usually the right one) is slightly larger than the other for most guys — this is also normal.
When examining each testicle, feel for any lumps or bumps along the front or sides. Lumps may be as small as a piece of rice or a pea.
If you notice any swelling, lumps, or changes in the size or color of a testicle, or if you have any pain or achy areas in your groin, let your doctor know right away.
Lumps or swelling may not be cancer, but they should be checked by your doctor as soon as possible. Testicular cancer is almost always curable if it is caught and treated early.

Can a girl get pregnant if she has sex during her period?

A lot of people think that if a girl has sex during her period, she can't get pregnant. But it is possible for a girl to get pregnant while she is bleeding. This can happen for a couple of reasons:

Not all vaginal bleeding is the result of a menstrual period. Sometimes a girl will have a small amount of vaginal bleeding at the time of ovulation — the time when she is most fertile. During ovulation, an egg is released from one of the ovaries and travels down a fallopian tube to the uterus. It's common for girls who are ovulating to have some vaginal bleeding that can be mistaken for a period.
Sometimes ovulation can occur before the bleeding from a girl's period has stopped, or it may occur within a few days after her period is over. Sperm can fertilize an egg for several days after ejaculation. So in both cases, having sex before the period is finished can result in pregnancy.
Having unprotected sex at any time is very risky. Along with the chance of becoming pregnant, there is also the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), such as chlamydia, genital warts, or HIV. The only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is abstinence. If you do have sex, use a condom every time to protect against STDs. And talk to your doctor about additional forms of contraception.

For more information, check out these articles:
About Birth Control: What You Need to Know
All About Menstruation
Birth Control Methods: How Well Do They Work?
Talking to Your Partner About Condoms
About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: August 2006
Originally reviewed by: Barbara P. Homeier, MD

Have a question? Email us.

Although we can't reply personally, you may see your question posted to this page in the future. If you're looking for medical advice, a diagnosis, or treatment, consult your doctor or other qualified medical professional. If this is an emergency, contact emergency services in your area.

Breast and Pelvic Exams

Why You Need These Exams
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a girl make her first visit to a gynecologist when she is between the ages of 13 and 15. Not all girls will need a pelvic exam during this initial visit, though. Many gynecologists will just do a regular health exam and talk to the girl about her development.

Yearly gyn visits are important for a number of reasons, including:

as a routine check. You'll want to be sure you're developing normally.
to deal with a problem. There may be a number of concerns that lead to a pelvic exam. For example, if you have problems with your periods, missed periods, pain, signs of infection, and worries about development, it's a good idea to see a doctor.
Also, if you have ever had sex, you are probably going to need a pelvic exam.

Choosing the Right Doctor
If you're going to be involved in deciding who you'll see for your pelvic exam, you have a few choices. Many family doctors and pediatricians perform pelvic and breast exams and advise teens on birth control and STD prevention. So you may be able to see a doctor you already know and feel comfortable with for your first pelvic exam.

Also, a number of different kinds of doctors and nurses have special training in women's reproductive health:

Gynecologists are doctors who have been specially trained in women's health issues. Gynecologists are one of the doctors who can prescribe birth control and teach patients how to use it.
Adolescent medicine doctors have been trained in the health and management of teen issues. They are familiar with the concerns most young women have about their reproductive systems and can advise them on birth control and STD prevention.
Nurse practitioners have had advanced training that allows them to give gynecological exams and pay special attention to women's reproductive health.
Whether you want to see a male or female health care professional is up to you. Some women say that they prefer being examined by a female doctor or nurse because it puts them more at ease and they feel like they can talk more openly about women's health problems and sexuality issues. Other women feel comfortable being examined by a male doctor or nurse. If the doctor or nurse is male, he will usually have a female assistant in the room with him during all parts of the exam.

Making the Appointment
It's best to involve your parents in your health care. If you want to go to a doctor's office for your exam, you may need to involve an adult for insurance purposes (it may be expensive otherwise).

If for some reason you can't involve your parents, you can take advantage of health clinics like Planned Parenthood or your local teen clinic. These clinics have fully trained staff who often can care for you at a lower cost and respect your need for confidentiality. Each state has different guidelines on which medical issues teens can get confidential care for. Your doctor should be able to explain these issues to you.

The most important thing is that you feel comfortable with the person who is examining you. You want to be able to talk with him or her about important personal health and relationship issues, including birth control.

What Happens When You Go for Your Gyn Exam
You don't need to do anything special before going for your exam. When you make the appointment, try to schedule the exam for a time when you won't have your period. For many young women, that can be hard to predict, though — lots of girls have irregular periods at first. Ask the doctor's office or clinic when you make the appointment what you should do if you get your period. Some doctors say it's OK to come for an exam if your period is just beginning or just ending and it's very light, but everyone has a different policy.

When you arrive for your appointment, you may be asked to fill out some forms while you wait. These forms ask questions about any illnesses or conditions you have, your health habits (like whether you drink or smoke), any family illnesses that you know of, and your history regarding sexual activity, pregnancy, and birth control. You might also be asked for the date of your last period (or a doctor or nurse will ask during your exam).

When you first go into the exam room, a nurse or medical assistant will do a few things that your doctor has probably done a million times before, such as recording your weight and taking your blood pressure. You'll then be left alone to change out of your clothes. It may feel weird taking off even your underwear because you may not have had to undress completely for a medical exam before. The nurse or medical assistant will leave you a paper sheet or gown — or maybe both — to cover you. If you're cold, most doctors and nurses won't mind if you keep your socks on.

After a few minutes, the doctor (or nurse practitioner, if that is who you choose to see) will knock on the door to make sure you're in your gown. If you're ready, he or she will come in and start the exam. The doctor may start by going over anything you wrote down on your forms, or you may talk about these things later.

If this is your first gynecologic exam, let the doctor know. That way, he or she will know to go slowly and explain everything that's going on. Now is also the time to ask about birth control or sexuality if you need to. Some doctors like to discuss these things before the exam, and some like to do it after. Your aim is to make sure you get your questions answered.

The Breast Exam
During the physical part of the gynecologic exam, you'll be asked to lie on your back on the table. You'll have the paper sheet or gown covering you, and the doctor will only uncover the parts of your body being examined.

The doctor will give you a breast exam by lightly pressing on different parts of your breasts. After finishing, he or she may show you how to examine your own breasts. This helps you become familiar with how your breasts feel so you know which lumps are normal and which may be the result of a change.


The Pelvic Exam
During the pelvic part of the exam, the doctor or nurse practitioner will ask you to move down so your behind is at the end of the table. You'll bend your knees and rest your feet in two stirrups, which are metal triangular loops that stick out from the end of the table. These might look a little scary, but they're just there to rest your feet in and keep you more comfortable. The doctor will ask you to relax your knees out to the sides as far as they will go. It might feel a little funny to be lying with your legs opened like this, but everyone feels that way at first.

The doctor will put on gloves and examine the outside of your vagina to make sure that there are no sores or swelling and that everything looks OK on the outside.

The Internal Exam
Next, the doctor will want to look at the inside of your vagina and will do so with the help of a speculum (pronounced: speh-kyuh-lum). A speculum is a thin piece of plastic or metal with a hinged piece on one end that allows it to open and close. The doctor or nurse will warm the speculum with water (some offices keep the speculum warmed in a drawer with a heating pad). The doctor or nurse will then slide the speculum into your vagina. Usually the doctor will tell you when he or she is about to place the speculum inside you so it doesn't come as a surprise.

Once the speculum is in the vagina, it can be opened to allow the doctor to see inside. Putting in and opening the speculum should not be painful, although some women say that it can cause a bit of pressure and discomfort. Naturally, if this is your first exam, you might feel a little tense. Because the vagina is surrounded by muscles that can contract or relax, the exam can be more comfortable if you try to stay calm and relax the muscles in that area.

