"I
swear I woke up one day and everything changed. It was like somebody
put
up a big flashing neon-light sign in my head that said SEX. I was
always
turned on." 14 year old male, USA (2)
Summary
Every boy will
develop into a man that has a full powered sexual reproductive
system burning inside of him and pushing him in directions he never
imagined!
The journey to manhood is compulsory and there are
numerous strange
happenings on the way. A boy's developing sexuality is not "black
and white" but rather has a lot of "gray" areas associated with it.
Here is a list of the gray areas that many boys regard
as "weird".
Attraction to
the same sex!
One of the first
things which happens to a boy in the early stages of adolescence is
to have a strong attraction to other males (usually older). A lot of
boys wrongly conclude they must be gay because of this.
This attraction is perfectly normal (called 'hero'
worship) and every
boy will experience it, often at different times to their friends.
It is the first stage of breaking free from your family! Your
development takes this form to satisfy the inbuilt need to shape your
emerging "man" identity from another male who has qualities you admire.
When your male identity has been influenced sufficiently from the
chosen
male, there is a gradual transition to the next stage - a growing
attraction to girls. This has nothing to do
with being 'gay'. It is normal development for every boy!
Nocturnal
Emissions (Wet Dreams)
About 50% of boys
will experience "wet dreams" and many will wonder what is happening
to them. Others will wonder why they haven't experienced them yet.
Many boys will worry about the dream itself.
Turned on!
For young adolescents, their
sexuality is alive and unfocused.
When you're my age, everything is sexual and
makes you
horny. age 13, Michigan (3)
Erections
All
boys will experience their penis
becoming erect (stiffening) at the "wrong" time and having 'a mind
of its own'.
Nipple Lumps
About
50% of boys will experience
lumps and tenderness under one or both breast nipples which can last
up to 18 months. It is often noticeable enough to make them wonder if they are growing boobs!
Masturbation
Almost
all boys will begin to
masturbate during their teenage years. Many will feel guilty about
it and feel like they can't stop even though they might want to quit.
Pre-cum
(Cowper's secretion)
Most boys will get a small amount of
fluid coming out of their penis when they are sufficiently sexually
aroused. (Not
to be confused with urine or ejaculation of semen) The wet area it
leaves on your clothes can be embarrassing. The purpose of the fluid is a lubricant and also to neutralize certain fluids within the woman's urethra so the sperm will make it through alive
Nothing can be done to stop
it happening when you become sufficiently aroused. Wearing briefs
(underpants)
with double layers in the front section usually stops the wet area
passing through to your clothes. Pre cum leaves trails like "snail
trails" or "little maps of Africa" in your underpants!
Fantasy
(Dreaming)
All boys will find their thoughts and
daydreaming revolving around sex - much more than they used to!
Curiosity means that the thoughts will involve both male and female.
Embarrassment
 Most
boys become very self conscious
and easily embarrassed by the physical changes taking place in their
body. Even more so if people remark about the changes.
Risk Taking
Behavior
Testosterone (male hormone) can
induce more risk taking and competitive behavior in males. The
hormone works to make the boy complete over time - either a complete
man or a complete idiot if not channeled properly!
Body Odor
Sweat
glands and testosterone (male
hormone) gives the boy a more characteristic male body odor.
Underarm and pubic hair are actually scent transmitters. They
provide a path for the scent of an oily secretion from the skin in
those
areas to be radiated through the air.
The bad smell comes from the bacteria which lives in the
sweat from
under your armpits and groin. If you have a bad body-odor problem
make sure you:
- Actually do have a real odor problem
(ask a trusted friend)
- Shower regularly
- Change clothes regularly
- Make sure clothes are properly washed
- Use "antibacterial" soap
- Use an "anti-perspirant" under your
armpits (not just deodorant)
- See a doctor if nothing else works
(some diseases can cause this problem - minor operations can be
performed in bad cases)
Further information:
Voice Breaking
The
voice gets deeper over a short
period of time - sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly. Often
random high pitched sounds come out unexpectedly which can be
embarrassing. It's fun for us listening though!
Worry!
All boys worry at some stage whether
they might be gay or whether they can 'perform' with a girl. Some
worry they may be becoming a sex maniac! Others worry there is
something wrong with them.
