Puberty Stories #1

Lose some doubts and fears about yourself
Image by Nicki Varkevisser CC BY 2.0 Cropped

Boys tell their personal stories

They let you into their zone

All guys go through the same changes but everyone reacts differently in response to those changes.

Male, 13 years - Canada

I started masturbating at I think about 11 or 12. One night I just felt horny, and I knew other people masturbated, so I decided to. When I was done I didn't quite feel guilty, I felt relieved actually. Throughout the time I have been masturbating, I have felt a bit more guilty, especially when family members have been close to catching me do it. I know it's good to express your feelings and everything, but personally I feel like keeping it to myself because nobody else really needs to know what I do.

At the beginning of this year, I felt kind of scared and alone and that was caused by masturbation. Through the course of the year I have noticed that basically all of  my male friends masturbate, and they don't make a big deal out of it. I think that if you feel insecure or scared, then don't talk to people about your insecurity, just let them talk to you. When I look at when I first started masturbating, and now I look at the present, I have progressed in all areas and I feel beneficially proud of myself.

Male, 13 years - USA (told by a church pastor)

I had known this boy most of his life. A good kid, a godly kid, from an excellent family. He seemed well adjusted and I knew he was an excellent student. He was in the 7th grade at the time, so he was probably 13. It's rare that young people like this make a formal counseling appointment (they usually just bring up things in the flow of conversation). He did just that, being very private and formal about the whole thing; he walked to the appointment after school, obviously unknown to his parents.

He no more than sat down when I realized the reason for the unusual appointment. He immediately began to cry - and I mean cry! For the next hour, anyway, he did not stop, until his T-shirt was literally wet from tears. I must admit, I wasn't only a bit overwhelmed by all this but it completely broke my heart. He "confessed" to masturbating and that his friend told him that Satan had now filled his heart and ruled his life, and he was damned to hell for all eternity. Some "friend!" Anyway, he was just terrorized by that, convinced God no longer loved him and he was no longer God's child.

In the two hours or so we had available to talk, it took most of that time just to get through the tears, so we really didn't get to talk too much about masturbation. We focused, instead, on God's love and that there's nothing we can do that will cause God to love us less. I did tell him it isn't a sin and doesn't make God mad. Knowing he had good parents and a good relationship with them, I encouraged him to talk to them about the subject. I don't know if he ever did.

I knew him for maybe 2 years after this, until they moved away. It never came up again and he seemed okay. The last thing he said to me was, "Thanks for helping me that day." I honestly don't know if he ever really got through that or not, we sometimes carry such things with us for the rest of our lives, but evidently our time together helped.

Many times I've encountered what is sometimes called "inappropriate guilt." Christians tend to think that all guilt comes from God! Some of it comes from ourselves and some of it comes from Satan. Sometimes Satan uses guilt and terror to drive us away from God and the church. It nearly happened to this nice boy.

If your website helps a kid like this, you're doing good!

Male, 13 years 1 month, White - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
pubic hair when i wuz 11
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
no
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
yes like last weekend the girl i like stayed at our house becuz her parents were on vacation nd i walked into the living room and saw her and got an erection i don't know if she saw me though.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
yes , i dreamed of my next door neighbor once and woke up with an erection  it happened a lot after that
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
No, when i get out of the shower i lay on my bed and have sex with it if I'm horny.
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
i was 12
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
yea i always feel guilty when I'm finished
When did your voice break?
12 years
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
fast
What is your penis size?
height-4.8 diameter-1.2
Other physical characteristics?
no
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes -baptist
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No

Male, 13 years 4 months, White - Australia

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
pubic hair when i was 12
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
no
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
yes, all the time particualy in school or in swimmers
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
yes-i have a gay crush on a guy at my school. i often dream about him
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
yes about once a day
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
occasionally when i was 5 or 6 but not until i was 12 did i start masturbating frequently
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
no
When did your voice break?
haven't reached that point yet
Are you circumcised?
no
Are you happy with being circumcised or uncircumcised?
yes
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
slowish
What is your penis size?
4-5cm and 10-11cm when erect
Other physical characteristics?
pubic hair 3cm long spreads 3cm from penis
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Do you regret being/not being a virgin?
no
Are you a Christian?
Yes
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No
What is the biggest hassle you have during puberty?
worry about the growth of my penis and me through puberty. i also worry about my homosexual thoughts/feelings
Other comments or advice to other guys?
do this survey its very helpful

