Delayed puberty

Delayed puberty is when a young person is very late going through the changes of puberty.

What is puberty?

Puberty is the name given to the stages the body and brain go through to reach sexual maturity. It’s when your body changes from being a child to a young adult.

The change happens when the body starts producing chemicals called sex hormones - testosterone in boys and oestrogen in girls.

Everyone changes at their own pace but puberty usually starts earlier in girls than boys. For girls, puberty happens between the ages of nine and 16. For boys, puberty happens between the ages of 12 and 18. To find out more about puberty you can try our interactive puberty body tour.

Puberty can be a worrying time, particularly if you start to develop earlier or later than your friends. It is important to remember that no two people go through puberty at the same time or at the same rate. A lot depends on the genes you are born with and your body shape and size.

What causes delayed puberty and who can get it?

Delayed puberty is when you don’t show signs of puberty within the normal age range. It happens quite often and is especially common in boys.

There is usually no cause and it is just a case of delay. Nothing is wrong; all you can do is wait for your body to decide when to start the changes of puberty.

The age you start your puberty is often inherited from your parents. If you are worried, why not ask your mum or dad what age they started their puberty.

Some young people with delayed puberty are found to have other conditions that have caused it. You may have a problem with the glands in your body that produce oestrogen and testosterone for example.

The signs of puberty for girls

The first sign of puberty in girls is when your breasts start to grow.
Hair will begin to grow on your pubic area in between your legs, in your armpits and on your legs
Your body shape will begin to change. Your hips will get wider and you will grow taller and heavier.
Spots are also common during puberty.
During puberty, your ovaries will also begin to produce eggs (known as ovulation) and girls will start their periods (or menstrual cycle).
It’s not just your body that is changing, so are your feelings. Puberty can be a difficult time and you may feel moody, angry and tired.

The signs of puberty for boys

One of the first signs of puberty in boys is hair growth. This includes the face, under the arms and around the base of the penis.
Boys will also find that their voice will ‘break’ and become much deeper.
The body begins to sweat more during puberty and boys may find they need to wash more often.
The penis will get thicker and longer during puberty and the testicles will start to produce millions of sperm each day which swim in a creamy fluid called semen.
You might find you get more spots.
It’s not just your body that is changing, so are your feelings. Puberty can be a difficult time and you may feel moody, angry and tired.

How is it normally diagnosed and treated?

Delayed puberty is diagnosed when you have failed to show any signs of puberty when you are well into your teenage years. Even then, doctors often suggest no treatment at all.

Instead they monitor your growth and development carefully to make sure it is on the right track. They do this by:

Checking your height and weight regularly.
Taking X-rays of your wrists and knees.

These measurements and images can help your doctor to estimate how much more growing you have to do. If they find you are not growing properly they may want to give you more tests.

Blood tests may be performed to check hormone levels in your blood. And special scans of your brain, called MRI scans are able to pick up any problems with your glands that may be stopping them from producing your sex hormones.

If tests find any other problems, they can almost always be treated successfully by an operation or by drugs.

In the rare cases where a young person’s body is not producing the hormones needed for puberty, hormone replacement treatment can be given. Girls can be given oestrogen and boys given testosterone to bring on puberty.

What’s going to help?

If you are concerned about your health during puberty you can make an appointment to see your GP.
For girls if you have not shown any signs of puberty by the age of fourteen, or if you have shown signs of puberty but not had any periods by the age of sixteen it is a good idea to visit your GP for a check-up.

Looking forward

Permanent problems after a delayed puberty are unusual. For most young people their puberty will start on its own before too long.

If you need other treatment there should still be no long term effect on your future development, sexual function and fertility.

For more help and information

If you would like to know more about delayed puberty, please ask your doctor.

For free confidential advice on sex and contraception visit Brook

Last reviewed by Great Ormond Street Hospital: 4 October 2007

Health > Conditions > D > Delayed puberty

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