During adolescence, males and females go through changes that affect them both physically and mentally. These changes range from the maturing of the brain to physical growth in body size. Many of these changes are hormonal in nature and are caused by puberty.
Male Puberty
The onset of male puberty usually occurs between the ages of ten and sixteen. This stage of an adolescent’s life is marked by a rapid increase in body size, often termed growth spurts.
The arms, legs, hands, and feet of young males tend to grow faster than other body areas which can cause feelings of awkwardness as well as cause the young male to experience a decrease in their hand-eye coordination.
The voice goes through changes as it deepens and hair begins to appear in regions such as under the arms, the groin area, the legs and arms, as well as the chest. Males going through puberty are more susceptible to acne because of the skin’s increased oil production.
The penis and testes of young males will grow during this period of puberty and at times ejaculations will be experienced during sleep. These ejaculations are called wet dreams and are completely normal.
Female Puberty
Female puberty begins with a female’s first menstrual cycle. On average, girls reach puberty faster than boys, usually between the ages of nine and thirteen.
This move into puberty signifies that a female is physically capable of reproducing. Breast development begins to occur, as well as hair growth in the region of the groin, legs, and underarms.
The hip region begins to widen and feelings of clumsiness may become apparent due to the rapid rate in which the feet and hands begin to grow. A female’s menstrual cycle usually occurs every 21 to 35 days and lasts from three to eight days.
It is not uncommon for a young female’s periods to be irregular due to the imbalance of hormones present for some during puberty.
General Care
Both males and females experience emotional changes associated with their physical changes and need the support and reassurance of adults in order to deal with these changes in a healthy manner.
