Planet Puberty: Helping Your Young Person Navigate Puberty with Confidence

Planet Puberty: Helping Your Young Person Navigate Puberty with Confidence

This session provides an introduction to Planet Puberty, a practical resource designed to provide parents and carers with information and resources to support their young people in navigating puberty with confidence.

Together, we will explore the foundational skills that help young people feel confident and stay safe, including concepts such as consent and understanding public and private. We will explore ways to develop and build on these skills as your young person grows.

The session will also cover effective strategies and resources for supporting physical developments, including menstruation, hygiene, and erections. It will equip parents and carers to have open, age-appropriate conversations throughout the puberty journey.

Presenter

Emily McCarthy
Leads Planet Puberty
Health Promotion Team Leader
Family Planning Australia

Biography

Emily McCarthy is the Health Promotion Team Leader at Family Planning NSW and leads the Planet Puberty team, which develops accessible, evidence-based resources for parents and carers of young people with autism and intellectual disability.
With a Master’s degree in Teaching and Learning and more than nine years’ experience in education.

Emily specialises in sexual and reproductive health and rights education. She has worked with international Ministries of Education to strengthen Comprehensive Sexuality Education curricula and is passionate about ensuring all young people have access to inclusive, accessible, and evidence-based health education.

Emily likes ocean swimming, playing board games (especially Mahjong), and vegetarian cooking.

Theme: Health and Puberty
Audience: Parents, whānau and professionals