of other terms that, well, we cant mention here!). Puberty is about changing from a boy into a man, and an important part of this change is going to happen below the waist. This means changes to your penis and testicles.
Growing down there
During puberty, your penis and testicles will grow bigger. Your scrotum, the sac of skin that holds your testicles, will also grow bigger.
A lot of guys worry about the size of their penises. The truth is, every guy is different. Penises come in a wide range of sizes, and there is no right size or wrong size.
Erections
As you enter puberty, youll begin to have more erections. Your penis is usually soft, but when you have an erection, it will swell up, get longer, and feel hard.
- Whats happening? Blood is flowing into the spongy tissue inside your penis, making it grow bigger.
- Why is it happening? Erections are absolutely normal, and they happen to all guys. During puberty, they can happen for no reason at all -- its just because your body is filled with puberty hormones. They can also happen if youre thinking about sex.
- What should you do? Dont panic! Your penis absolutely will not explode or pop. Erections are temporary. They usually dont last more that a couple of minutes. If you remain calm, the erection will go away. Just breathe and try to clear your mind. If youre standing up and youre afraid that someone might notice you have an erection, just casually hold something, like a book, in front of your pants. Chances are, it will go away soon.
Wet Dreams
As you enter puberty, your testicles begin producing sperm. Sperm are tiny, nearly invisible cells that are an important part of reproduction, a.k.a. making babies. The sperm are in a liquid called semen. Sometimes, when youre asleep, some semen will come out of your penis. Youll wake up to find that your pajamas or sheets are wet or sticky. This is called a wet dream or nocturnal emission.
- Whats happening? Wet dreams are totally normal. They happen to almost all guys, and theyre just the way your body gets rid of extra semen.
- What should you do? Try not to feel embarrassed or guilty. You dont have any control over this; its just a normal part of growing up. Some people being to wash their own pajamas and sheets during puberty, because theyre embarrassed about wet dreams and dont want their parents to know. Keep in mind that most boys go through this, and nobody is going to judge you.
Remember: as difficult as it can be sometimes, try not to get freaked out by the changes going on below your waist. Youre slowly changing from a boy to a man, and this means that your private parts are changing, too.
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