When did you hit puberty?

[pejoratist]

As any psychologist worth their salt can tell you, males that hit puberty at a relatively young age generally have high self esteem and a high sex drive. Women that hit puberty at a late age, conversely, have high self esteem and a relatively low sex drive. In regards to either sex, those that hit puberty at a young age tend to prefer the opposite sex in a highly masculinized or feminized form, respectively.

As many psychologists state (and forgive me for sounding like i'm_frigid), those that hit puberty at an early age represent the alpha males and alpha females of a society, and typically can have their pick of any mate, and have a high sex drive to match it. This has led me to wonder if many of us asexuals therefore represent "beta" males and females- those that reached puberty at a late age.

I personally reached puberty relatively late, and I have the high self esteem and low sex drive that typically comes with it. How do the rest of my fellow AVENites fit into this picture?

[Shockwave]

What is this puberty of which you speak? Just kidding. I was 18. However, I have a high self esteem.

[pejoratist]

18?! Holy hell. While you counter-exemplify the self-esteem aspect, you do apply to the asexuality theory in that respect.

I suppose I should add this as another point of inquiry to my AVENites: Please also mention whether or not you have a low sex drive. Plenty of asexuals have a healthy sex drive but no attraction to others, so that comes into play.

[AlwaysVanilla]

I hit puberty very young (at 10 everything just... happened!) And I fit right into your theory... although I do not think I have my pick of any mate, I do have a very high sex drive and am also very fertile (not that it does the sexual menfolk any good :lol: )

[Penumbra]

Quite early on for me (age 12).

I don't prefer the opposite sex in a highly masculinised form (I find androgynous-looking males and females very beautiful).

My sex drive is so low I'm not aware of its existence.

So :P to your psychological study :lol:

Incidentally, I heard of a study which correlates the age at which puberty starts, for girls, with the presence of their father. Girls with 'absentee' fathers were found to start puberty very early. This was compared with records from the 19th century, when the family was always centred around the father: back then the average age at which girls started menstruating was 17-18! From this data it was reasoned that girls that lack a father for whatever reason need to 'grow up' quicker.

(This research seems to fit my case; in my preteen years my father took a job overseas. I missed him terribly.)

[Opel the Old]

i still havent reached it

i am 24, and i never had an urge for sex, hummm

[Shockwave]

I was also 4' 9" (143 cm) when I hit 18 and 5' 6" (168 cm) when I hit 20. I have a normal sex drive, by the way.

[Live R Perfect]

It's hard to say... What do you count as the official start of puberty? Also, what is the average age that puberty starts for male and females?

[biggreenmonkey]

I'm not sure what counts as early, but I started wearing a bra in grade 4/5 (can't remember) and had my period in January of 6th grade, well ahead of most of my peers. I have a very low sex drive. I also have a relatively good self esteem. I can appreciate masculine and feminie beauty, so I don't really pefer one over the other.

Incidentally, I heard of a study which correlates the age at which puberty starts, for girls, with the presence of their father. Girls with 'absentee' fathers were found to start puberty very early.

This is the case for me as well. My father wasn't totally absentee, but he'd live with us for about six months every two years, and I wouldn't see him a lot past that.

[slatterly]

I voted 'average', but I'm actually not that sure. I think I was around twelve when I started menustrating and I can't remember specifically when other things started developing.

In regards to either sex, those that hit puberty at a young age tend to prefer the opposite sex in a highly masculinized or feminized form, respectively.

The phrasing of this is a little confusing, but I'm assuming you mean 'those that hit puberty at a young age tend to associate/prefer masculine appearances to women (if men) or feminine appearances to men (if female).' And I think that was even more confusing, but, erm. I've always preferred men with that hint of androgyny or femininity about them - my best friend is quite tall and thin with hair that's generally considered long for a man (it's longer than mine since I cut it! :D), and half my (male) characters have at least shoulder-length hair.

So that's an interesting thing to consider. Hmm.

*neeeds to take a legitimate psychology course*

[Cate Perfect]

I was average. (13)

I have low self esteem and I suppose a moderate sex drive.

Cate

[Urban Hermit - Inactive]

[mindlife]

I was average, 12, menarche at 13. I think my physical puberty was over when I reached 16.

My self esteem was low. Not crushed but low.

[Tanasha]

I was early. I started having periods at 8, regular ones at 9. :x Due to starting early I felt like a freak and had low self esteem.

[nonentities]

Although I started getting breasts around ten or eleven (sigh) I think that I was twelve when it happened, which is fairly average when I compare myself to my other friends. I was only embarrassed, though, because my family made a huge deal out of it ("Auwwww, you're a WOMAN now!") and I just wanted to NOT think about it EVER again.

[slatterly]

I was only embarrassed, though, because my family made a huge deal out of it ("Auwwww, you're a WOMAN now!") and I just wanted to NOT think about it EVER again.

Yeah, I got that too. I came out of the bathroom one morning and asked where mom kept the pads, and she acted like this was some big huge exciting moment. She had this thing where she wanted to take me and my sister out for a 'woman's day' when we started, basically go see a movie and get ice cream and skip out on school. I never entirely got why she wanted to make such a fuss over losing lots of blood, it was really just a complete embarassment and I wanted it to go away.

[Shivers]

Ummm, I couldn't have been older than 12.... possibly 11. What is average, anyways??

