For most people, puberty is a time we think in new ways about lots of things about ourselves such as who we are, what we like, and who we like.
You are always changing and growing. But what makes you ‘you’? Things like your behaviour, your interests, your personality, your favorite foods. We all have lots of habits and quirks that are unique to each of us.
Additionally, most people start to understand whether they like (or are attracted to) men, woman, anyone, or also no one at all during this time. This is called your ‘sexual orientation’. You could be straight (heterosexual) – where you are attracted to people of the opposite sex to you; gay or lesbian (homosexual) – where you are attracted to people of the same sex as you, a-sexual – where you are not sexually atttracted to anyone, or bisexual, queer or many other definitions that include a mixture of gender and sexual expression/identity.
It can get complicated but try not to confuse your sexual orientation with the words ‘gender’ or ‘sex’.