Puberty
- The facts
- For girls, this means
- For boys, this means
- When does puberty begin?
- How do I know if I'm normal?
- Why does puberty happen?
- Things that might worry you
- Peer group pressure
- Jack's story
The facts
Puberty changes girls into women and boys into men. It's when your sexual organs develop, and you start looking like an adult rather than a child. On average, girls start puberty slightly earlier than boys.1,2
For girls, this means:
- you start to develop breasts
- your hips become rounder and broader
- your hands and feet get larger
- your pubic and underarm hair starts to grow
- you start your periods
- you put on weight (absolutely normal! Between the ages of 10 and 18, you will probably double in weight)3
For boys, this means:
- your penis and testicles start to grow larger
- your shoulders grow bigger and you get harder muscles
- your hands and feet become larger
- your pubic and underarm hair starts to grow
- your Adam's apple gets bigger and your voice becomes deeper
- you start to grow facial hair (this is the last thing to happen)4
When does puberty begin?
Girls:
Some girls begin puberty as young as eight years old, which can be very embarrassing if none of their friends has started to develop yet. Generally, puberty starts at around the age of 10 or 11 and then speeds up so that by 13, the majority of girls have started their periods, and by 16, they're nearly all fully developed and have reached their final height.
Boys:
Puberty starts quite a lot later for boys, which is why at school, years 7 and 8 are full of tall, well developed girls and small, not very muscular boys! Most boys begin to develop at around the age of 14 and are fully mature by 17 or 18. They're not likely to grow any taller after this age.
How do I know if I'm normal?
Puberty is an exciting time. But it can be worrying if you feel that you are developing more quickly or more slowly than everyone else. However, you are an individual and you're developing at your own unique rate. If by any chance, puberty really does seem to be very slow to get going, talk to your doctor. Even though you are unlikely to need it, the doctor can help you with some hormone treatment.
Why does puberty happen?
It's all about hormones. Girls have a sudden increase in a hormone called oestrogen (pronounced ee - stro - gen). Boys have a surge of testosterone (test - ost -er - own). These hormones cause physical and emotional changes, which is why teenagers can often have mood swings and their relationships may seem a bit of a rollercoaster.
Things that might worry you
If you're a girl:
- Putting on weight. This is normal and healthy, but can be worrying. Try to eat sensibly and, if you're really unhappy about your weight, find someone to talk to who can help you get things in perspective.
- One breast being bigger than the other. There is probably not a single woman in the world who has two breasts exactly the same size! So don't worry - your breasts will end up being roughly equal.
- White sticky discharge on your underwear. This is a perfectly normal discharge from your vagina; the only time to worry is if the discharge is greenish or smells. This might mean you've got an infection so you should see your doctor.
- Dealing with your periods. They can be unpredictable, sometimes heavy and even painful. They can also be quite inconvenient at school, particularly for swimming and PE. This is normal, but periods are likely to become regular over time.
If you're a boy:
- Getting breasts. Your breasts start to develop and feel tender because you also have oestrogen (the female hormone) in your system. This is normal. They will soon stop growing.
- Having erections when you don't want one. Wet dreams are quite common, and so is finding that you've got an erection when it's really not at all convenient! Try to think of something else and the erection should disappear.
- Small penis. Boys tend to compare the size of their penises. Remember that yours will look smaller to you than to other people because you're looking down on it from above. By the end of puberty, your penis will have developed in keeping with your general build.
Girls and boys can suffer from acne.5,6 Dealing with spots can get you down. There are plenty of myths about spots. Fortunately there is also a range of treatments for spots that can help, so don't give up.7
Peer group pressure
There's almost bound to be a time during your teens when you feel inferior to your friends. You think you're too tall or too short. Your hips are too large. Your penis is too small. Your facial hair isn't growing fast enough...
People can make painful comments about another person's appearance - even your own family! The truth is that every one of your friends is worried about some aspect of themselves. And if they all said how they were really feeling, you'd be surprised.
But if you're seriously worried or unhappy, don't suffer in silence. Find someone to talk to, an older friend or an adult you can trust perhaps. Or you can contact one of the organisations listed.
Jack's story
When Jack was 14, he suddenly realised that he seemed very small. Most of his mates had suddenly got much taller than him, and more muscular. He developed a crush on a girl in the class above him, but she didn't take him seriously. Jack became aggressive at home and miserable at school. Talking to his older cousin, Liam, helped a bit, but he was pretty unhappy over the next two years. Then, at 16, he went through a growth spurt, shooting up from 5' 3" to 5' 10" in 12 months. He looked rather thin and stretched for a while, but by the time he was 17, Jack's shoulders had broadened and he had started to gain weight. His attitude softened as he started to feel more confident about himself... and he wondered what he had ever seen in the girl he once had a crush on!
- Puberty for boys, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90258, accessed 2 October 2007 - Puberty for girls, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90259, accessed 2 October 2007 - Puberty for girls, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90259, accessed 2 October 2007 - Puberty for boys, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90258, accessed 2 October 2007 - Puberty for boys, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90258, accessed 2 October 2007 - Puberty for girls, The National Youth Agency
www.youthinformation.com/templates/internal.asp?nodeid=90259, accessed 2 October 2007 - Acne, British Association of Dermatologists
www.bad.org.uk/public/leaflets/acne.asp, accessed 3 October 2007