Last updated on August 22, 2020
Question:
Hello.
I’m 12 years old (turning 13 in a month). I have a couple of questions about puberty.
I don’t know if my testicle are hanging because sometimes the scrotum becomes wrinkly and the scrotum just forms one big ball. Sometimes it gets loose and you can clearly see both of my testicle and you can also see the left testicle is hangs lower then the right one a bit.
Also, I really don’t know if my penis is growing. Yesterday, when I went to the pool and came back home, my penis was skinnier than usual, but I don’t know about length. I can see my pubic hair growing but not really my penis. When I was 11, I only saw a few fine hairs at the base of the penis, but now it covers a lot more than just the base of the penis. It covers about maybe 30-50% of my pubic area and most of the hairs are long and starting to get curly. (It might have changed a little bit in length and width)
Also, I have a question about my nipples. My areola is pale like a child’s, but it covers a lot more than a child’s. Also, I’m getting man boobs. So is this normal for a pale areola?
Answer:
What you describe is someone who is in the latter part of stage 2 or early parts of stage 3. Your breasts are sticking out a bit because your body is storing fat in preparation for your growth spurt, which will likely start within the next six months to a year at most. Your scrotum is just the way it should be in stage 2. You’ll see it hang much more in upcoming stages. The penis doesn’t grow a great deal during stage 2, but you will see it getting longer in stage 3 as you grow taller. You are probably experiencing spontaneous erections now. They will get more noticeable (to you) in stage 3, in part because your penis will be longer.
When you get chilled, which happens even in a warm pool because pool water is less than your body temperature, your scrotum draws up to keep your testicles warmer. Your penis also pulls in and decreases in size temporarily in an attempt to preserve some of your body heat. As soon as you get warm again, they return to their usual size.
So everything, including your areolas, are normal for your stage of development.
Question:
I stopped getting spontaneous erection 8 months ago, so does this means I’m in stage 3?
Answer:
Some guys have spontaneous erections, erections that just happen for no particular reason, even into their twenties. While it begins in stage 2, depending on the guy, it can be an annoyance for years. For some guys it comes soon, but for others it lasts a while. The fact that it has settled down for you just means that your brain has narrowed down when to cause erections.
The biggest indication that you are in stage 3 is when you have your growth spurt. The average time for that happening is at age 13.5.