[Pubertal development in males]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the male puberal development in our population. Two hundred and ninety seven health males belonging to a higher middle social economic level who attended a secondary School for Cordoba National University were studied. Such males are encompassed in an age range between 11.0 and 18.0 years. Clinical, anthropometric and biological maturation examination were undertaken according Tanner criteria. The mean age of onset in secondary sex character with their corresponding SD (s), E.E.x. and C.V., the correlation between them by Pearson's correlation coefficient ¿¿r'' and the duration of the complete puberal process were determined. The first sign of male puberal development is the testicular enlargement, appearing G2 at a mean age of, 12,43 years (SD 0,7475), G3 12,74 years (SD0,8873) G4 13,75 years (SD0,9488), and G5 15,28 years (SD 1,0834). The public hair appears at a mean age of PH2 12,66 years, PH3 13,31 years PH4 14,55 years, and PH5 15,38 years. At 17,5 years 100% of the males have reached their complete development. The existing correlation between variables, comparing genital development with pubic hair and viceversa, pubic hair with genital development was of 0,92 and 0,91 respectively. The complete puberal process in males encompass from 2 years 2 months to 3 years 6 months, mean of 2 years 11 months. The male genital development (G2) beging 8 months after the girls started their mammary development (B2) and the male pubic hair (PH2) appears one year later than in the girls.