Do boys hit puberty first? (2023)

Do males or females hit puberty first?

Girls generally begin puberty about two years earlier than boys. Puberty for girls usually starts between the ages of 8 and 13. However, Black and Hispanic girls tend to start puberty earlier than white girls (age 7½ instead of 8).

It's not just girls, a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that boys were starting puberty earlier than previously recorded. According to the findings, boys are now beginning puberty around, or a little before age 10. Previously, 11 years of age was the given number where boys began puberty.

The mean reported age for the start of puberty was 12.39 years (95% CI, 11.99-12.80 years). The mean age of the first experienced ejaculation was 13.59 years (95% CI, 13.05-14.12 years).

The average age for girls to start puberty is 11, while for boys the average age is 12. But it's perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys.

For a male, the physical changes of puberty usually start with the testicles getting bigger. Dark, coarse, curly hair will sprout just above the penis and on the scrotum. The penis and testes will get larger, and erections happen more often. Ejaculation — the release of sperm-containing semen —also happens.

In the category of children with lower BMI and later onset of puberty, the spurt was all the stronger. Those whose puberty was delayed also had several extra years to grow in, and quite simply ended up taller.

Noticeable weight gain may occur prior to a growth spurt as excess fat helps promote growth. As a child goes through puberty, their stores of body fat may change.

The cause of precocious puberty often can't be found. Rarely, certain conditions, such as infections, hormone disorders, tumors, brain abnormalities or injuries, may cause precocious puberty. Treatment for precocious puberty typically includes medication to delay further development.

What are three signs of a male beginning puberty?

Hair will start to grow in the genital area. Boys will also have hair growth on their face, under their arms, and on their legs. As the puberty hormones increase, teens may have an increase in oily skin and sweating. This is a normal part of growing.

Masturbation is normal. Young men may touch themselves because it feels good. There is no harm in masturbation. Masturbation can be done at any age.

Adrenarche is usually normal in girls who are at least 8 years old, and boys who are at least 9 years old. Even when pubic and underarm hair appear in children younger than this, it is still usually nothing to worry about, but your child does need to see their pediatrician for an exam.

Determining the type of precocious puberty

In this test, the doctor will take a blood sample, and then give your child a shot containing the GnRH hormone. More blood samples are then taken over a certain period of time to check how hormones in your child's body react.

Fact: There is no scientific evidence that drinking milk causes early puberty. In the United States, girls are entering puberty at younger ages than they were in the first half of the 20th century. Researchers do not know the exact trigger for early-onset puberty, although it is likely influenced by many factors.

Typically, boys will tend to grow an average of 3 inches, or 7.6cm, each year during puberty. In general, a boy's age during puberty will not affect his final height, but it will affect when his height growth begins and stops.

Girls can expect to grow an average of about 2-3 inches after menarche. Boys tend to have their growth spurt about two years later than girls. Peak growth for boys is right before spermarche (sperm in seminal fluid) and is about 9 centimeters/year. Growth spurts for boys tend to last longer than for girls.

Many guys and girls are skinny until they start to go through puberty. The changes that come with puberty include weight gain and, in guys, broader shoulders and increased muscle mass.

During puberty, body size increases for both sexes, but boys also get a burst of testosterone which results in larger, stronger muscles to control their new body; girls do not get this same rapid growth in muscle power.

As a child's entire body size increases, the amount of body fat stays relatively stable, giving her a thinner look. Also during this stage of life, a child's legs are longer in proportion to the body than they were before.

How do you jumpstart puberty?

Therefore, many pediatric endocrinologists may offer a brief course of testosterone to "jump-start" puberty. It is most often given in the form of a monthly injection for several months; different doctors use different doses and numbers of injections.

The higher estrogen levels could promote earlier onset of breast development and menarche in girls.

Over the past three decades, studies from Europe and the United States have shown a tendency towards earlier puberty onset in girls, with a greater change in the age of breast development compared to the first menstruation (menarche) (1, 2).

Most commonly, especially in girls, precocious puberty is due to the brain sending signals earlier than it should. There is no other underlying medical problem or trigger. This also can often run in families. Less often, precocious puberty stems from a more serious problem, such as a tumor or trauma.

Short height.

Children with precocious puberty may grow quickly at first and be tall, compared with their peers. But, because their bones mature more quickly than normal, they often stop growing earlier than usual. This can cause them to be shorter than average as adults.