Puberty in Boys - Male

Puberty in Boys - Male Puberty

Puberty is the time when a boy's body becomes a man's body. It is a time of much physical and emotional growth. The average age that boys start puberty is around 11 1/2 years old. However, it can begin anywhere between 9 and 15 years. The physical changes usually take 3 to 4 years to be completed.

"master" gland in males called the pituitary gland controls all of this development. It is located in the brain, is about the size of a pea, and produces hormones that cause the testicles to produce male sex hormones. These hormones cause many of the physical changes that turn a boy's body into a young man's body (Puberty in boys, 2008).

What are the signs that puberty has started? The first thing your healthcare provider may notice is an increase in the size of the testicles. The first thing the boy will probably notice is pubic hair growth. At first it will be a few straight hairs. After some time the hair starts to curl and begins to spread in a triangle-like pattern. Soon after pubic hair begins, the penis starts to grow. At first the penis gets longer. After awhile, the penis also gets thicker. The scrotum changes as well. It hangs lower and gets looser (Sigel, 2009).

Testosterone works on many parts of the body. Near the beginning of puberty hair grows in the armpits. Testosterone causes the voice box to enlarge, and the voice starts to sound deeper. Since it takes awhile, the voice may go through a squeaky period. A boy may get embarrassed by it, but it is something that happens to most guys, and it usually doesn't last more than 6 months. Testosterone causes muscles to get bigger and stronger even without weight lifting. Towards the end of puberty, boys have a growth spurt, sometimes growing 4 to 6 inches taller in a year. Eventually the beard starts to grow. Hair may also grow elsewhere, including on the chest, stomach, and back (Sigel, 2009).

Puberty and adolescence is a complex time. As a boy goes through the physical changes of puberty he starts to experience a wide range of feelings. He is trying to figure out his place in the world. He becomes more independent and starts doing things without his parents. He may be influenced by his friends' ideas and feel pressure to do things that he may not agree with, like using drugs or alcohol. It is a time to start sorting out his values and decide what is right and wrong (Sigel, 2009).

Early Puberty

Precocious puberty is another term for early puberty. In boys, puberty is considered early if it occurs before the age of 9. Often there is no apparent cause. Sometimes early puberty runs in the family or there may be something affecting the release of hormones in the brain. All boys with early puberty should be checked by their healthcare provider. Precocious puberty may become a problem for a child. The reason is that early puberty can have an effect on a boy's final height if it is not treated. He may stop growing before reaching his expected height (Maniatis, 2009).

Early puberty is diagnosed by the boy's healthcare provider. He or she will examine the boy and measure height, weight, and bone age. The doctor checks the bone age by doing a simple X-ray of the hand and wrist to measure of the body's overall bone maturity. The doctor will also ask about your family history of early puberty.

Depending on the results of these tests, the boy may need a blood test to check his hormone levels. Sometimes, an MRI of the brain is done to check if anything is affecting the gland responsible for releasing hormones (Maniatis, 2009).

Treatment is needed if early puberty is likely to cause a boy not to reach his expected height or another underlying cause has been identified. Early puberty can be stopped with a medicine called Lupron. This medicine mimics a natural hormone in the body and is given as a shot once per month. It has no known side effects, and once the shots are stopped, puberty begins again normally (Maniatis, 2009).

Delayed Puberty

The term delayed puberty is usually applied to boys who develop more slowly than the average but who still eventually undergo full sexual development. Only in retrospect -- i.e., after the affected person reaches the age of 20 -- can one clearly differentiate these cases from the classic or incomplete forms of hypogonadotropic eunuchoidism -- an abnormally low secretion by the pituitary gland of gonadotropic hormone, the hormone that stimulates growth and activity of the sex glands (Reproductive system disease, 2009).

If there are social and psychological problems related to the sexual underdevelopment, therapy may consist of a course of chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta and secured from the urine of pregnant women. If puberty is merely delayed, it will usually progress normally after this treatment (Reproductive system disease, 2009).

More Physical Changes

We have covered a few of the changes a boy goes through during puberty. Here are a few additional physical signs: the body develops an increased number of red blood cells, sweat and oil glands become more active, and body odor changes, acne can develop, some boys develop small and temporary breast tissue, and the male reproductive system begins to work. Wet dreams and erections are also a normal part of this process. The wet dreams include ejaculation of semen. The erections may occur for no reason and go away quickly (Puberty in boys, 2008).

Emotional Changes

Besides the many physical changes boys go through during puberty, there are also emotional and psychological changes that occur. Most of these are a direct result of the physical changes taking place.

Coping with your changing body -- young people have to deal with rapid physical change; all of a sudden, they have a new body shape and they may begin to feel self-conscious about how they look. They might feel embarrassed if they feel different to their friends. Other people may start to respond to them differently. They look older and may be treated as an older person.

Frustration because they feel different -- it can be difficult to cope with early physical changes or it also can be frustrating waiting for physical changes to happen (Puberty, 2007).

Mood swings -- the rapid and abrupt release of hormones into the body can bring about extremes in emotion and mood. it's a temporary imbalance and will settle down. Parents might complain about their son's moods, but it's not his fault. it's just those wild hormones affecting the way he feels (Puberty, 2007). What's important, though, is that he finds a way to recognize and manage his emotions. This sounds a lot easier than it is. Sometimes he may feel a certain way for no reason at all. The trick is for him to look at all the feelings he is feeling -- mad, sad, scared, or whatever -- and decide what's really going on inside (Life after puberty, 2006).

Energy changes -- the fast physical growth and other changes in a boy's body can mean he swings between having boundless energy and being extremely tired (Puberty, 2007).

How He Thinks Changes Too

He's getting smarter, and he's learned a lot about how life works. As a kid, he may have heard the old "I'll tell you when you're older" brush-off. Now he IS older, his mind is developing, and he uses reason and experience to make decisions (Life after puberty, 2006).

Boys are starting to choose their own standards and ideals; to form their own ideas, morals and values; and to rely less on their parents for knowledge about life and the world. They may be starting to think about some deep questions like 'Who am I?', 'Why am I here?' Or 'What is the meaning of life?'.

They are developing their own identity as an individual rather than as a part of the family. This could mean showing their parents or the world that they have very different individual tastes in their personal style. Some young people choose to do this in wild ways, while others take a more subtle approach (Puberty, 2007).

Social Changes

Socio-emotional change is a fancy way to say learning new social skills. During puberty, young adolescents begin to learn new social skills and expand their social world. Here one begins to develop and maintain close, supportive, personal friendships with others of the same age. This skill is essential to master as it helps you develop into a well-adjusted, competent adult (Dautaj, n.d.).

The development of this skill is further aided by the involvement in some group, such as the school newspaper, team sports, etc. In addition to close relationships with peers, maintaining a close and personal relationship with family is also important for a healthy sense of self. While he may look to his peers for guidance in dress, hairstyle and entertainment, it is through close personal family relationships that he learns affection, values and decision-making abilities; all needed ingredients to become a fully functioning adult (Dautaj, n.d.).