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Pubic Hair, Armpit Hair, Small Penis At Puberty, Late Bloomer, Hormonal Disorder, Genetics
Question: Dear Drs I am 16 and I have had pubic hair on my genitals for a while and now i have quite a bit on my armpits but my penis has not grown yet, I am worried because everything I've read is that the penis should grow shortly after the pubic hair appears but it has been over a year now and my penis still has not grown, and don't say maybe it did because I play alot of sports and literally all my friends have penis' at least 5 times the size. do I have a problem or am I just a late bloomer?
Hi XXXXXXX
Welcome to Healthcare Magic,
Your concerns are justified.A normal male would have complete development of sexual and physical characters by the age of 16.Whereas the size of your reproductive organ may vary from person to person according to age,height,body mass.However,since you are concerned,let me give you some back ground regarding what the possibilities might be.
Firstly,i believe that certain medical disorders need to be ruled out .Some boys are naturally late bloomers and some arent.Suppose we rule out the possibility that you are not a late bloomer,then certain medical conditions need to be ruled out that can cause delayed puberty.
You need to see a endocrinologist.This is the kind of doctor that deals with hormonal problems in young people.
You will need to provide him with a full detailed medical history,family history and examination.Some blood tests,xrays and even MRI may need to be done.Genetic and hormonal conditions are usually the commonest causes for delayed puberty.There are some chromosomal abnormalities like Kinefelter,Turners syndrome etc that need to be ruled out.Hormone deficiency like gonadotrophin def and hypopiturism etc may also cause these problems and need to be ruled out.
So what i'm getting at,is that there is some extensive testing that needs to be done.And sooner the better because if at all there is a problem,sooner treated the more effective.
I suggest you go see your family physician and he will be able to recommend some endocrinologists who will be able to help better.
Hope i was able to answer your queries.
Regards
Disclaimer: The Expert’s advice is provided for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, as a complete assessment of an individual has not taken place. Please consult your nearest physician before acting on it. The advice is not valid for medico-legal purposes also.
Welcome to Healthcare Magic,
Your concerns are justified.A normal male would have complete development of sexual and physical characters by the age of 16.Whereas the size of your reproductive organ may vary from person to person according to age,height,body mass.However,since you are concerned,let me give you some back ground regarding what the possibilities might be.
Firstly,i believe that certain medical disorders need to be ruled out .Some boys are naturally late bloomers and some arent.Suppose we rule out the possibility that you are not a late bloomer,then certain medical conditions need to be ruled out that can cause delayed puberty.
You need to see a endocrinologist.This is the kind of doctor that deals with hormonal problems in young people.
You will need to provide him with a full detailed medical history,family history and examination.Some blood tests,xrays and even MRI may need to be done.Genetic and hormonal conditions are usually the commonest causes for delayed puberty.There are some chromosomal abnormalities like Kinefelter,Turners syndrome etc that need to be ruled out.Hormone deficiency like gonadotrophin def and hypopiturism etc may also cause these problems and need to be ruled out.
So what i'm getting at,is that there is some extensive testing that needs to be done.And sooner the better because if at all there is a problem,sooner treated the more effective.
I suggest you go see your family physician and he will be able to recommend some endocrinologists who will be able to help better.
Hope i was able to answer your queries.
Regards
Disclaimer: The Expert’s advice is provided for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, as a complete assessment of an individual has not taken place. Please consult your nearest physician before acting on it. The advice is not valid for medico-legal purposes also.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
your talking about late puberty and hormonal conditions delaying puberty, but I said I have pubic hair, so what I am wondering more of is if penis growth can be a little slower, because I am going through puberty, as I said I just started to get armpit hair, is it normal for the penis to have not grown and have armpit hair growing? and for my families history, my dad was a late bloomer, but earlier than me, but he and my older brother are both normal
Hi XXXXXXX
Puberty is a phase which includes complete development of reproductive organs and secondary sexual characters.You are going through puberty but by age 16 you should have developed reproductive organs already.As i said,you can be a late bloomer,but by 16 it should have happened.Since your father was a late bloomer,you can be too.However,if you are concerned about this then you should get some testing done soon.If any treatment is required in terms of hormones,then sooner given ,the better.
Puberty is a phase which includes complete development of reproductive organs and secondary sexual characters.You are going through puberty but by age 16 you should have developed reproductive organs already.As i said,you can be a late bloomer,but by 16 it should have happened.Since your father was a late bloomer,you can be too.However,if you are concerned about this then you should get some testing done soon.If any treatment is required in terms of hormones,then sooner given ,the better.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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