Last updated on September 17, 2020
Question:
Hello,
When will I get a growth spurt? I’m age 16 and haven’t had a growth spurt yet. I heard people say that children get their first growth spurt after their first wet dream. I had my wet dream at maybe age 14-15. But still, I haven’t had a growth spurt at those ages either. Is there anything wrong with me?
Answer:
Dr. Tanner divided development into five stages: Stage 1 is childhood, Stage 5 is adulthood, and Stage 3 is when you have your rapid growth. Some boys gain the ability to ejaculate semen, which includes wet dreams, in stage 2. The rest don’t get it until stage 4. So, yes, for a number of boys, the growth spurt comes after the ability to ejaculate.
As far as when you will grow rapidly, that depends on if you are in stage 3 or not. See the Tanner Stage Calculator in order to get an estimate. Rapid growth is defined as anything above 2 inches per year. I’ve noticed that some boys don’t realize that they have been growing rapidly. If you have kept a record of your heights and ages for the past several years, I can calculate your rates of growth for you.