EDIT: Well, according to my research, I started puberty at about the average time....

[Shivers]

Okay, research complete (-:þ

For the female in body: Average age for onset of puberty is between 10 and 13, with first menstruation at about 12. First signs: breast enlargement and pubic hair growth.

For the male in body: Average age for onset of puberty is 11-14. First signs: genital enlargement and pubic hair growth.

[Kombucha2000]

I was average for my biological sex. I wish it never happened :roll:

[Hexpiral]

(and forgive me for sounding like i'm frigid)

You're pardoned.

I reached puberty REALLLY late. I might be needing testosterone shots soon.

[mimi212]

I'm a little later than average. I think my breasts started to develop at 11 1/2 but didn't need to wear a bra until 14. I had my first period at 15 1/2. I have never had a sex drive, and have a low to moderate self esteem.

[biggreenmonkey]

Damn. So I actually was about average. I just put earlier because I started going through puberty faster then my friends. Sorry for messing up the results!

And as for parents making a big deal out of puberty: I remember coming home from school, and we had started having sexuality classes. My mom sat me down at the table, and told me to tell her how the menstrual cycle worked. I refused, and she got angry and told me I'd stay there all night if I didn't tell her. It just bugged me, because she had never done that before with any of my classes.

Also, when I first got my period, I cried, for almost two days straight. It was really traumatic for me.

[Live R Perfect]

Okay, research complete (-:<thorn>

For the female in body: Average age for onset of puberty is between 10 and 13, with first menstruation at about 12. First signs: breast enlargement and pubic hair growth.

For the male in body: Average age for onset of puberty is 11-14. First signs: genital enlargement and pubic hair growth.

Ah, thanks Spocky ;)

In that case I began puberty at an average age of 12 or 13 *shudders at the memory*

Oh yes, and I've always had dodgy self-esteem up until the last couple of years (finding AVEN certainly helped out with that :)). I have a very low to non-existent sex-drive.

[Kez]

I had my first period at 14 and 15 days. I only remember the days because it was so soon after my birthday.

I didnt wear a bra until I was 15 and a half, almost 16, and that was only because my friends started teasing me about not wearing one.

[Aeireono]

I would assume average... 12-13 or thereabouts. I know I hadn't quite started when I started secondary school, but I was coming close. What I do remember is that I grew breasts faster than anyone else, though I tried to ignore them. I'm another one of those types who only started wearing a bra because of a load of other girls poking me about it (they'd say stuff like "Doesn't it hurt?" when no, it didn't, and now I don't wear them at all even when I "should" and I feel just fine).

If it helps the stats, I didn't see much of my dad, generally just at alternate weekends, though for a year or two when I was 13-14ish I lived with him. Long and complicated story there.

Annddd... I have low self esteem and a low sex drive. Whoopie.

[Cerhiunnhn]

Puberty? Uh... I think I was 13. *looks down and cannot see her feet*

I can't remember when I could see my feet when I looked down.

... I'm going to go cry in a corner.

[bard of aven]

In regards to either sex, those that hit puberty at a young age tend to prefer the opposite sex in a highly masculinized or feminized form, respectively.

C. A. Tripp, the Kinsey associate, in his recent and posthumous book The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln refers to a strong correlation in Kinsey's research between very early puberty in males (age 8 to 10) and high frequency of same-sex activity at a young age with a tendency towards same sex or bi sex activity throughout the rest of life.

For whatever that's worth.

boa

[zyralm]

.

[KleenexCow]

I hit my growth spurt WAY before anyone else. I was the tallest kid in 6th grade. And then I stopped growing (upward, anyway) completely. Now, at 5 foot 3, I'm considered shorter than average, with my gargantuan days only a memory.

I also got my period in sixth grade. I think I was the first of my friends to start. It was smack in the middle of a sex-ed section in science class, though, so I was completely untraumatized. I was like "Oh. Blood in my underwear. I know what this is all about! I just hope to God that when I tell my mom she doesn't make me pancakes shaped like the female reproductive system like the mom in the video."

My voice also dropped in 6th grade (girls voices drop, too, but it's not nearly so noticable. I only knew because I was taking some voice lessons).

As far as breasts go...I think I started wearing a bra in...4th grade maybe? Definately by 5th. I would estimate that I was a C cup by 7th grade.

I never started shaving my legs, by the way, but that's more a personal thing than puberty, I guess.

So, I think that's earlier than normal. My mom didn't start until she was 16. I would say I have a moderate-to-low self-esteem, and a low sex drive.

I don't know if I would consider myself an alpha female. I am pretty aggressive for a girl, though, it's a joke amongst me and some of my male friends that I have more testosterone than they do. I've found as far as leadership styles go, I really succeed as a second-in-command, but I can both lead and follow if I need to.

[Bolboreta]

I hit puberty pretty late, I think I was the last one in my class. I was in 10th grade, and just about to turn 15. I really didn't need a bra till I was in 11th grade (i used them, but they weren't absolutely necessary).

My mum would ask me too often if I had already gotten my period though. The summer before I got it, I went on a 2 weeks summer camp, and I remember that that was one of the things she asked me when she saw me in the weekend between the 2 weeks. She surely was more excited about the whole thing that I was :?

I have a pretty low self steem and low sex drive as well. I'm pretty agressive though :roll: