ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of some of the developmental changes central to understanding these changing relationships, with a focus on promoting healthy teens and families. Adolescence is the lifespan stage in which individuals become capable of sexual reproduction. Primary sex characteristics are those directly related to reproduction, such as maturation of the sex organs, including menarche, or the onset of menstruation, and spermarche, or the onset of the ability to ejaculate sperm. Secondary sex characteristics are the more visible changes that accompany puberty but do not affect reproduction. Promoting positive sexual health through education is a value shared by many professionals in the field of human development and family studies (HDFS). The Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education represent a valuable resource for promoting positive sexual health from early childhood through adolescence. Teen parent programs are another service often provided by school districts or other educational agencies.
