Puberty in Males

Age 10-15

 

 

Definition: Puberty is the time when your body undergoes a revolution that dramatically changes the adolescent’s anatomy, physiology, and physical appearance. 

 

STUFF TO KNOW

  • Puberty in boys comes later than for girls. 
  • All teens go through puberty at some point.
  • Puberty affects everyone in different ways.
  • The duration between first pubertal event and last can be anywhere between one year and six years. 

 

GROWTH IN BOYS

  • One of the earliest signs of puberty for boys is the growth spurt, or rapid increase in height. 
  • Physical changes in boys include getting taller, broader shoulders, gaining weight, increased muscle mass, a deeper voice, and hair.
  •  Some parts of the body grow fastest than others, called asynchronicity.  The feet, hands, and head are the first to grow, followed by the arms and legs. 
  • Boys develop less body fat then girls. 
  • Heart becomes larger during puberty.

 

HORMONAL CHANGES

  • Puberty starts when an extra amount of chemicals called hormones start being produced. 
  • The pituitary gland releases these hormones.
  • Two sex hormones are estrogen and androgen. The most important estrogen hormone is estradoil and the most important androgen is testosterone.  Both boys and girls produce estradiol and testosterone. 
  • Estradiol production is about twice as high prior to puberty in boys.

 

PRIMARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS

  • Primary sex characteristics involve the production of sperm in boys and the development of sex organs. 
  • Males are born with no sperm and only produce it when they reach puberty. 
  • The first production of sperm is called spermarche, and takes place around age 12. 
  • Males produce millions of sperm every day. 
  • Both the penis and the testes grow substantially during this time.  (Penis doubles in length and diameter)
  • The growth allows room for the sperm. 

 

 

SECONDARY SEX CHARACTERISTICS

  • Secondary sex characteristics are other bodily changes, not associated with reproduction.
  • Sweat glands increase production, which makes the skin oilier and more prone to acne. 
  • Skin becomes rougher, especially around the thighs and upper arms.
  • Hair growth in public areas, such as underneath arms, chest, face, shoulders, and back.
  • Bones become harder and more dense throughout the body. 

 

 

FAQ’s

 

Q. What happens to pubic hair after you shave it off? Will this be permanent or will it grow back? If it does grow back, would it become hairier than before?

A. Shaving your pubic hair is not a good idea, but it is not permanent. As the hair starts to grow back it will be very itchy and uncomfortable. If you only shave once, your hair usually grows as it was before. While shaving any body part may seem to increase hair growth, which may appear more coarse, the number of hair follicles actually stays the same. (What may have appeared to be increased hair growth when someone was maturing and beginning to shave was not due to shaving, but to normal growth and development).

Q.My left testicle hangs lower than my right one, is this normal?

A.Yes.

Q.What is an erection?

A.An erection is a hardening of the penis that occurs when tubes in the penile tissues fill up with blood. Usually, an erection causes the penis to enlarge and stand away from the body.

Q. Can masturbating hurt me?

A. No, not really. You might get sore if you are masturbating a lot. If you feel sore from masturbating too much, than that is too much for you.

Q. Why do I sweat so much?

A. When your body starts to change, your 3 million sweat glands become more active. Sweating plays an important role in the body because it helps maintain body temperature by cooling you down.

Q. Should or can I pop my pimples?

A.It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin.  Your pimple will disappear sooner rather than later, and by leaving it alone you're less likely to be left with any reminders that it was there

Q.  Will our braces get stuck if I kiss a girl with them?

A.Probably not, thanks to advances in the way braces are designed and made. J

 

LINKS

  

 

 

 

SHARON BLANCH

Created for FCS 215: Adolescent Development

April 1, 2005