Your teenage years aren’t just a time for finding your parents terribly embarrassing; it also marks a period in which your wellness is put through huge changes. You grow stronger, taller, and hairier, and your mental wellbeing also takes a flying leap, making you more perceptive and philosophical. However, your sexual health goes through the biggest changes during puberty, as this process enables you to reproduce. For guys, the period occurs generally between the ages of nine and 18, but everyone is different. Still, there are some ways in which puberty affects almost every male, so let’s take a look at what you might be going through:
1. The start of puberty: While the time you start puberty may be different from your peers, all guys start puberty in the same way. A substance called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) appears in your body, usually between the ages of nine and 10, and your testicles begin to mature. You may also have an initial growth spurt of around two inches a year, occasional erections and very fine hair in your pubic area. However, while these signs indicate the beginning of your journey into maturity, it’s important to note that boys at this stage are still unable to reproduce.
2. Stage two: The second general stage of puberty usually begins when you reach the age of 12 or 13. Your testicles continue to grow, which means that your body will have more testosterone flowing through it and – as a result – more changes. You’ll grow taller more rapidly now, jumping up two to three inches a year. Your small amount of pubic hair may begin to gain some colour, your body will begin to take on a leaner, more adult and masculine shape, and erections will become more frequent.
3. Stage three: Around the age of 13 or 14 (but possibly as early as 11 or late as 16), you’ll enter the third stage of male puberty. At this time, pubic hair begins to grow darker and fuller, and your penis now begins to grow in length. Erections will be more commonplace, your testicles will continue to grow and your height will increase at a rate of over three inches a year. The most noticeable change in stage three is that your voice begins to “break” or “crack”. This means that your voice may suddenly and uncontrollably change pitch mid-word or sentence, as your larynx is growing and your vocal chords are getting longer.
4. Stage four: This stage of puberty often takes place when you are roughly 14 or 15 years old. Hair will begin to show up in your armpits and on your face, and the hair in your genital area will grow course. Luckily, your voice will even out at this point and become deeper. Not-so-luckily, this is the time when many teenage boys experience acne, due to oilier skin. However, the good news is that your penis will grow thicker and continues to lengthen, and your height will rise at about four inches a year.
5. The final stage: In this last stage of puberty – which can begin anywhere from age 14 to age 18 – you will achieve most (but not necessarily all) of your height. Your shoulders will be broader, your muscles will be fully formed and developed and your arms and legs and chest proportioned for power and masculine appearance. This is all thanks to new muscle fibres appearing, as well as all of your muscle fibres becoming thicker. Your pubic hair will spread out to your inner thighs and lower stomach, and your sex organs will look fully developed. That said, many males will continue growing and developing into their 20s.