Information provided by a survey
involving 34,706 students in Minnesota secondary schools revealed:
At age twelve, 25.9% of the
children were "unsure" of their sexual orientation. This figure declined to 5% by age 17.
Early/Late Maturer
A lot of boys worry about the age
they start to sexually mature.
Some can be shaving when they are 12 years old!
Some won't start maturing until 17 years old!
This can cause a lot of anxiety for the late maturer,
especially in gym
class change rooms and showers!
Maximum Sex Drive
A male's sex drive reaches its peak
between 16 and 18 years of age and it will find expression! This can
cause a dilemma for those who want to remain a virgin until they are
married, especially in a society that is marrying later than previous
generations.
Pornography
Because
of your sex drive,
pornography will become very enticing.
Initially this would be from curiosity about other
people's bodies. Every boy will find that what he sees can cause sexual
stimulation.
Pornography is a misuse of a very powerful desire placed
within all of
us guys.
I want my freedom NOW
This is probably my most common
subject with young people.
Most teenagers want more freedom than their parents are
willing to give
them.
Children given total freedom will destroy themselves!
Responsible parents give progressively more freedom as
the child
demonstrates the ability to handle it properly.
It takes time to build the trust needed to gain a new
level of freedom
and only one dumb event to tear it down again!
Clumsy
A
common problem amongst rapidly
growing teenage boys!
The brain knows exactly where a person's toes, fingers,
arms and legs
are positioned and what they are capable of performing because it
has had years to fine-tune the settings!
When an adolescent boy begins to rapidly grow, the brain
needs to
reprogram itself to allow for the extra reach of the longer arms and
legs and the extra strength in the growing muscles.
It is a bit of a trial and error method of reprogramming
which exhibits
itself as being clumsy and un-coordinated. The brain will get it right
again - it is only a temporary (although
embarrassing) problem.
Growing Pains
A
common problem amongst rapidly
growing teenage boys!
The bones often grow so fast during adolescence that the
muscles become
stretched and can cause pain, particularly in the legs.
I read about one of the very high profile American
basketball stars who
suffered this in the extreme. He was in so much pain in his legs as
a rapidly growing boy that he had to walk with crutches for a period
of time. Obviously it was only temporary because he went on to
become one of the highest paid players in the league!
Mood Swings
Before
the hormones got flowing in
your body you used to have all the normal emotions: happy, sad,
angry.
Now the hormones are active you feel these emotion big
time!
- Once you used to get happy - now you're REALLY happy!
- Once you used to get sad - now you become TOTALLY
depressed!
- Once you used to get angry - now you REALLY blow your
cool!
- Once you could control the tears - now for some boys
the tap in your
eyes is difficult to stop!
This is not a license to indulge
these heightened emotions - it is best to recognize what is
happening and try and stay a bit level headed through it all.
Peer Pressure
The
need to be accepted by those your
own age group can become overwhelming. Everyone needs acceptance,
but when it gets to the extend of throwing common sense out, then it
has gone too far! I'm talking about: throwing grades at
school because it's not cool to achieve academically; having sex
because you'll be called names if you won't agree to it; getting
stoned or drunk because you're afraid of what the others will say if
you
refuse.
You are the one in charge of your
body - no one else. You will predictably have to make a
conscious choice in all of these areas to varying degrees as you
grow up: smoking, alcohol, drugs of all descriptions, sexual
activity with others, pornography, stealing, throwing grades, violence.
You
must decide how you will respond
to each situation in advance! It is too difficult to decide
'on-the-spot' after someone throws you a can of beer!
We used to be friends
Adolescence is a time when some
friendships become strained and sometimes end.
During childhood, personality differences are fairly
minor and are
easily overlooked. As young people grow older, the differences
become greater. For example, a childhood friend may
have indicated that it would be cool to be drunk and nothing more is
thought on the subject. Years later, if that friend, once he is a
teenager, decides to actively pursue drinking sessions then you have a
choice to make. If that is not the lifestyle you want, then a distance
occurs between the two of you since you now have less in common.
Teenagers
mature mentally (grow up)
at different rates. If you have reached the stage where you think
more like an adult male (mature, independent and creating a future
for yourself) and your friends are still thinking as boys (immature),
then even good relationships can become strained - you have less in
common until the others mature too and even then you might end up with very few, if any, common interests.
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