Male, 14 years, White - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair when I was about 11
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
Yes, occasionally. They usually happen when I haven't masturbated in several days.
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
MANY times. The pool, locker room, you name it.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, and still sort of am.
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes, every day or two.
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
11½ years old. I discovered masturbation by accident when I was just thinking about sex and reached down there and started playing around with my penis and didn’t stop until I felt this intense rush of pleasure. I pretty much immediately realized what I had just inadvertently done.
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
No
When did your voice break?
12 - gradually
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
Medium
What is your penis size?
When not erect 50mm (2in) to 75 (3in), Erect about 125mm (5in)
Other physical characteristics?
Tend to be a bit hairy. I trim my pubic hair occasionally as keep it at about an inch long and I have a lot of leg hair.
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Though I do respect and approve of certain aspects of Christianity, I do not consider myself heavily affiliated with any one religion.
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No
Other comments?
Don't immediately label yourself as gay or simply push the idea aside. You're still developing and so is your sexuality.

Male, 14 years 1 month, White - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair at about 12 1/2
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
No, since I masturbate regularly. I want one though
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Yes, all the time!
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, I sometimes hope to see another kids penis in the locker room, to compare myself to him
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes - at least once a day
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
12, I was so nervous that someone would see me!
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
yes, because I am a strong Catholic, and it just seems not Christ like
When did your voice break?
13
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
average
What is your penis size?
about 2 inches not erect, and about 5 inches erect
Other physical characteristics?
hair under my arms
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes - Catholic
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No

Male, 14 years 8 months, White/Italian - Australia

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair - age 12 years, 4 months
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
Yes - 3 times. Stopped when I started masturbating regularly
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Yes, sometimes at school and I wonder if people can see it. Once getting changed I let it loose instead of covering it and I got an erection.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, I was very curious to see other penises. I am still in that stage a little.
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes, 1-2 times a day
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
12, by accident I was playing with my penis and then this white stuff came out.
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
Yes at first but i quickly got over it
When did your voice break?
12 years 6 months
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
fast
What is your penis size?
Not erect 63mm (2'5 in) and erect 131mm (5'25 in).
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes - Catholic
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No

Male, 15 years, White - Canada

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair around 9 or 10
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
No wet dreams, probably because I masturbate every day since before I started ejaculating.
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Not really, I never had that trauma, if i get an eriction i can usually hide it, and as far as my friends go......... depending on who i am around it doesn't matter weather they see or not because they are my friends and they know that it is not always something that you can control ( and they get them too)
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, when i started to masturbate i would look up pictures of other men that were naked and that turned me on, i grew out of it and started to notice the girls
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yeah, all the time. I usually do in the shower, but sometimes i do at night before i go to bed
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
i was about 8 when i heard about it and decided to try it but i didn't start to masturbate frequently until i was about 10, I started rubbing my penis and I orgasmed and I totally lost control of my body and it felt so good that I tried to replicate it the next night and eventually I was hooked. the first time is kinda hard to rember exactly because is fely SOOOOOOOO good it was kind of like blacking out for a couple of seconds then all you can really ramember is a great feeling
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
Yeah, for a long time and I still am having trouble coming to terms with it. there is that fear that my parents or brothers or sisters will catch me
When did your voice break?
i would say around 13 is when i started to notice because i would squeak a lot and my parents would laugh an me.
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
I think that it has progressed average but it feels like it is taking forever.
What is your penis size?
Not erect (3.5in) Erect about (5.5in).
Other physical characteristics?
I shave twice a week - My pubic hair is 4 and a half inches long. I don't have a lot of leg hair and I am starting to get chest hair and nipples.
Are you a virgin?
Yes I am a virgin till the night after the day I say "I do" The reason that i feel this way is because of the kind of work that i do, i have seen sooooo many girls and guys wish that they would have wated because it gets in the way of their Dreams
Do you regret being/not being a virgin?
No, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have sex.
Are you circumcised?
No
Are you happy with being circumcised or uncircumcised?
NO!!!! I would give anything to be circumcised, When i am 18 i plan to get circumcised, there are to many riske to being uncircumcised and i don't want to take any of those risks
Are you a Christian?
Yes i am.
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No, but I am biblically a man.
What is the biggest hassle you have during puberty?
I would have to say that one my my biggest hassles is the urge to masturbate all the time, some times the urge to masturbate is so strong that even when you don't want to you end up doing it anyway, Another hassle is the courage to tell someone that you don't want to have sex with them because you know what the right thing to do is, but then on the other hand you want to have sex with them just to see how it feels and what it is like
Other comments? 
Don't worry about the things that other people say, the other kids at school make fun of you because you masturbate to get the attention off of themselves, the truth is they most likely do it to. and just because you look up gay porn and it turns you on it doesn't nessarly mean that you are gay so don't thing that way it is more that likely just a phase that you are going threw like everyone else, don't give in to your friends when it comes to doing something that you aren't ready for it is up to you to decide when to do those things not them and if you thing that you are ready to do it because everyone else is doing it or because it is cool then you better think again because it is not the right time(read the site you will get a lot of information that you might not know it will answer a lot of questions and cover a lot of ground)

