By Zubeida Mustafa
THE teenage years are not a trouble-free phase in a young person’s life. The transition to adulthood poses many challenges, mainly due to physiological reasons, including hormonal changes in the body and mental and emotional factors caused by a new experience. It helps if girls and boys are given knowledge about puberty in advance. It is generally believed that it is the job of the family and the teachers to play the role of guide in such matters. But even today, this is not the case universally, given society’s prudish norms and taboos.