Delayed Secondary Sexual Development

Delayed secondary sexual development – All you need to know

About

Delayed secondary sexual development a.k.a. delayed puberty is a medical condition in which the sexual maturation of girls and boys in the pubescent age is deferred.

More than 90 kids out of every 100 exhibit delayed puberty due to a slower rate of physical growth. [4]
- Usually self-diagnosable
- Can happen to both girls and boys
- Treatable by a medical professional
- Lab tests or imaging sometimes required

Causes of delayed puberty common to both genders include constitutional growth deference, or other ulterior medical conditions such as cardiac ailments, genetic contributions, eating disorders, autoimmune diseases, etc.
Ages affected – Between 0 and 13: Rare; Between 13 and 15: Predominant; 15 and above: Rare

Symptoms

Usually self-diagnosable
In boys, some common symptoms include – body remaining thin and short, voice staying high-pitched, tiny body or pubic hair, etc.
In girls, common symptoms encompass – delayed commencement of menstruation, late development of the uterus, an absence of pubic hair, etc.

People may experience
Hair the absence of pubic hair, sparse body hair
Delayed development of sexual organs (uterus and penis)
The late advent of menstruation (in girls)
Small size of testicles (in boys)

Treatment

Self-care:
Taking care of the kid’s eating habits, and using the watchful waiting method to observe the growth of height, weight, and pubescent characteristics is helpful.

Medications:
Puberty can be initiated in boys by giving testosterone shots, and estrogen shots to girls.
Hormonal treatment, though not commonly used, is reserved for special cases.

Specialists:
If pubescent characteristics are not visible in the boy (by age 14) or girl (by age 13), we recommend the parents to consult physicians on the mfine (www.mfine.co) platform for advice and treatment suggestions.