School: Minister Destiny Testimony Schools Track: Youth Month: 8 of 12 (self-paced: all sections are posted, and you learn at your own pace) Presented by: Minister Destiny Marie Morgan, Muslim Ordained Minister
This lesson is educational information and is not legal advice and not medical advice. Laws vary by state. If you are in danger right now, call 911.
Before you start
- This space is private. Your answers are checked in your own browser as you go; your progress and scores are saved only on this device.
- We never ask your name. Not here, not on the certificate. If you earn a certificate, you download it first and write your own name on it after.
- How you pass this month: Take the Month 8 test at the end and score 80% or higher to earn this month's certificate. You can retake it as many times as you need — each retake presents the questions in a different order, with the answer choices in a different order too.
- No shame here. Every question in this lesson is one that doctors, nurses, and trusted adults hear from young people all the time. Wondering about your own body is normal and healthy.
- If you are in danger right now: call 911. You can also call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line, any time, day or night.
The lesson
1. Puberty — what changes, and why the timing is different for everyone
Puberty is the stage when a child's body gradually becomes an adult body. It is driven by hormones, which are chemical messengers made inside the body. There is no single correct starting age. Some young people notice changes early, others later, and both patterns can be completely normal. Comparing your timeline to a friend's timeline tells you almost nothing about your own health.
Changes many young people notice include growing taller quickly, gaining weight as the body shape changes, sweat and body odor becoming stronger, and hair growing in new places, such as under the arms and around the private parts. Skin often becomes more oily, which is why acne is so common in these years. Voices may deepen, sometimes unevenly at first. For young people who menstruate, periods begin during puberty; for others, the body begins producing sperm. Mood, energy, and sleep needs shift too, because hormones affect the brain as well as the rest of the body.
What helps most is accurate information and patience. Bodies do not change on a schedule you control, and teasing someone about being early, late, tall, short, or different is never okay. If a change worries you — pain, a very early or very late start compared with most peers, or anything that feels wrong — that is a question for a doctor or your school nurse, not something to diagnose from social media videos.
2. Periods and everyday body changes, in plain language
A period is the regular shedding of the lining of the uterus, and it is a normal sign that the body is maturing. Cycles are often irregular in the first years, which is common, though severe pain, very heavy bleeding, or missing school regularly because of symptoms are reasons to see a doctor. Keeping spare supplies in a bag, knowing where the nurse's office is, and having a trusted adult you can tell without embarrassment make school days much easier.
All bodies also produce normal discharges, sweat, and odors that change during puberty. Wet dreams during sleep can happen and are a normal body process, not something shameful or something a person chooses. Erections that happen unexpectedly are also a normal body response during these years and usually pass on their own. None of these everyday experiences make a person dirty, bad, or ready for anything — they are simply signs of a growing body doing its job.
If you ever notice a new lump, lasting pain, a rash that spreads, unusual discharge with itching or a bad smell, or an injury to your private parts, skip the embarrassment and get checked. Health professionals have seen all of it before, and early care prevents small issues from becoming bigger ones.
3. Hygiene that actually works
Hygiene is not about looking perfect. It is about keeping skin, teeth, and body healthy and comfortable. A few steady habits cover most of it:
- Bathe or shower regularly, washing with soap, including underarms and around private parts — washing the outside of the body only, gently, with warm water.
- Put on clean underwear and socks each day, and change out of sweaty sports clothes instead of staying in them for hours.
- Use deodorant on clean, dry underarms if body odor bothers you; it works poorly on top of old sweat.
- Brush teeth twice a day, floss once a day if you can, and keep sugary drinks as an occasional thing rather than an all-day habit.
- Wash hands with soap after the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or handling shared equipment.
- Resist popping pimples, which can push infection deeper and leave marks; gentle washing and time help more, and a doctor can advise if acne is severe or painful.
Laundry access, money for supplies, or a crowded bathroom at home can make these habits harder. That is a resource problem, not a character problem. Your school counselor or nurse can often connect families with supplies quietly. Asking for soap, pads, or deodorant is a health request, and adults at school handle these requests regularly and discreetly.
4. Food, movement, sleep, and screens — the four basics
Growing bodies need real fuel. Regular meals with a mix of foods — grains, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy or alternatives — support growth, mood, and concentration far better than skipping meals and crashing on snacks later. Water is the default drink your body runs on. Energy drinks and heavy caffeine can wreck sleep and raise anxiety, even when they promise focus.