If you feel like you're tensing up the muscles in your vagina, try breathing deeply or doing some breathing exercises to help you stay relaxed. Sometimes humming your favorite song or making small talk can distract you and allow you to feel more relaxed.

After the speculum is in place, the doctor will shine a light inside the vagina to look for anything unusual, like redness, swelling, discharge, or sores.


Because the ovaries and uterus are so far inside a girl's body that they can't be seen at all, even with the speculum, the doctor will need to feel them to be sure they're healthy. While your feet are still in the stirrups, and after the speculum is removed from the vagina, the doctor will put lubricant on two fingers (while still wearing the gloves) and slide them inside your vagina. Using the other hand, he or she will press on the outside of your lower abdomen (the area between your vagina and your stomach). With two hands, one on the outside and one on the inside, the doctor can make sure that the ovaries and uterus are the right size and free of cysts or other growths.

During this part of the exam, you may feel a little pressure or discomfort. Again, it's important to relax your muscles and take slow, deep breaths if you feel nervous.

Pap Smears
A Pap smear may be part of the pelvic exam, although not all teens need to get a pap smear. Pap smears are used to check for abnormal cells. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that girls should get a Pap smear about 3 years after first having sex and then every year after that. All women should have a Pap smear by age 21.

To do a Pap smear, the doctor will gently touch the cervix to pick up cells from that area.

The Pap smear shouldn't hurt, but it might be uncomfortable, especially if this is your first pelvic exam. The good news is this part of the exam is over quickly.

The cells that have been collected are sent to a laboratory where they are studied for any abnormal cells, which might indicate infection or warning signs of cervical cancer. (Like breast cancer, cervical cancer is very unusual in teen girls.)

STD Tests
If you have had sex, the doctor or nurse practitioner may test for STDs. He or she will swab the inside of the cervix with what looks like a cotton swab. The speculum is then slid out of the vagina. As with the Pap smear, the sample is sent out to a laboratory where it is tested for various STDs.

Talk to your doctor or a nurse about how you want to be contacted with results, and what they should do if they are unable to reach you. Again, doctors and nurses will do their best to maintain confidentiality, but they need to be able to reach you
After the Exam
Although reading this article may make it seem long, the entire pelvic exam (the parts involving your vagina, cervix, uterus, and ovaries) really only takes about 3 to 5 minutes.

Afterward, you'll be left alone to get dressed. Some women say that they bleed a tiny bit from the Pap smear after the exam, so they like to put a pantiliner in their underwear as they get dressed. If you bleed a tiny bit, it's no big deal — it's nothing like a period and it won't last.

If you haven't discussed your questions before the exam, now's the time. Don't be afraid of questions that sound stupid or silly — no question about your body is stupid, and this is the best time to get answers.

The Pap smear is almost always normal in teen girls. But if for any reason the doctor or nurse practitioner needs to see you again, the office or clinic will let you know. Unless you notice any health problems, you won't need to go for an exam for another 6 months to a year.

It's very important to go for pelvic exams on a yearly basis — even when you're feeling good — because they help detect any problems early on. If you don't want to return for another exam because you didn't like the doctor or nurse practitioner, look into finding a new doctor or clinic.

And if the physical discomfort of the exam left you not wanting another, remember that each time it gets easier and easier to relax. Naturally, no one loves getting an exam, but having a doctor or nurse practitioner you trust can really help.

Overwhelmed by classwork? Scared because your parents are splitting up? Worried about a friend? Feel like you don't fit in?

Puberty and Periods
Menstruation (a period) is a major stage of puberty in girls; it's one of the many physical signs that a girl is turning into a woman. And like a lot of the other changes associated with puberty, menstruation can be confusing. Some girls can't wait to start their periods, whereas others may feel afraid or anxious. Many girls (and guys!) don't have a complete understanding of a woman's reproductive system or what actually happens during the menstrual cycle, making the process seem even more mysterious.


