Addiction - (say: uh-DIK-shun)
This is a condition where you become dependent on, or can't do without, physical substances or an activity to the point that stopping it is very hard and causes severe physical and mental reactions. Substances you can become addicted to include tobacco, alcohol, and drugs (both illegal and prescription drugs). Activities that can be addicting include lying, stealing, and gambling. Addiction can be treated with counseling and, in some cases, medication.

Adolescence - (say: add-ul-ESS-ence)
The period of life from puberty to adulthood when a young person "grows up."

Adrenal glands - (say: a-DREE-nal)
A pair of small glands, each of which sits on top of the kidneys. These glands produce hormones that help to control the body's heart rate, blood pressure, the way food gets used, and other functions. They make the hormone adrenaline, which the body releases in response to low blood levels of glucose (sugar), as well as exercise and stress.

Asphyxiation
Suffocation

Blood pressure
As blood is pumped from your heart through your body, the blood exerts force or pressure against the blood vessel walls. Your blood pressure reading is a measure of this pressure. When that reading goes above a certain point, it is called high blood pressure or hypertension, which can be lowered and controlled with medication and changes in lifestyle and diet.

Clinical depression - (say: KLIN-i-kul dee-PRESH-un)
Clinical, or major, depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts. It affects the way a person functions, eats and sleeps, feels about herself, and thinks about things. Depression is not the same as a passing "down" mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be willed or wished away. This condition can be treated with medication and counseling.

Douching - (say: DOO-shing)
Douching is rinsing or cleaning out the vagina, usually with a prepackaged mix of fluids. The water or solutions are held in a bottle and squirted into the vagina through tubing and a nozzle. Health care providers no longer suggest douching to clean the vagina. Douching changes the delicate chemical balance in the vagina (and the vaginal flora), which can make a woman more prone to bacterial infections.

Eating disorders
An eating disorder is a severe illness that requires help from a health care provider, the sooner the better. Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder where a person binges, or eats a large amount of food all at once and then purges, or forces themselves to vomit, takes laxatives, or diuretics (water pills). Starving yourself by eating very little or nothing at all is another eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. People who have this condition can have a strong fear of body fat and weight gain. Binge eating disorder happens when a person cannot control her desire to overeat and often keeps the extreme eating a secret. Unlike bulimia, with binge eating disorder, a person does not purge her food. Extreme exercise to control weight is now being looked at by experts as another type of eating disorder. Girls may be more at risk for eating disorders because of a desire to have the "ideal" figure often shown in the popular media (TV, magazines, movies). While the exact cause of eating disorders is unknown, personality, genetics, environment and body chemistry may play a role in developing one.

Estrogen - (say: ES-tro-jin)
A female hormone produced by the ovaries. Estrogen plays important roles in puberty, the menstrual cycle, and in reproduction.

Fallopian tubes - (say: fa-LO-pee-in)
The organs that connect the ovaries to the uterus. There is a fallopian tube on each side of the uterus. When one of the ovaries releases an egg, it travels through the fallopian tube toward the uterus. Fertilization (when a man's sperm and a woman's egg join together) usually happens in the fallopian tube.

Genes - (say: jeans)
Genes come from both parents and are responsible for inherited characteristics, such as eye and hair color. Genes are in all body cells.

Genital region - (say: JEN-i-tul)
The external reproductive or sex organs (sometimes referred to as a person's private parts).

Halitosis - (say: HAL-i-TOE-sis)
Offensive or bad breath.

Homicide - (say: HOM-uh-side)
The killing of one person by another. Homicide is not legal and is a punishable crime.

Hormone - (say: HOR-moan)
A hormone is a natural body chemical, such as estrogen, that has effects on or controls other parts of the body. Synthetic hormones, such as birth control pills, are drugs similar to human hormones.

Immune system - (say: im-YOON)
A complex system whose job is to protect the body against infection and foreign substances. The immune system works to seek out, identify, and kill invaders.

Menarche - (say: MEN-r-kee)
The first menstrual period or beginning of menstruation.

Menopause - (say: MEN-o-pawz)
The last menstrual period or end of menstruation. The average age of menopause is 50. After menopause, a woman can no longer become pregnant.

Menstruation - (say: men-stroo-AY-shun)
The monthly period or menstrual bleeding. During menstruation, the extra blood and tissue that built up inside the uterus during the menstrual cycle is expelled through the vagina, usually over a period of 3-7 days.

Ovaries - (say: O-var-eez)
Two organs (about the size of an almond or grape), one on each side of the uterus, in the pelvis of a female. The ovaries contain eggs (ova) and make female hormones. When one of the ovaries releases an egg each month as part of the menstrual cycle, it is called ovulation.

Puberty - (say: PYOO-bur-tee)
The process of developing from a child to sexual maturity, when a person becomes capable of having children. In a girl, puberty includes a growth spurt, development of breasts and hips, growth of body hair, and the beginning of menstruation (having periods).

Relaxation techniques
These are techniques, or things that you can do, to help you relax. They are often used for reducing stress. Relaxation techniques include meditation (sitting still, breathing slowly and clearing your mind), yoga, deep breathing, and visualization (closing your eyes and seeing a scene that relaxes you, such as a beach or a mountain lake).

Reproductive organs - (say: ree-pro-DUCK-tiv) The parts of the body involved in reproduction (producing a baby). In a female, they include the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and vagina.

Self-esteem
How you feel about yourself - how you feel about who you are, the way you act, and how you look. When a person does not think too highly of themselves, she is said to have low self-esteem.

Uterus - (say: YOO-ter-us)
Also called the womb. The uterus is a pear-shaped, hollow organ in a female's pelvis where a baby develops during pregnancy. The uterus is made up of muscle with an inside lining called the endometrium. The endometrium builds up and thickens during the menstrual cycle to prepare for a possible pregnancy each month. But if no pregnancy occurs, the extra tissue and blood are shed during menstruation.

Vagina - (say: vah-JYE-na)
Sometimes called the birth canal. The vagina is a muscular passage that leads down from the cervix, (the lower part of the uterus) to the outside of a female's body. During menstruation, menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the cervix and out of the body through the vagina.