What is the first stage of puberty?

Answer 1

Here is a simplified checklist of what occurs during the different stages of puberty for boys and girls.

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In Males:

Stage I

- Prepubertal appearance

- Testicular volume less than 1.5 ml

- Penis 3 cm or smaller

Stage II

- Small amount of light downy hair at the base of the penis and scrotum

- Scrotum skin thins

- Testicles continue to enlarge (up to 6 ml)

- Scrotal enlargement begins

- Penis size remains unchanged

Stage III

- Pubic hair begins to darken and become more coarse

- Pubic hair begins to extend from just above penis to more of a triangle shape

- Testicular size around 6-12 ml

- Scrotum continues to enlarge

- Penis begins to enlarge, first in width, then in length (up to about 6 cm)

- Due to increased hormone secretion, 70% develop breasts temporarily

Stage IV

- Pubic hair has quality of adult, but has not extended to the legs

- Testicular volume about 12-20 ml

- Scrotum continues to enlargen

- Scrotum begins to darken in color

- Penis continues to enlarge, first in length (up to about 10 cm), then in width

- Due to increased hormone secretion, 70% develop breasts temporarily

Stage V

- Pubic hair extends to medial thigh

- Testicular volume 18-20 ml or larger

- Adult sized and colored scrotum

- Penis length around 15 cm

- Gynecomastia, if present, regresses

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In Females

Stage I

- No pubic hair at all

- Prepubertal appearance

- No breast gland tissue present

- Areola is not elevated above skin of the chest

Stage II

- Small amount of long downy hair beginning to grow on labia majora

- Breast buds form

- Small area of glandular tissue in breast is present

- Areola begins to get larger

- Menarche often occurs in late stage I or in stage II

Stage III

- Pubic hair begins to darken and become more curly and coarse

- Pubic hair begins to spread to pons pubis and then laterally

- Breast begins to elevate above surface of chest

- Breast development beyond borders of aerola

Stage IV

- Adult-like pubic hair on mons pubis, but does not extend to upper thigh

- Increased breast size and elevation

- Areola develops a second elevated region that extends beyond the plane of the rest of the breast.

Stage V

- Adult pubic hair distribution and texture

- Breast is adult in size

- Areola's secondary elevated region begins to regress to the same plane as the rest of the breast

- Papilla remains projected

Answer 2

Male-Pubic Hair: "Small amount of long, downy hair with slight pigmentation at the base of the penis and scrotum."

Female-Pubic Hair: "A small amount of long, downy hair with slight pigmentation on the labia majora."

Male-Genitals: "Testicular volume between 1.6 and 6ml; skin on scrotum thins, reddens, and enlarges. Penis size remains unchanged."

Female-Genitals: "Remain unchanged."

Female-Breasts: "Breast bud forms, with small area of surrounding glandular tissue; areola begins to widen."