Sexuality 3: Stages of Female and Male Sexual Development

Stages of Female and Male Sexual Development

STAGE	FEMALE DEVELOPMENT	MALE DEVELOPMENT	AGE RANGE
1	No breast budding No pubic hair growth	Prepubertal, small penis and testes No pubic hair growth	<10 years
2	Small breast buds Fine, delicate, fuzzy pubic hair growth	Testes grow Scrotal skin becomes redder and coarser Sparse, fine hair develops at the base of the penis	10–13
3	Enlarging breast buds Increased pubic hair, mainly in the center and not extending out to thighs or upward; dark and coarser	Penis lengthens, with small increase in diameter Scrotum and testes continue to grow Pubic hair increases in amount and becomes darker, coarser, and curly	12–14
4	Noticeable growth of pubic hair in a triangle, the shape it will take in adulthood Underarm (axillary) hair growth visible Breasts form mounds Menarche	Penis and testes continue to grow Pubic hair increases in amount and becomes darker, coarser, and curly	13–15
5	Breasts fully formed Pubic hair is adult in quantity and forms an upside-down triangle, a shape common to women	Penis is at its full adult size Pubic hair is at its adult color, texture, and distribution	14–17

Adapted from: Swanson, J. M., and Forrest, K. A., 1984, Tanner Stages of Male and Female Reproductive Development in Men’s Reproductive Health, Springer Series: Focus on Men, vol. 3, Springer Publishing Co., pp. 55–57; and Gennex Health Care Technologies, 1999, “Puberty and Its Stages,” A Forum for Women’s Health, The Estronaut Site.