Sexual response and puberty

Puberty is a crucial phase in which the bodies of boys’ and girls’ begin to develop and start showing signs of changes At the time of puberty, the growth of the body is at its maximum, with the exclusion of the first year of life. One major thing that has to be borne in mind with regard to puberty is that every individual experiences the changes, discomfiture, irritation, and perplexity linked to it. It is a procedure that is natural.

• When the human body attains a specific age which varies from individual to individual, it discharges a hormone known as gonadotropin that signals the commencement of puberty.
• Generally, when an individual is between 8 to 18 years the gonadotropins are discharged into the bloodstream.
• They arouse activity in the gonads and trigger alterations in the male testes and the female ovaries for females so as to make the body ready for reproduction.

Puberty sets in boys commonly between the ages of ten through twelve. Puberty in a male is characterized by the development of the testicles. During this phase the penis starts to grow bigger and wider and pubic hair begins to grow. This period is also marked by the emergence of pimples on the face and upper back and chest regions.

Penile erections start to happen rather erratically. Erections take place when blood fills the penis and becomes stiff. Boys may start fantasizing and entertaining sexual thoughts, occasionally without any reason. Nocturnal releases also known as wet dreams may happen when the boy sleeps dreaming about sexual actions and then ejaculates while sleeping. These orgasms at night gradually diminish in frequency and ultimately stop as the boy advances through puberty. Even though boys may undergo orgasms during childhood, they generally do not ejaculate until nearly a year after puberty has commenced which is generally at the age of 13. Sperm generally starts to be there in the ejaculate nearly a year afterward at the age of 14.

All of these alterations take place since the body makes the male ready for reproduction.

Puberty sets in girls nearly two years earlier in comparison to males. During puberty the breasts start to enlarge beneath the nipple. This period in girls is marked by the growth of pubic hair in the genital regions and beneath the arms.

During puberty the vaginal walls in girls grow in thickness and the uterus becomes bigger and more muscular.

Nearly 1.5 to 2 years following the commencement of breast expansion, girls may undergo their initial menstrual phase, known as menarche. Throughout the menstrual cycle, an egg is discharged from one of the ovaries and passes through the fallopian tube, terminating at the uterus. When the egg travels from the ovary, the inner layer of the uterus accumulates additional tissue and blood. If the egg manages to finds its way to the uterus and is fertilized by means of a sperm, it will remain there and develop into a baby, utilizing the additional blood to nurture it while it is growing. Generally, the egg only happens to pass through and is not fertilized. In the event of the egg not being fertilized, the uterus doesn’t require the additional tissue and blood; hence they exit from the body by means of the vagina as menstrual flow. On an average the duration of the menstrual period is 5 to 7 days. Two weeks prior to the commencement of the subsequent menstrual stage one more egg is discharged.

During puberty both boys and girls undergo new sensations about sex, from bewilderment to experiencing sexual stimulation that they had never experienced before.