PUBERTY
Puberty starts in a complex way and merges complexly into adolescence, which is made even more complex because the terms ‘puberty’ and ‘adolescence’ are difficult to define. The Oxford English Dictionary defines puberty as ‘the state or condition of having become functionally capable of procreating offspring’. This definition has certain defects, as menstruation marks puberty in girls, but in the first year or so after menstruation has started most girls are incapable of becoming pregnant. Puberty in boys is marked by the ability to ejaculate, but in the first months the quality of sperms ejaculated is poor and the quantity small, so that a boy’s ability to procreate is limited.
The definition of adolescence also causes problems, because it has no definite beginning or end. The Oxford English Dictionary says it is ‘the period between childhood and maturity extending from 14 to 25 in males and 12 to 21 in females’, which may make a large number of young men rather angry! It is a period of emotional turmoil, during which society begins to recognize the sexual capacity and social independence of the person, who starts mentally scripting his or her sexual drama, through fantasy and actions.
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