UAMS Presents First Guyology® Puberty Session
| During the inaugural Guyology® session at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Tim Langford, M.D., chair of the Department of Urology, stood on stage at the Fred Smith Auditorium and lifted a sports cup high in the air.
While holding the item, he looked out into a crowd comprised mostly of preteen males and asked if anyone could identify the object.
An attendee enthusiastically raised his hand. Langford acknowledged the young man, who immediately yelled, “A cup!”
Langford responded, “Yes. That is correct.”
He then explained why the object is important and the proper way to wear it.
Langford’s use of sports, and a tangible item to help prove a point embodied the overall tenor of the April 26 session. Throughout Guyology®, each presenter provided info in a way that was relatable, frank, and age appropriate. Among the topics covered were growth and development, hygiene, outside body parts, inside body parts, health and nutrition, emotions, cautious internet use, and girls’ puberty.
Each youth received a Guyology® workbook comprised of data and simple assignments intended to explain what happens during puberty. Organizers primarily adhered to a national Guyology® curriculum designed to connect with the youth.
“Medical professionals have found that it’s a format that works,” Langford said. “We individualized it to a small degree. But we wanted to use something that’s proven to work.”
In addition to Langford, the panel was made up of Ashay Patel, D.O., an associate professor of urology, section chief of Pediatric Urology who sees patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and Brian Rayburn, PA, a physician assistant at UAMS Health Urology Clinic.
Guyology® is an offshoot of Girlology®, which has existed for several years. UAMS presented its first Girlology® session in August 2022. Since then, several more sessions have been held, including one a couple of hours after Guyology®, and more than 1,800 families have attended.
Youths and their parents wait for the start of the first University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Guyology session.
“Guyology® was a great opportunity to explain important developmental milestones to kids in a way they can understand,” said Patel. “They now know what’s going to happen to their body over the next five to six years. Guyology® also allowed them to ask questions alongside their parents. With the parents being there, they too could receive the same information we taught the kids.”
“We wanted to make everything relatable to the youth,” Patel said. “Having the visual slides helped us explain the information, and it gave the young men a point of reference. That also helps generate additional conversations at home between the kid and their parent.”
Later in the day, UAMS hosted Girlology® with Nirvana Manning, M.D., professor and chair of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Laura Hollenbach, M.D., associate professor in the department; and Kathryn Stambough, M.D., an assistant professor in the department’s Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology who sees patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Girlology® attendees learned about growth and development; bras and bra shopping; hygiene and hair management; nutrition and growth; menstruation and menstrual hygiene; respect for self and others; moods and emotions; and internet safety and curiosity.
“Many parents find it difficult to talk about puberty with their children. These programs are designed to make it easier to start these important conversations,” said Manning. “With both of these programs, our goal is to create a safe space for families where physicians provide medically accurate information, create a shared experience, and keep the lines of communication open in the future.”
Manning said UAMS is able to put on these events thanks to medical students who assist.
The students who helped with Guyology® are Brian Rayburn, Matt Mangan, Ian Hollis, Hallie Samuel, Kolby Payne, Tripti Shukla, Barry Klug, Emily Ledding, and Parker Stobaugh.
Meanwhile, Girlology® received student assistance from Sophie Tyrer, Macy Owens, Abigail Doran, Grace Tidwell, Sam Kagy, Terry Uhm, Emily Bivens, Riley Swafford, Megan Pelley, and Naya Taylor.
David Heister, Jay Hudkins and Mark Stevens each accompanied a youth to Guyology®. They were all thoroughly impressed, especially with it being the first time UAMS hosted the conference.
“It’s important that my son knows what he’s getting into the next couple of years,” Heister said. “They did a great job presenting the info in a clear manner. They made a big effort to present the information in a way that’s palatable to the kids. It also seemed like the kids were having a good time.”
Stevens referenced that prior to Guyology®, he and his son had conversations about puberty and how life would change. The event served as an ideal complement to what he’s teaching his son.
“This conference showed him that there are kids similar to him who are going through this process as well,” Stevens said. “I like how it was a kid-friendly presentation with cartoons, simple pictures, things that make them more comfortable engaging in these talks in a community setting. It helps make things a lot less awkward and shows that it’s a natural part of life.”
Hudkins said Guyology® had a sense of candor that’s exactly what the kids need. He acknowledged that, despite being an adult, he too had fun at the conference.
Ashay Patel, D.O., a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) associate professor of urology, speaks during the inaugural Guyology conference.
“It’s important that my son understands what happens during puberty, by learning from physicians, instead of his friends and being told something that’s incorrect,” Hudkins said. “I enjoyed how the presenters were real, they were honest, they talked at a level that the children could understand rather than talking over their heads.
“This is a must attend kind of event for parents who want to talk to their child about puberty but may not know how. They can get professional advice and use it at home.”
For Langford, Guyology® provides an essential service.
“This event is a UAMS way to serve the community by providing medical facts,” Langford said. “We want our adolescents to be confident and well-informed as they go through puberty.”
Manning is proud of how Girology® and Guyology® will help the general public understand that health professionals are willing to provide the youth with guidance relating to sensitive subjects.
“By creating these shared experiences with a trusted caregiver, we want to open the door for future conversations when things get harder or more complicated,” she said. “We want these kids to know there is someone that will always have their back and give good information.”