When girls begin to go through puberty (usually starting between the ages of 8 and 13), their bodies and minds change in many ways. The hormones in their bodies stimulate new physical development, such as growth and breast development. About 2 to 2½ years after a girl's breasts begin to develop, she usually gets her first menstrual period.

About 6 months or so before getting her first period, a girl might notice an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This discharge is common. There's no need for a girl to worry about discharge unless it has a strong odor or causes itchiness.

The start of periods is known as menarche. Menarche doesn't happen until all the parts of a girl's reproductive system have matured and are working together
The Female Reproductive System
Baby girls are born with ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus. The two ovaries are oval-shaped and sit on either side of the uterus (womb) in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. They contain thousands of eggs, or ova. The two fallopian tubes are long and thin. Each fallopian tube stretches from an ovary to the uterus, a pear-shaped organ that sits in the middle of the pelvis. The muscles in a female's uterus are powerful and are able to expand to allow the uterus to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.

As a girl matures and enters puberty, the pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have many effects on a girl's body, including physical maturation, growth, and emotions.

About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries — a process called ovulation — and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it travels to the uterus and attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.

If the egg isn't fertilized, though — which is the case during most of a woman's monthly cycles — it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the vagina on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.

How Often Does a Girl Get Her Period?
Just as some girls begin puberty earlier or later than others, the same applies to periods. Some girls may start menstruating as early as age 10, but others may not get their first period until they are 15 years old.

The amount of time between a girl's periods is called her menstrual cycle (the cycle is counted from the start of one period to the start of the next). Some girls will find that their menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30-day cycle, or even longer. Following menarche, menstrual cycles last 21–45 days. After a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21–34 days.

Irregular periods are common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate. It may take the body a while to sort out all the changes going on, so a girl may have a 28-day cycle for 2 months, then miss a month, for example. Usually, after a year or two, the menstrual cycle will become more regular. Some women continue to have irregular periods into adulthood, though.

As a girl gets older and her periods settle down — or she gets more used to her own unique cycle — she will probably find that she can predict when her period will come. In the meantime, it's a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar
How Long and How Much?
The amount of time that a girl has her period also can vary. Some girls have periods that last just 2 or 3 days. Other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer. The menstrual flow — meaning how much blood comes out of the vagina — can vary widely from girl to girl, too.

Some girls may be concerned that they're losing too much blood. It can be a shock to see all that blood, but it's unlikely that a girl will lose too much, unless she has a medical condition like von Willebrand disease. Though it may look like a lot, the average amount of blood is only about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) for an entire period. Most teens will change pads 3 to 6 times a day, with more frequent changes when their period is heaviest, usually at the start of the period.

Especially when menstrual periods are new, you may be worried about your blood flow or whether your period is normal in other ways. Talk to a doctor or nurse if:

your period lasts longer than a week
you have to change your pad very often (soaking more than one pad every 1–2 hours)
you go longer than 3 months between periods
you have bleeding in between periods
you have an unusual amount of pain before or during your period
your periods were regular then became irregular
Cramps
Some girls may notice physical or emotional changes around the time of their periods. Menstrual cramps are pretty common — in fact, more than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods. Doctors think that cramps are caused by prostaglandin, a chemical that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.

Depending on the girl, menstrual cramps can be dull and achy or sharp and intense, and they can sometimes be felt in the back as well as the abdomen. These cramps often become less uncomfortable and sometimes even disappear completely as a girl gets older.

Many girls and women find that over-the-counter pain medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) can relieve cramps, as can taking a warm bath or applying a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen. Exercising regularly throughout the monthly cycle may help lessen cramps, too. If these things don't help, ask your doctor for advice.

PMS and Pimples
Some girls and women find that they feel sad or easily irritated during the few days or week before their periods. Others may get angry more quickly than normal or cry more than usual. Some girls crave certain foods. These types of emotional changes may be the result of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

PMS is related to changes in the body's hormones. As hormone levels rise and fall during a woman's menstrual cycle, they can affect the way she feels, both emotionally and physically. Some girls, in addition to feeling more intense emotions than they usually do, notice physical changes along with their periods — some feel bloated or puffy because of water retention, others notice swollen and sore breasts, and some get headaches.

