When boys and girls reach the ages of 11, 12, or 13, some changes occur in their bodies.

These are changes that happen naturally because they are part of growing up. This also means that with these changes they are now moving to another stage in their lives. This is called the stage of puberty. It is the time when girls have their first onset of menstruation and boys start to have their wet dreams. These are signs that both of them are now nearing reproductive maturity.

Stages of Puberty 5 Stages of Puberty for Boys

Normal Age Range: 9-12, Average: about 10

Male hormones are becoming active, but there are hardly, if any, outside signs of development. Testicles are maturing, and some boys start a period of rapid growth late in this stage.

Normal Age Range: 9-15, Average: 12-13 Testicles and scrotum begin to enlarge, but penis size doesnt increase much. Very little, if any, pubic hair at the base of the penis. Increase in height and change in body shape.

Normal Age Range: 11-16, Average: 1314 Penis starts to grow in length, but not much in width. Testicles and scrotum still growing. Pubic hair starts to get darker and coarser and is spreading towards the legs. Height growth continues and body/face shape look more adult. Voice begins to deepen (and crack). Some hair around the anus grows.

Normal Age Range: 11-17, Average: 14-15 Penis width increases, as well as length. Testicles and scrotum still growing. Pubic hair begins to take adult texture, although covers a smaller area. Most boys have first ejaculations. Underarm hair develops. Facial hair increases on chin and upper lip. Voice gets deeper and skin gets more oily.

Normal Age Range: 14-18, Average: around 16 Nearing full adult height and physique. Pubic hair and genitals have adult appearance. Facial hair grows more completely and shaving may begin now or soon. During the late teens and early twenties, some men grow a bit more and develop more body hair, especially chest hair

What are the physical changes of puberty in girls and boys? The sexual development of puberty has a typical pattern in both boys and girls, with a generally predictable sequence of changes. In most girls, the first sign of puberty is the beginning of breast development, which occurs at an average age of approximately 11 years. In girls, the growth of pubic hair typically begins next, followed by the growth of hair in the armpits. A minority of girls, however, begin to develop pubic hair prior to breast development. The onset ofmenstruation (having periods) usually happens last and usually occurs around two and a half years after the onset of puberty.

A regular pattern of ovulation, corresponding to achievement of fertility, usually develops rapidly once a girl begins having menstrual periods. However, girls who have a later onset of menstruation (after age 13) tend to have lower rates of regular ovulation in the years following the onset of menstruation. Studies have shown that one-half of adolescent girls who first begin to menstruate after age 13 will not ovulate regularly over the next four and a half years.

Enlargement of the testicles and penis almost always occurs before the development of pubic hair. The next stage is the growth of pubic hair and hair in the armpits. Next, the voice becomes deeper and muscles increase in size. The last step is usually the development of facial hair. Fertility is achieved in males near the onset of puberty, when a surge intestosterone triggers the production of sperm.

The sequence of changes in puberty has been characterized by physicians and is referred to as sexual maturity rating (SMR) or Tanner stages, named after a physician who published a description of the sequence of physical changes in puberty in 1969. Tanner stages are determined by the development of the secondary sex characteristics and encompass changes in the size and appearance of the external genitalia, the development of pubic hair, and breast development in girls. Tanner stages allow doctors to classify the extent of development of sex characteristics into five distinct steps ranging from stage 1 (prepubertal) to stage 5 (mature adult type).

Boys tend to hit puberty a bit later then girls - and their development takes longer. Most boys will begin puberty when they're between 10-15 years old, although the average age is 12. It usually takes them 6 years to reach full maturity.

As with girls, all boys develop at their own rate so don't panic if your son seems to be developing earlier or later than his friends. See your doctor if there is no sign of testicular development by the time they are 14, or if they started puberty more than 5 years ago but the penis and the testicles haven't reached full adult development.

Other physical changes During puberty a boy's face lengthens He begins to get facial hair He starts to sweat more His muscles will develop and his chest will broaden His skin gets more oily, which means he's likely to get spots or acne