Living with a Teen

What is Adolescence?

Adolescence starts with puberty and extends slightly beyond it. Puberty is the stage when human beings develop the ability to reproduce. Hormones from the ovaries or testes trigger physical and mental changes that make reproduction possible.

Psychologically, a lot of changes happen through adolescence. A young person develops his or her identity as an individual and in relationships with others of both sexes.

For girls, the onset of puberty occurs between the ages of nine and fourteen; twelve is the average. Female puberty is characterized by developing breasts, broadening hips and the appearance of pubic hair. A year or two later there is a sudden increase in height and menstruation begins.

Boys start to mature physically around the age of eleven. The first sign is the enlargement of the testicles, followed by the appearance of pubic hair, changes in the penis and broadening of the shoulders. A boy's growth spurt usually occurs around age fourteen, when his voice deepens and facial hair begins to appear. The ejaculation of semen in "wet dreams" may begin anytime from age eleven to age fifteen.

Last Modified: March 14, 2007