Movement most days helps almost everything this month is about: sleep, mood, cramps, stress, and growth. It does not have to be a team sport. Walking, biking, dancing, swimming, or playing outside all count. Sleep is the third basic, and teenagers generally need more of it than adults think — a tired brain struggles with school, emotions, and body image at the same time. A regular wind-down time, a darker room, and keeping the phone charging outside arm's reach are small changes with outsized effects.
Screens are the fourth basic because they shape what you believe is "normal." Edited photos, filters, and fitness influencers selling products are not medical information. A body that is fed, rested, moving, and growing is a healthy body even if it does not look like an image online.
5. Seeing a doctor — what a checkup is really like
A checkup is a routine visit to track growth and catch problems early, even when you feel fine. Typically, a nurse or medical assistant checks your height, weight, and blood pressure and asks about allergies and medicines. The doctor asks about eating, sleep, activity, school, mood, and safety, examines your body by listening to your heart and lungs and checking areas like your ears, throat, back, and stomach, and may recommend vaccines or lab tests based on your age and history. You can ask what each part is for, before it happens.
You also have a voice in the room. You can ask for a parent or caregiver to stay or to step out for part of the talk, depending on the office and the topic — many doctors offer young people a few minutes of private conversation as they get older, because honest answers lead to better care. What you share in that private time is generally kept private, with an important limit health professionals explain: if someone is hurting you, or you may seriously hurt yourself or someone else, they must act to protect safety.
If something hurts, say so in plain words: where, since when, and how much it changes what you can do. Doctors would rather check ten things that turn out fine than miss the one thing that needed care. Bring a short written list of questions so nerves do not erase them, and write down the answers before you leave. For anything urgent — trouble breathing, a high fever that will not come down, a serious injury, or signs of poisoning — do not wait for a routine appointment. Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222, and emergencies are 911.
6. Body safety rules that never change
Your body belongs to you. Private parts are the parts covered by a swimsuit, and the rules around them are simple and strict:
- No one — not a relative, not a coach, not an older teen, not anyone — should touch your private parts, ask you to touch theirs, or show you sexual pictures or ask you for them, except for a real medical exam with a health professional, explained to you, for your health.
- Secrets about touching are never secrets you must keep. A person who says "this is our secret" about touching is breaking the rule, not you.
- Your "no" and your discomfort matter even with hugs, tickling, and lap-sitting. You can move away, say stop, and tell a trusted adult if someone ignores that.
- If something already happened, it was not your fault, no matter what you wore, said, or did before it. Tell a trusted adult, or call Childhelp at 1-800-422-4453 or RAINN at 1-800-656-4673.
These rules protect you and also help you protect younger kids around you. If a younger child tells you something worrying about touching, believe them, do not promise secrecy, and tell a trusted adult the same day.
7. Asking the questions you are scared to ask
Most young people carry at least one body question they have never said out loud. They worry the question is weird, gross, or proof that something is wrong with them. In reality, health professionals rank almost all of these questions as completely ordinary. The scariest part is only the first sentence.
Use these steps to ask any health question safely:
- Choose the right person: a doctor, your school nurse, a counselor, or a trusted adult — not a comment section, not an older teen who brags, not a video selling something.
- Write the question down first. Reading your own sentence off paper or a phone is allowed, and professionals are used to it.
- Start with a simple opener: "This is embarrassing for me, but I need to ask about my body."
- Ask one question at a time, and ask them to explain any hard word they use.
- If the first adult dismisses you, ask a second one. A brushed-off health question deserves another try, not silence.
What not to do: do not trade body photos for "advice" from anyone online, ever. Do not try strong creams, pills, supplements, or home remedies recommended in videos without a health professional — growing bodies react differently, and some products cause real harm. And do not let shame delay care for pain, injury, or possible infection. Shame fades quickly; untreated problems do not.
8. Respecting other people's bodies and privacy
Body respect runs in both directions. Do not comment on classmates' body changes, repeat health gossip, or share anyone's private information about periods, development, medical visits, or anything similar. Never photograph or record anyone in a bathroom, locker room, or changing space — that is a serious harm and can become a legal problem as well as a school one. If a friend confides a health worry, your job is small and powerful: listen, do not laugh, do not spread it, and encourage them to tell a trusted adult or health professional, offering to walk with them to the nurse if that helps.
9. You deserve respectful care — every time
Doctors, nurses, dentists, and counselors are there to help you — and most of them try hard to do it well. But you should know this clearly, because it protects you: you deserve respectful care, every single time, no matter what. That does not change because of your race, your family's language, your religion or how you dress, your body size, a disability, or what kind of insurance your family has. If a visit ever feels dismissive or wrong, that is information — not something wrong with you.