PMS usually goes away soon after a period begins, but it can come back month after month. Eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising may help relieve some of the symptoms of PMS. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your premenstrual symptoms.

It's also not uncommon for girls to have an acne flare-up during certain times of their cycle; again, this is due to hormones. Fortunately, the pimples associated with periods tend to become less of a problem as girls get older.

Pads, Tampons, and Liners
Once you begin menstruating, you'll need to use something to absorb the blood. Most girls use a pad or a tampon. But some use menstrual cups, which a girl inserts into her vagina to catch and hold the blood (instead of absorbing it, like a tampon).

There are so many products out there that it may take some experimenting before you find the one that works best for you. Some girls use only pads (particularly when they first start menstruating), some use only tampons, and some switch around — tampons during the day and pads at night, for example.

Girls who worry about leakage from a tampon often use a pantiliner, too, and some girls use liners alone on very light days of their periods.

Periods shouldn't get in the way of exercising, having fun, and enjoying life. Girls who are very active, particularly those who enjoy swimming, often find that tampons are the best option during sports.

If you have questions about pads, tampons, or coping with periods, ask a parent, health teacher, school nurse, or older sister.

School Counselors

Overwhelmed by classwork? Scared because your parents are splitting up? Worried about a friend? Feel like you don't fit in?

Sometimes it's just not possible to sort through tough times alone. Problems can build up and you may lose sleep, find you can't concentrate on homework, or even become depressed. When you need to talk to someone, your school counselor (sometimes called a guidance counselor) can be a great place to start.

Counselors Help You Cope
School counselors know how to listen and help. They'll take your problem seriously and work with you to find a good solution. School counselors are trained to help with everything — and it doesn't have to be just school stuff. A counselor can help you deal with the sadness when someone has died as well as advise you on taking the right classes to get into your dream college.

It takes a lot of training to be a school counselor. Most not only have college degrees but also master's degrees, as well as special training and certification in counseling. One of the many good things about school counselors is that they are up-to-date on all the top things that affect students, including any trends that might affect your school.

School counselors can give you all sorts of tips and support on solving problems and making good decisions. Chances are that whatever problem you have, your counselor has seen it before — and has lots of good advice on how to help you work through it. Counselors can give you tips on standing up for yourself if you're being bullied, managing stress, talking to your parents, and dealing with anger and other difficult moods. Counselors also can advise you on problems you may have with a teacher, such as communication difficulties or questions over grades.

School counselors are plugged in to the rest of the school community and, in many cases, the outside community as well. So they can refer students to outside resources like substance abuse treatment centers, professional therapists, and even health clinics.

It can help to know the different types of support your counselor offers — even if you don't think you need it now. Some schools and school districts use their websites to explain what the counselor does and how to get a counseling appointment. You may find their services listed under headings like "student resources," " student services," or "student counseling."

Your school's website may also explain the roles of other school staff members who can help students with problems or school issues. Depending on the size of your school, these people may include school psychologists, tutors, college or career counselors, and school nurses. The counselor's role varies from school to school and district to district, so don't assume your counselor provides the same services as the counselor in a friend's school.

How Do I See the Counselor?
You may have been assigned a counselor when you started the school year. Or your school may leave it up to you to go to the counseling office on your own. A counselor might also visit your class to talk about certain subjects and let you know when he or she is available. In some schools, teachers or school nurses refer students to counselors if they think there's something the student needs to work through. Different schools have different policies on putting students in touch with counselors.

Your school's website, administrator's office, or a trusted teacher can also tell you how to contact the counselor for an appointment. In many schools, there's a guidance secretary who coordinates appointments. Many counselors are willing to meet with students at times that fit into the student's schedule — such as before or after school or during lunch.