Male, 15 years 9 months, White - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair at 11 years old
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
No
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Yes, in the showers at school. Also, right before I got in the pool one time my bathing suit fell down and everyone saw........ I got an erection and then they laughed and it was awful.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, but not anymore.
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes - all the time!
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
13 - Discovered by accident. I had to apply lotion over all of my body because of a skin condition. When I applied it to my penis, I learned first hand about masturbation - white stuff came out - I thought I had urinated!
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
No
When did your voice break?
13 - seemed like overnight
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
Fast
What is your penis size?
Not erect 50mm (2in) to 85mm (3.5in) depending on temperature Erect about 140mm (5.5in)
Other physical characteristics?
Shave every 3 or 4 days - pubic hair extends 70mm (2.75in) from the base of my penis - fair amount of leg hair, mainly on my lower legs. Have a condition where I sweat a lot.
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes - Baptist
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No

I would like to have more semen. Don't get me wrong I have plenty, but when you ejaculate it feels great so the more the merrier.

Male age 15, Washington [1]

If I could change one thing, it would be the amount of semen I ejaculate and how far I shoot it. I want more and I want it to go farther.

Male age 15, New York [1]

Male, 16 years, Hispanic - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair at 13 years old
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
Started at 14 have them a lot like every 2 weeks
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Happens at school a lot. I am on swim team so I have to be more careful in my swimsuit.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
yea i think i might be
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes -at least 2 times a day
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
14
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
No, i like it a lot
When did your voice break?
14+
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
slow
What is your penis size?
Not erect amount 50 mm (2 inches) and erect almost 125mm (5 inches). I am one of the only boys in my school that is not circumcised - it is embarrassing.
Other physical characteristics?
Do not shave yet- hardly any pubic hair like about an inch above my penis-no leg hair, i have a little hair under my arms
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes - Catholic
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No
Other comments? 
concerned cause so much fluid comes out when i cum i don't think its normal

Some guys delay masturbation for several days to let the semen build up so they can have a bigger ejaculation. More fluid (semen) seems to create bigger sensations - others will probably envy you if you always have a lot of semen! Look at these two responses below to the question "What would you like to change about your masturbation sessions?" - Editor

Male, 16 years 2 months, White/Asian - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Pubic hair and lots of erections within 5 months after turning 13
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
Yes. They began when I was 14 years and 6.5 months old and continued till I started masturbating regularly. They came about once every 2 weeks.
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Yeah, when I was thinking about something sexual and my mom came in the room....
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Not exactly. I sometimes get semi-excited about comparing my development to other guys, but I've never been turned on by guys.
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes - usually about once a day
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
13, but I didn't masturbate regularly until 15.
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
No
When did your voice break?
shortly after turning 14
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
fast
What is your penis size?
Not erect 100mm (4 inches) Erect about 155mm (6 1/3 inches)
Other physical characteristics?
Extremely low levels of armpit hair! I didn't get any until age 15 1/2 and even now I have very little, although I have an average amount of other body hair.
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes - Quaker
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No not officially, however my 16th birthday was special because I could then legally work in Arkansas without a permit. So, I guess it was a marker of becoming a man, in the legal sense. It is the only birthday I have chosen to celebrate, because it made me a man in terms of working, which is important to me.

