Puberty Stage: Where am I in the process of becoming an adult?

Doctors use a scale called Tanner Staging to chart each individual's puberty stage -- the progress through puberty from childhood to sexual maturity.

Question

I’m 12 years old and I’m very concerned about my penis size. It's very small. Am I just a late bloomer. I don’t even know if I have reached puberty. How do I know? Darrel

Dr. Greene:

Puberty can be very confusing. For boys and girls, bodies develop in response to an ocean of surging hormones. There is a wide range of normal ages for puberty, which can make it even more confusing — especially when you’re the one going through the process. Doctors have a way of charting where, in the process of moving from a child’s body to that of an adult, each individual is by assessing several factors. This is called Tanner Staging (named after James Tanner, the doctor who invented the scale) or Sexual Maturity Rating in Adolescents. It is what doctors use to determine the pubertal stage of a patient. There are five stages in total, and each patient will move through the stages at slightly different rates.

Darrel, take a look at these charts to see where you are in the process. As you can see, there is a wide range of ages in which each stage occurs. When you start puberty, and how fast you move through it, is dependent on many factors. The greatest factor is your genetics. Talk to your mom and dad about their experiences and timing of puberty. And, of course, if you have questions or concerns, please talk to your pediatrician. We are always willing to explain these stages. They can be confusing!

Tanner Staging for Boys

From: ANNEX H, SEXUAL MATURITY RATING (TANNER STAGING) IN ADOLESCENTS

Stage	Age range (years)	Testes growth	Penis growth	Pubic hair growth	Other changes
I	0–15	Pre-adolescent testes (≤2.5 cm)	Pre-adolescent	None	Pre-adolescent
II	10–15	Enlargement of testes; pigmentation of scrotal sac	Minimal or no enlargement	Long downy hair, often appearing several months after testicular growth; variable pattern noted with pubarche	Not applicable
III	11.5–16.5	Further enlargement	Significant enlargement, especially in diameter	Increase in amount; curling	Not applicable
IV	Variable: 12–17	Further enlargement	Further enlargement, especially in diameter	Adult in type but not in distribution	Development of axillary hair and some facial hair
V	13–18	Adult in size	Adult in size	Adult in distribution (medial aspects of thighs; linea alba)	Body hair continues to grow and muscles continue to increase in size for several months to years; 20% of boys reach peak growth velocity during this period

Tanner Staging for Girls

Stage	Age range (years)	Breast growth	Pubic hair growth	Other Changes
I	>0–15	Pre-adolescent	None	Pre-adolescent
II	8–15	Breast budding (thelarche); areolar hyperplasia with small amount of breast tissue	Long downy pubic hair near the labia, often appearing with breast budding or several weeks or months later	Peak growth velocity often occurs soon after stage II
III	10–15	Further enlargement of breast tissue and areola, with no separation of their contours	Increase in amount and pigmentation of hair	Menarche occurs in 2% of girls late in stage III
IV	10–17	Separation of contours; areola and nipple form secondary mound above breasts tissue	Adult in type but not in distribution	Menarche occurs in most girls in stage IV, 1–3 years after thelarche
V	12.5–18	Large breast with single contour	Adult in distribution	Menarche occurs in 10% of girls in stage V.

Published on: September 20, 2016

About the Author

Alan Greene MD

Dr. Greene is a practicing physician, author, national and international TEDx speaker, and global health advocate. He is a graduate of Princeton University and University of California San Francisco.

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