It's probably a good idea to visit your counselor and get to know him or her even if you don't have a problem. This helps you feel comfortable with the counselor in case you ever do need to meet in a time of crisis. It's usually easier to talk about a tough issue or a problem when you already feel comfortable with the counselor. Meeting your counselor when you're not in the middle of a crisis also gives you a chance to discuss such issues as what the counselor will keep confidential and how he or she works with a student to resolve a problem.

Student-Counselor Meetings
Counselors meet with students individually or in small groups. The most common setting for most students is a private meeting just between the student and the counselor. Most school counselors have offices where you can sit down and talk.

You don't need to know exactly what's bothering you when you talk with the school counselor. It's perfectly OK just to make an appointment because you're feeling bad or not doing as well in school as you'd like. It's the school counselor's job to help people figure out what's going on. In fact, it's often better to see your counselor as soon as you know something's up, even if you don't know what the trouble is. Chances are you'll be able to solve a problem faster when you have the skill and resources of the counselor behind you.

How often you meet with your counselor depends on the issue. Some concerns are dealt with in a one-time meeting. Others require regular meetings for a while. It all depends on the topic at hand and the plan that you and your counselor decide on.

Counselors also sometimes meet students in groups. Group meetings can really help people who are dealing with similar issues, such as a divorce. In these group settings, people can share their feelings and learn coping skills. Not only do you get great ideas in a group setting, but it can also help to know that other students are going through the same thing and that they understand.

Counselors often come into the classroom, too, to teach a class on a subject that affects everyone, such as good study skills.

Sometimes the counselor might meet with you and a teacher or you and a parent — especially if the teacher or your parent has asked for the meeting.

How Confidential Is It?
When you meet privately with a school counselor, your conversation will most likely be confidential. The counselor isn't going to go blabbing your business around school. Different schools have different policies, though. So talk directly with your counselor about what he or she considers confidential.

In very rare cases, a counselor is unable to keep information confidential. A counselor who thinks that someone is at risk of being harmed is required by law to share that information. Even in these rare cases, the counselor will share that information only with the people who need to know.

People sometimes worry that other students will think they're seeing the counselor because they have major problems or they're in trouble. But in most schools the counselor deals with lots of school issues — as well as personal ones. So you could be meeting to get career counseling or advice on which classes to take for college. Your friends and classmates don't need to know why you're seeing the counselor unless you choose to tell them.

Your school counselor is someone who is separate from your life — a neutral adult who isn't a parent, relative, or teacher. Your school counselor isn't a therapist. (So if you see your counselor, it's not the same as getting therapy.) If you need help in some way that the school counselor can't provide, he or she can give you information about other resources, such as the name of a therapist.

No matter what your problem, try to think of the counselor as someone who's on your side. Even if you've had a bad experience in the past with another counselor or a private therapist, don't hesitate to contact your school counselor — or talk to the counseling office about seeing someone else if you don't click with your current counselor. Every counselor is different, and most understand that it's natural for people to be more comfortable with some individuals than others.

Don't be surprised if your parents know your school counselor. They may even be in touch with each other. Sometimes counselors offer workshops for parents, with or without their kids, about topics such as study skills or preventing drug abuse. It's good for the counselor and your parents to know each other when everything is going OK. That way, if any problems come up — like if you're being bullied or there's a death in the family and you have to be out of school — they'll be able to work together comfortably.

If you're seeing your counselor and your parents don't know about it, don't worry that the counselor will talk to them about your meetings. Unless you've given the counselor the feeling that you may harm yourself or others, what's said in your meetings will stay just between you and the counselor.

School counselors are all about helping to make your school experience the best it can be. The role of the school counselor today is very different from what it was like when your parents were in school. Instead of just focusing on schoolwork and careers, today's counselors are there for students in a broader way. They help students handle almost any problem that might get in the way of learning, guide students to productive futures, and try to create a positive environment for everyone at school. So if you need a counselor's advice, just ask!