So many new and different things happen to a boy’s body between 12 and 18 that it’s often a confusing and awkward time for guys.  One way to deal with all these changes is to understand what’s happening and why.

      If you’re around 12 or 13, you may be getting worried because the girls your age are growing fast - and you’re not.  Although it can sometimes be embarrassing, it’s nothing to worry about.  Most girls start growing taller and heavier at about age 12; most guys don’t start growing in height and weight until they’re around 14.  However, once the boys start, they keep growing and pass up most of the girls.  Most guys will reach their full adult size between the ages of about 16 and 19.

      While you’re growing up, you’re also growing out.  Muscles will develop and your shoulders and chest will widen.  If you feel OK with the rate at which this is happening, great.  However, you may be worried because you’re filling out faster than anybody else, or you still look like a kid while the other guys are starting to look like men.  Try to remember that everybody’s body develops at its own special rate.  In most cases, you’ll either catch up with the others, or they’ll catch up with you.   Another sign that a boy’s body is beginning to mature physically and sexually is the gradual appearance of pubic, facial, underarm and body hair.  This is totally natural and nothing to be embarrassed about.Another perfectly normal sign is when your voice starts to crack.  It may be embarrassing now, but eventually your voice will become deeper.

       Hormones produced by the pituitary gland in your brain are responsible for the physical growth in several of the sex organs, including the penis and the testicles (also referred to as balls or nuts).  Both the penis and the testicles start getting larger at about age 12, grow quickly between the ages of 14 and 16, and usually taper off in growth at about 17 years of age.  These hormones are also responsible for some changes you can’t see.  One of these is the growth of sperm inside the testes.  Sperm are the male sex cells, which are the counterpart to the female sex cells a woman produces called eggs.  When the two are united in intercourse, they grow to become a baby.  At about the age of 13, sometimes earlier, many sperm have grown inside the testes, and are ready to be released. 

      When a boy is about 12 or 13, he’ll have his first ejaculation, when fluid called semen is released from the penis in spurts.  Ejaculation often occurs for the first time while you’re sleeping in what’s called a wet dream.  When this happens, you may not know until you find a sticky, whitish colored stain on your sheets, pajamas, or shorts.  Your first ejaculation could also happen while you are masturbating, which is when you simulate your penis until it gets hard and ejaculation occurs.

      No matter how you experience your first ejaculation, it’s your body’s way of letting you know you’re starting to mature sexually.  It’s perfectly normal and natural.  It’s also a sign that you’re physically able to father children.  From your first ejaculation on, if you have sexual intercourse with a girl, she could become pregnant.

      Now we’d like to talk about two things that often unnecessarily worry and embarrass a lot of guys.  One problem is with erections, which most guys call hard-ons.  Erections happen when the tissue in your penis fill with blood and it becomes longer, thicker, harder, and stands up and away from your body.  There you are, in front of class or out on a date, and before you know it, your penis gets hard and you’re embarrassed because of the bulge in your pants.  Remember, although you know what’s happening, other people probably don’t.  As you get older, you’ll get more control over your feelings and emotions, and this won’t happen as often.

      The second issue for some boys is the shape and size of their penises.  It may look smaller than other guys’ or angle off to one side.  If you’re worried right now about what the guys in the locker room think, it may help to remember that a limp penis has nothing to do with what it looks like when it’s erect.  Absolutely nothing.  If you’re worried that you’re smaller than other guys, you should know that the size of fully erect penises do not differ much among men.

      Some of the changes can be uncomfortable or challenging to cope with.  Remember, this maturing process is perfectly normal and natural, and nothing to be worried or ashamed about; every boy goes through these changes on his way to becoming a man.  It might also help if you talked about these things with your parents or an adult you’re comfortable with.