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Subject: He has body issues too!
Feature: Girls aren't the only ones going through big changes when they hit their teens - boys get to enjoy all the 'fun' of puberty too!
Writer: Melissa Field

While the guys in your class would probably rather admit to fancying Mischa Barton than own up to struggling with their teenage body issues we can guarantee that, like you, they've got their own problems coping with the physical side of growing up also.

For a start, boy's bodies transform during their early teens too. Over a period of up to four years during puberty, boys grow taller and more muscular, however, these changes happen at different times to different guys. This is why some of the guys in your class may resemble strapping fully grown men, while others still look like little boys. Can you imagine how it feels to still be a small, skinny kid while your friends stride around with bodies buffer than Beck's? Not nice. In fact, recent studies have found that up to 50% of teenage boys wanted to make drastic changes to their body's in order to get the so called 'ideal' athletic, muscular physique.

Boys also have to cope with lots of other potentially embarrassing changes too.

Voice breaking
Sounds painful - it isn't. It just means that as a boy gets older, his voice will get deeper and more masculine. But in order to do so, his vocal chords thicken and strengthen, causing his voice to squeak and crack as it changes.

Spots
Almost everybody gets spots at some point during their lives but teen boys and girls are most at risk. This is because of all the hormonal upheaval going on inside teen bodies - it causes some people - both male and female - to break out big time.

Hair everywhere...
Just like you, guys start growing hair where once there was none when the hit their teens. Under the arms, around the genitals (called pubic hair) and in most lad's cases, on their face too. This means that they'll need to start shaving. But this can be equally embarrassing for the guy who has to start when he's 11 as it is for the guy whose cheeks are still as smooth as a baby's bot at 15.

Sweat it out
Guys' sweat glands go a bit crazy during puberty. This means that as they grow, they sweat more. The body to help control temperature produces it but teenage hormones can cause it to go into overdrive, both in guys and girls, which can cause some problems with body odour. Simple solution is to change clothes regularly, wash often and use anti-perspirant deodorant.

Boy's bits
Just like many teen girls worry about the size of their breasts, so too the boys. But it's not bust size that gets the boys in a flap, it's the size (and shape and length) of the bits down below - the penis. Lots of guys constantly worry about this and in addition, they have to cope with their first erections (when their penis hardens and lengthens sometimes for no apparent reason and at the most embarrassing times possible!) and wet dreams (when some semen - the sticky liquid that sperm is part of - leaks out during the night.) All of these things are totally normal and happen to all guys at one time or another.

Body issues aren't just a girl thing - guys go through it all too.
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The must have handbook for girls teenage life