Last updated on August 25, 2020
Question:
I’m twelve. I have recently used your puberty calculator and it has said I’m a level 5 (tanner 5). Am I a freak of nature or is the calculator wrong?
Answer:
The calculator is only as accurate as the information given. There is a tendency for many people to answer the questions biased toward further progress than they’ve actually made. That is because it is hard to know if you’ve gotten there when you’ve never been “there” before.
The questions are all based on the various external characteristics that doctors look for to say what stage of development a person has reached. It is possible that some people develop really early, but that would indicate that they might have something wrong in their bodies. It is called precocious puberty. I would hope that a doctor would be looking into it.
It is also possible that you misunderstood the questions and answered incorrectly. I could have a mistake in the calculation. But since I can’t verify your answers against seeing your development, I can’t say what is the right answer from what you’ve told me.
Response:
I would like to thank you for your time. I will look into the options you gave me.