Tom is from the UK, but puberty is the same in the UK as here in Australia and Tom covers the topic so well that it just needs to be here!
So get the low down on what happens during puberty.
Also check the related topics:
Body ImageVideo provided by Tom
WEBSITEHey you! My name is Thomas ‘TomSka’ Ridgewell, and puberty is the point in everyone’s life where your body turns to you and says: “Buckle up… because it’s about to get sexy… and also really awkward and kinda gross.” Puberty is a series of physical changes that mould you from being a fun-loving but ultimately useless child into an actual contributing member of society. Just like me. A professional YouTuber. Going through puberty can be scary and confusing if you don’t know what’s going on, which is why I’d like to teach you everything I think you need to know in as little time as possible. You ready for this?
PART ONE! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!?
The experience of puberty is different for everyone, but the biggest differences lie between the two main sexes: Male and Female. Those born with a penis and testicles are assigned male at birth, and those born with a vagina and ovaries are assigned female. There are also intersex people who don’t tick these exact boxes, but to keep things simple, I’m only going to be focusing on males and females. Because I’m lazy. Now, your sex is defined by your physical, biological characteristics. It’s just science. Your gender, however, is something completely different. Gender is more about how you identify and express yourself: as a man, a woman, or anywhere in between. It’s how much we do or don’t play into stereotypes typically associated with our assigned sexes. For example, males acting like manly men or females acting like girly girls. It’s just whatever you feel comfortable with. I’ll come back to this later.
Now, for males, puberty typically kicks in around the age of 11 or 12. Hair starts growing on your face and your genitals, in your armpits, and on your chest. Oh god, it’s everywhere! Your voice gets deeper, your junk gets bigger, you might get a lot taller, and congratulations, your testicles are now producing sperm. If some of that stuff finds its way into a vagina, you could wind up making a baby! Maybe don’t do that yet. But what is a vagina, you ask? Well! If you’re a female, starting at around the age of 10 or 11, your hips start to get wider, your breasts start to get bigger, and your ovaries start releasing eggs (or ova) which, if introduced to sperm, will result in, you guessed it, a baby growing inside of you—also known as pregnancy. So… Again… maybe don’t do that yet. This human-life creating ability also marks the start of your menstrual cycle, which I will explain in a bit. You’ll also begin to grow hair on your body, mostly around your genitals and in your armpits, but hair will also grow in nearly all the same places as males—just not necessarily as noticeably.
SIDE NOTE: This isn’t to say that females aren’t capable of being just as hairy as… well… me. Disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome, or ‘PCOS,’ can result in a number of side effects, including thicker, more noticeable body and facial hair. I’ll include a link to a video about that in the description below. Now, these physical differences occur over the course of years, usually wrapping up at around the age of 17. But, again, everyone experiences puberty differently. Some people start sooner, some later, and every single one of the things I’ve described so far just kinda happens somewhere in this vague timeline. It’s important to know that no one is weird or different for how and when this stuff happens, but everyone feels like they are. Except you, Jim Stevens. You’re just… so weird.
But are those physical differences the only effects of puberty? Hahaha. No.
PART TWO! EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE!!!
Congratulations! You smell. Puberty doesn’t just gift you with a fabulous beard and the ability to create tiny humans, it also fills you with goo and pain and feelings. Here are a few things that you may or may not experience as you flail your way into adulthood:
Finally, there’s something about puberty that makes people start to think it’s totally cool to be mean to anyone who isn’t exactly like them. But as I’ve said before, every one of us grows differently from one another. So some people are fatter or thinner, taller or shorter, hairier or hairless, big boobed, small boobed, too loud, too quiet, unattractive, hyperactive, depressed, stressed, oddly dressed, we’re all just a mess. You’re not as cool as you think you are, but similarly, you’re not as hopelessly awkward either. No one who’s happy in their own life feels the need to tear down someone else’s, so please, just leave each other be.
PART THREE! SEX. SEXY SEXY SEX.
Now that we’ve got all the uncomfortable downsides of puberty out of the way, let’s start talking about the fun part. Sex! You see, everything that’s happening to you is the result of your body becoming a sexually mature, baby-makin’ machine. Even if you don’t wanna make babies. Honestly, it’s a little presumptuous. I’ve done a whole video about sex already, which you should check out if you haven’t yet, but there’s still a few things I want to go over in a little more detail.
First of all, with the awakening of your sexy bits, you’re going to become naturally attracted to the things that you like. This could be people of the opposite sex, or of the same sex, or of both, or neither! It may take a while for you to figure out what you’re into, and that’s fine—there’s really no rush. Hold some hands and see what fits. I’d like to mention, though, that while sex is great and all, it’s really not as important as your body is telling you it is. All those hormones in your system are there to encourage you to go forth and make sweet love to everything in your path, but, again, there’s no rush. Even if all your friends are claiming they’ve already done the do, they’re probably just making things up to look cool. Trust me.
That said, if you do find yourself in a sexy situation, then please make sure you stay safe. If you’re putting penises anywhere, you’ll need to have a condom on, and there are plenty of other bits and bobs to keep yourself safe when you’re flopping around with another person. There’s more than just unwanted pregnancy at risk here, there’s also a number of sexually transmitted diseases you can catch from one another. So, before you move onto another sexual partner, make sure you get yourself checked out by a doctor. Don’t worry, it’s not as terrifying as it sounds.
Now, if you’re struggling to figure out what you like, then touching yourself is a fun and totally shame-free way to figure that out. Just uh, make sure you keep the door closed. Also, when it comes to sex, consent is mandatory. There is no point that you have to do something you’re not ready for. And don’t try and push someone else to do something they’re not ready for, either! That’s just awful!
The last thing I wanna mention is that the world we live in tells us that males are supposed to be tough and aggressive, and females are nurturing and submissive, and that each gender has a specific role to play. But in reality, you’re under no obligation to box yourself in. Play around. Try things that interest you. Maybe you’ll discover something new, or maybe you’ll find that you actually fit those predefined boxes pretty well. Perhaps you’ll even find that you don’t agree with the sex you were assigned at birth and, again, I’ll link to some stuff about that in the description too.
Alright! I think that’s just about everything. Bodies are weird, everything smells, and babies are a thing now. Please don’t freak out, check the description for more information on anything I mentioned in this video, and good luck! TomSka out. (Don’t forget to subscribe, like
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