It is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics and gonads and the acceleration of growth. But when does it start exactly? And what are the signals for males and females?
“There puberty in females and the puberty in males is it the same? Who knows if the others and the others in the class are also experiencing my changes … »He is purple (11 years old) to question himself in this way, while with his gaze turned out of the car window he travels to the house, accompanied by both parents. During the visit from the pediatrician who took place a quarter of an hour before he heard his doctor tell his parents that “for her puberty began», A term that he had never heard before …
What is meant by the term “puberty”?
What is the meaning of puberty? This is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood, characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics (the distribution of hair, the stamp of the voice, the development of the breast gland …) and the gonads (testicles and ovaries) and from the acceleration of growth (spurt publication). Represents that phase of life in which children live considerable changes physical and psychological which culminate in sexual maturity and in achieving reproductive capacity.
Puberty begins to the appearance of the “mammary button“In the female (with the development of the mammary gland, called” canvas “) and the increase in testicular volume in the male. Genetic, ethnic, environmental and nutritional factors can influence start -up and sequence of events.
Public changes, both in the male and in the female, can lead to a profound sense of restlessness, mostly determined by the perception of extraneousness towards a body no longer childfrom the fear of not being able to control it and the impossibility of being able to predict the final result.
At what age puberty starts?
When does puberty start? In females, the beginning of puberty takes place between 8 and 13 years (10.5 years of average) and is characterized by the development of the breast. Shortly afterwards the pubic hair appears which, in about two years, evolves in adult conformation. The overall duration of the process is on average of 4.2 years. In males, however, the clinical beginning of puberty is announced with the increase in the size of the testicles between 9 and 14 years (11.5 years of average), with an average total duration of 3.5 years.
The pediatrician provides an idea of the pubertal development phase in which we find ourselves taking advantage of the “Tanner stadial”: from the clinical evaluation of the genitals, it is possible to distinguish five degrees of maturation ranging from prepubes (Stadium Uno) upon reaching adult conformation (stadium five). In particular, in the male attention is paid to the testicular volume, morphology and the size of the penis, pigmentation and the scrotum developmentthe thickness and distribution of pubic hair.
THE’beginning of puberty It occurs when the testicular volume reaches 4 ml (Tanner’s two stadium), measured with a tool called “Prader orchidometer”. In the female, however, the morphology and dimensions of the breasts and external genitals (large and small lips, clitoris), the thickness and distribution of pubic hair. The debut of the breast button marks the beginning of puberty (Tanner Stadium two).
How does puberty manifest itself?
THE signs Of start from the puberty in females They are the development of the mammary gland and the growth of the stature (often the first “clue”). After about two years from Canva, there is the first menstruation (Menarca), an important indicator of a physiological pubertal development. To reach the climax, puberty maturity may take two to three years after the first menstruation. With puberty, moreover, the physical appearance is changed and the percentage of body fat in girls increases. THE signs Of start from the puberty in the male Instead, they are the increase in the testicular volume, which is followed by the growth shot in terms of stature, the growth of the penis, pubic hair and then that of the first axillary hair and on the face.
In such a complex period, i physical, hormonal and psychological changes They bring children “no longer children” and young people not yet adults looking for their identity, defending their independence. Family dynamics are influenced and parents are on alert.
The impulse towards New behaviors and new experiencesincluding the beginning of sexual activity. It is good that the reference adults are informed and attentive, so as to help pre -adolescents and teenagers to achieve a good level of knowledge and ability to judge to perform aware choices. The pediatrician represents the compass necessary to orient himself in this sense, just as for the boys he can represent the dictionary to decipher their feeling, explaining them, first of all, that they are not alone in living the pubertal revolution.