Male, 17 years, Hispanic/Mexican - USA

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
When my penis started to get bigger when I was like 11 or 12
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
No. I've never had a wet dream.
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
Yes, mostly at school while we are studying, or right when I used to get off the bus, but now it doesn't happen as often as it used to.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yes, it was kind of more of curiosity, because I was curious of what other boys' peniss' looked like. But I don't have those feelings any more
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yes, I usually wait till I can't hold the urge any more, that way I have a really good experience.
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
I think I was 11 or 12 [in Jr. High]. I had seen some porno at a friend's house and one of the guys in the porno was jacking-off, so I decided to try it.
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
Yes, in the beginning but now I don't have a problem. I think its one of the best gift's God has given us.
When did your voice break?
I never really went through this, besides once but, I think it was cuz I needed water cuz I had been running a lot
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
slow
What is your penis size?
I'm not going to lie, and neither should you about your penis size. Not Erect: any where from 1.5 inches (when cold) to 2.3 Erect: from 4 to 4.5 inches (depending on how horny I am)
Other physical characteristics?
I trim my pubic hairs to a little less than an inch, also do this to my arm pit's.
Are you a virgin?
Yes, and I'm not ashamed of it
Are you a Christian?
Yes, non-denominational
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
No not really

Male, 17 years 9 months, White - New Zealand

What was the first sign that puberty had begun in your life?
Aged about 11 I had my first growth of pubic hair. I was really shook up about it - I thought I was way too young, and I had really poor self esteem at the time!
Have you ever had wet dreams - if so, how often?
Nope, well maybe once I think - I cant really remember but I think I was jst masturbating while half-asleep.
Have you been embarrassed by having an erection at the wrong time?
I used to, mostly in year 9 (I was 13-14 years old then for non-NewZealanders) and I would spontaneously develop them at the end of English, and made some pretty embarrassing trips to the doorway holding my bag in front of me!.
Did you go through a stage where you thought you might be gay?
Yep, when I was in year 10 (age 14-15) I used to have this sort-of crush on a guy in my class. He was really good looking (and for some reason in the end-of-year-holidays when I was 14 I had a dream where he had sex with me - and I was a female.. I think that sparked the whole thing off!) Anyway we always joked around, especially about sex, and jokingly pretended to come on to each other. I ended up thinking I was gay for a while, but now I realize I am not. I have even masturbated together with another male friend since, and I know that I am straight. Guys - don't worry about it! You are NOT gay or straight when you are a teenager - whatever you think you are - you will change a lot before its all over!
Do you masturbate - if so, how often?
Yep! From twice a day to once a month - it varies heaps!
How old were you when you started to masturbate?
I have often thought back - I must have been about 12 (give or take a year).
Did you have trouble coming to terms with masturbation in your life?
Its hard to tell - at first it was jst fun, and then came the terrible guilt. Coming to terms with it- It took me a few years to shake off the guilt - even after finding sites that assured me its natural. I guess not being able to talk with my friends about it (taboo) really made things hard! Even when it was mentioned on a video in Health once, saying it was OK - it still took me ages to "come right" - because it is such a hard thing to talk about until you are about 16 years old or so!!.
Are you circumcised?
No I'm not.
Are you happy with being circumcised or uncircumcised?
Yes , I'm happy with it
When did your voice break?
From 13 to 16 it broke now and then. Always at embarrassing moments. But not too bad considering how other guys get it sometimes!
Has your puberty progressed fast, average or slow?
Average I guess! I dunno, its so complex. I guess I was neither really fast or really slow so lets just say average.
What is your penis size?
Down - about 10-12cm > Up - about 17-18cm (6 1/2 inches I think)
Other physical characteristics?
Lots (in my opinion) of body hair. Like my butt has decided to get quite hairy in the last year, and only in the last year have I grown to accept my chest hair (I used to dread it like I did my first pubic hair). I still use my shaver on my chest now and then though!
Are you a virgin?
Yes
Are you a Christian?
Yes. (No particular denomination - also my religious beliefs are quite wide-ranging)
Have you had any official recognition of becoming a man (rite of passage)?
My only rites of passage were a couple of years of being embarrassed with my body!
Other comments?
Guys - YOU ARE NORMAL! Learn to love yourself. And trust me on this: no matter how big the catastrophe, it will all be OK in the end. Just trust that its gonna be OK! Its likely to be amazing in fact! I have been through the mill, just like so many other people. You are OK! Accept yourself. I WISH I had found this site when I was 12 or 13!! I hope I can send this on to others in need. Good work guys! I am someone who has (more or less) safely emerged from puberty -  trust me!

References

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