Here is what respectful care looks like, and what you are allowed to expect:
- You get listened to. If you say something hurts or feels wrong, it should be taken seriously and checked — not waved away. You know your body. Your report matters.
- You can ask questions. "What is this for?" "What else could this be?" "Can you explain that in simpler words?" Asking is never rude. A good provider expects questions.
- You can bring a trusted adult. A parent, guardian, or another trusted adult can be with you, hear what is said, and speak up with you. For most checkup conversations, you can also ask for a moment to talk with the provider privately — both are normal.
- Your body rules still apply. From Month 1 and Section 6 of this month: exams are explained first, touching is only for the medical reason, and you can always ask what is happening and why.
- If you feel dismissed, you have moves. Say, calmly: "I need this written down — that I reported this pain." Ask a trusted adult to help you ask for a second opinion or a different provider. If cost or insurance is the barrier, tell a trusted adult that too — schools, clinics, and community health centers have people whose job is solving exactly that.
Sometimes adults face the same problem in bigger form — Minister Destiny's Adult school teaches grown-ups how to speak up at the doctor and where to complain, in an added unit on medical discrimination. The lesson starts here, with you: being young does not make your pain smaller, your questions less important, or your dignity negotiable.
Words to know — Month 8
- Puberty — the stage when a child's body gradually matures into an adult body.
- Hormones — chemical messengers in the body that guide growth and body changes.
- Menstruation (period) — the regular shedding of the lining of the uterus as the body matures.
- Hygiene — habits that keep the body clean and healthy, like bathing, clean clothes, and tooth care.
- Checkup — a routine doctor visit to track growth and catch health problems early.
- Vaccine — a medicine that trains the body's defenses to fight a specific illness.
- Private parts — the parts of the body covered by a swimsuit; they belong to you alone.
- Confidential — kept private, with a safety limit if someone may be seriously hurt.
- School nurse — a health professional at school who can answer body questions and help with illness or injury.
Myths vs facts — Month 8
- Myth: Everyone's body changes at the same age, so being earlier or later means something is wrong. Fact: Puberty timing varies widely, and early or late compared with friends is usually normal; a doctor can confirm if you are worried.
- Myth: Asking a doctor an embarrassing question will shock them. Fact: Doctors and nurses hear these questions daily and would rather you ask than guess from videos.
- Myth: If a part of your body looks different from photos online, it is unhealthy. Fact: Edited and filtered images are not medical standards; health is about how your body works and feels, not matching a picture.
- Myth: You must keep a secret if an adult says touching is "our secret." Fact: Secrets about touching are never yours to keep — telling a trusted adult is always the right move.
What would you do? — Month 8
The situation: For two weeks you have had a painful, itchy rash in a private area. You are embarrassed and have told no one. A video online says a strong cream sold on a shopping site will "fix anything in three days." Your friend says just order it and stop worrying.
Walk it through:
- Notice the red flags in the video's promise: fixes anything, fast deadline, and selling a product — that is advertising, not medical care.
- Do not order or apply a strong product to sensitive skin without a health professional; the wrong cream can make a rash worse.
- Pick your person: your school nurse is often the easiest first step, and you can read your question from a written note if speaking is hard.
- Use the opener from this lesson: "This is embarrassing for me, but I need help with a health problem."
- Follow the professional's plan, and tell a trusted adult if symptoms get worse, spread, or do not improve when the professional said they should.
Try this — Month 8
Make a private "my health basics" card for your wallet, bag, or phone notes.
- List your four basics for this week: one regular meal you actually eat, one way you like to move, your target bedtime, and your hygiene essentials.
- Write the name of your doctor's office if you know it, plus your school nurse's name and office location.
- Write three body or health questions you have — just for yourself — and star the one you will ask at your next checkup or nurse visit.
- Add the help lines from this lesson to the back of the card.
Resources to keep — Month 8
- Emergency: 911
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
- RAINN: 1-800-656-4673
- Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222
- Your school counselor or nurse, a trusted adult, and your local library can help you find reliable health information.
What you earned / what's next — Month 8
✅ Month 8 complete (test score 80% or higher): You can explain puberty in plain language, name hygiene and health basics that work, describe what a checkup is like, state the body safety rules without hesitation, and ask a health question without shame.
What's next: Month 9 — The Juvenile Court Process — Detention, DYS, Probation, Step by Step: what actually happens, in order, if a young person enters the juvenile court system in Massachusetts, and the rights that travel with them.
Minister Destiny Testimony Schools — Youth. Lessons are educational information, written in plain language. If you or someone you know is in danger, call 911. Help lines: 988 (call/text) · Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) · Childhelp 1-800-422-4453.