1. What’s Happening To Me?
A Guide To Your Body

2. Puberty, what is it?
Puberty usually starts sometime between 9 years old - 14 years old
Just because you may not start at the “right” time doesn’t mean you are not normal
Puberty starts because hormones in the body are turned “on”

3. What Is Going to Happen? Sweat glands increase in number and activity
Growth spurt
Acne (“zits”)
Pubic hair grows
Erections happen more often
Ejaculation
Hair increases and darkens on face, underarms, arms and legs
Feet get bigger and may smell
Now, when we talk about our genitals we use lots of terms, some are crude, some are anatomical, and some are just plain weird. We are going to use the anatomical terms today and so should you from now on. Using these terms lets people know that you are mature enough to talk about your body and that you have some good information that you can share. When you use the slang, crude words that we all know and hear, you sound as if you don’t have the respect for your own body that you should have.

4. Typical Order of Changes
Testicles grow larger
First pubic hair
Penis enlarges
Ejaculation
Height growth spurt
Shoulders broaden
Voice changes
Hair on upper lip or underarms

5. First Things First
Stage 1 is where boys are at from birth until puberty begins. There are few noticeable changes
Stage 2 begins with testicular enlargement
Not unusual for one testicle to hang lower than the other
Pubic hair may begin to grow
Dr. Tanner, a physician that studied puberty, made diagrams of how the male body changes during puberty. These are known now as the Tanner stages of development and these help your doctor figure out about where you are in your development. By understanding these stages you can estimate where you are in puberty and when you are just about done with puberty.
Stage 1: birth until puberty- no noticeable changes
scrotum-increases somewhat in size; penis-increases somewhat in size; pubic hair-none
Stage 2: usually begins around age 10
Scrotum enlarges; penis has little change; hair-may begin to show up by base of penis

6. Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 3: (the lengthening stage)- begins when penis grows noticeably longer
testicles continue to enlarge; pubic hair-if hadn’t started yet it will usually do so in this stage
Stage 4: (the widening stage)- begins when the penis grows noticeable wider
testicles/scrotum continues to enlarge and skin darkens pubic hair has usually developed by now, gets curlier and darkens
Stage 5: (the adult stage) begins when the sex organs are fully developed
testicles/scrotum fully developed and deepen in color; penis is fully developed and deeper in color; pubic hair may continue to grow until about age 20
Stage 5

7. Testicular Self Exam
How Do I Do A TSE?
Check yourself right after a hot shower. The skin of the scrotum is then relaxed and soft.
Become familiar with the normal size, shape and weight of your testicles.
Using both hands, gently roll each testicle between your fingers.
Identify the epididymis. This is a rope-like structure on the top and back of each testicle. This structure is NOT an abnormal lump.
Be on the alert for a tiny lump under the skin, in front or along the sides of either testicle. A lump may remind you of a piece of uncooked rice or a small cooked pea.
Report any swelling to your health care provider.
Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in males ages 18 to 40, and it can occur anytime after age fifteen.
a method for guys and men to check their testicles to make sure there aren't any unusual bumps or lumps, which may be the first sign of testicular cancer
If you have any lumps or swelling, it does not necessarily mean you have cancer, but you must be checked by your health care provider. If detected and treated early , testicular cancer is one of the most curable cancers
Warning Signs of A Problem
In the early stages, testicular cancer may have no symptoms. When there are symptoms, they include: Small, painless lump in a testicle. Enlarged testicle. Feeling of heaviness in the testicle or groin. Pain in the testicle. A change in the way the testicle feels. Enlarged male breasts and nipples. Blood or fluid that accumulates suddenly in the scrotum.

8. The Outer Genital Organs

9. Circumcised or Uncircumcised
Circumcision is an operation where the foreskin (the skin covering the top of the penis) is removed
Most are done when babies are just days old
Some have boys circumcised for religious reasons, some for medical
Regardless of which way you are you should wash your penis every day
Uncircumcised boys should pull back the foreskin all the way that it will go comfortably
Never force the foreskin back
circumcised
uncircumcised

10. Erections
An erection is when the penis enlarges in size, becomes stiff and lifts up to stand out from the body at an angle
The spongy tissue in the penis fills with blood
Can develop slowly or very fast
Can last a short time or a long time…sooner or later, it will go down
Men, boys, and even babies have erections
May be there when you wake up
Think of ways that you can cope with an erection that happens at an embarrassing time
-wear baggy pants/long shirt if they keep happening
-shift your notebook to cover it
-put your hands in your pocket and try to hide it
-tie a sweatshirt around waist and let the sleeves cover it
-try to focus on something else until it goes away
-probably more noticeable to you than anyone else
SIZE
Average 3-4 in when soft
~6 in when erect

11. The Inner Genital Organs
testicles-place where sperm are made
Epididymis-long coiled tubes where sperm mature
Sperm duct-(vas deferens) narrow tubes where sperm travel as they move up the body; runs from epididymus up into the body, loops around the bladder and joined by a tube from the seminal vesicle and then enters the prostate to connect with the urethra
Bladder-where urine is stored
Seminal vesicles-where sticky fluid is made that is added to sperm
Prostate-glad that adds more fluid to semen
Urethra-tube in the center of the penis. Both semen and urine leave through the same tube

12. Ejaculation During puberty the testicles make sperm for the first time
Ejaculation is when a boy releases sperm from the body for the first time
The sperm are mixed with other fluids to make semen which comes out the opening at the end of the penis
Amazing sperm facts:
-normal ejaculate contains ~ 300 million sperm
-can’t run out because your body is constantly making more
-takes 2-3 months for a sperm to develop completely
-urine and semen cannot travel through the urethra at the same time

13. Wet Dreams Also called a nocturnal emission
1/3 of boys have their first ejaculate while they are asleep
Happens more to pubertal boys than older males
Bed or pajamas might be slightly wet from the semen
Possible to have a wet dream without knowing it

14. Other Important Changes
Body Odor
Eww, smell that? It might be you!
Shower, Shower, Shower!
Don’t use that shirt
Use deodorant or anti-persperant
Cologne isn’t always the answer
Foot Odor
Shoes trap the sweat and give bacteria a warm moist place to grow
Wear absorbent socks
Keep feet dry and clean (wash especially between the toes)
B.O. is caused by the increased amount of sweat your body is making. While sweat itself doesn’t smell, when it meets the bacteria on your skin it begins to stink
Important To shower every Day and wash With soap and water
Wear clothes that are clean rather than the ones off of your floor
Deodorant only covers up the smell
Anti-persperant stops the sweat
Not a substitute for soap and water
Don’t just cover the smell with perfumes, wash it away in the shower

15. Zits, pimples, acne
Oil glands below the skin make more sebum (an oily substance that keeps the skin moist)
Sebum gets backed up in the oil glands and cause white or blackheads
Wash your face twice a day- doing it more often will not help
DO NOT Squeeze acne -> it will cause a scar
Talk to your doctor if it is really bad

16. Hair, hair, everywhere… Underarm (armpit) hair Arm and leg hair
Amount of hair may increase and it may be darker
Facial hair
Usually appears around years old
First show up around outer corners of upper lip
May want to explain a little about shaving…I don’t know anything about this so I am sure you can wing it

17. Growing Up, Up, Up
Growth Spurt
More muscles

18. Other Important Changes
Voice Changes
Adam’s apple gets bigger