Precocious Puberty

[Tales]

Do you think that Precocious Puberty is the cause of some of the major problems with kids of today like Underage sex, abortions, underage pregnancy.etc

 

[Skillet]

Yes/No. With today's society, we know a lot more than we did at one time. We know about many hazards that come along with sex, hence the growing number of teens involved in such. Society also plays a role, telling us what is right and wrong. Society pushes teens to sex, drinking, drugs. It's everywhere, and you'd be wrong to deny it.



With the increased number of teens feeling the maturity for sex is there, also increases pregnancy, etc. It's a bigger picture. All of it is tied together. I just want to through this out there, that in the middle ages, young teens were giving birth. In some societies, a boy is deemed a man at 13. Or 15. Or 16.



But final statement, society is pushing teens to mature at a rate faster than once. Some have the capability to take on this faster maturity, some don't. That's where we get problems.

 

[Tales]

But final statement, society is pushing teens to mature at a rate faster than once. Some have the capability to take on this faster maturity, some don't. That's where we get problems.

If the body doesn't develop the capability then this shouldn't be too much of a problem right?

 

[Skillet]

Girls can start puberty at 7 or 8. Males at 10 or even younger. I was reading this story of this girl who got her eggo preggo at 8 (She was raped). Capability is there; I just see no logical motive. 16 is really only 2 years away from 18. By 16, some begin to know what love is. For the record I did say some. By a certain age, it should be deemed a personal choice. Where do draw the line is where this debate really arises from. For some people it could be 16. For some it might not be until you're 18. Recognizing this within yourself, sometimes is hard, because like I said, often the least responsible somehow think they are the most.

 

[Tales]

Girls can start puberty at 7 or 8. Males at 10 or even younger. I was reading this story of this girl who got her eggo preggo at 8 (She was raped). Capability is there; I just see no logical motive. 16 is really only 2 years away from 18. By 16, some begin to know what love is. For the record I did say some. By a certain age, it should be deemed a personal choice. Where do draw the line is where this debate really arises from. For some people it could be 16. For some it might not be until you're 18. Recognizing this within yourself, sometimes is hard, because like I said, often the least responsible somehow think they are the most.

But I asked my parents which are a generation before me. They mentioned that during my age[I was only 13 back then], they mentioned that during their era none of their classmates have developed anything. at 13 years old. Most of them develop around 15 or 16 or something.



Nowadays they are mostly full developed by 16 years old. Isn't that odd?

 

[Skillet]

I'm not sure if I believe that, because even the middle ages lists people getting married and pregnant at 13 or 14. They started early, because life span was much less then. But if you can find a reliable source saying this, maybe I'll believe you. Right now, I'll stick to just changing times, and views in society.

 

[Tales]

well I also discussed this in my own forum...



Here's some info....



Historical shift

The average age at which the onset of puberty occurs has dropped significantly since the 1840s. Researchers refer to this drop as the 'secular trend'. In every decade from 1840 to 1950 there was a drop of four months in the average age of menarche among Western European females. In Norway, girls born in 1840 had their menarche at an average age of 17 years. In France the average in 1840 was 15.3 years. In England the average in 1840 was 16.5 years. In Japan the decline happened later and was then more rapid: from 1945 to 1975 in Japan there was a drop of 11 months per decade.



Wikipedia



But it appears only the western ones are well documented not sure for countries like HK or south east asia.

 

[Tales]

Check this news out from my own country.



http://beyondword.forumotion.net/singapore-news-f14/more-teens-hit-by-stis-t179.htm



So you guys can see this is a rather worrying issue in the modern world. Children are getting sexually transmitted infections. And these diseases are not something you can cure, some if caught and not treated well can lead to infertilty and worse.

 

[Skillet]

Disease is happening to all people though, not just teenagers. And you didn't make a statement to it; do you feel society or the media plays a role in this?

 

[Tales]

Of course... another factor would be the stuff we are eating also.... Like say the pesticides that you mentioned in the Ecoterrorism topic

 

[Skillet]

You think it is causing humans to evolve faster? You're just stating an opinion, if you don't back it up with fact. Have a valid source?

 

[Tales]

I have not much of a proof. In fact most of these are just theory even by scientists, some even are unconfirmed whether they are involved or not. I know a few of them let me ask them out for a chat. But chemical causing cancers in humans and animals is a indisputable fact already.

 

[Skillet]

How does getting disease relate to earlier puberty? I know the risks related to; I'm just saying pesticides aren't likely to make someone step into teenhood any faster.

 

[Tales]

Some words from wikipedia



There is theoretical concern, and animal evidence, that environmental hormones and chemicals may affect aspects of prenatal or postnatal sexual development in humans. Large amounts of incompletely metabolized estrogens and progestagens from pharmaceutical products are excreted into the sewage systems of large cities, and are sometimes detectable in the environment. Sex steroids are sometimes used in cattle farming but have been banned in chicken meat production for 40 years. Although agricultural laws regulate use to minimize accidental human consumption, the rules are largely self-enforced in the United States. Significant exposure of a child to hormones or other substances that activate estrogen or androgen receptors could produce some or all of the changes of puberty.



Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical used to make plastics, and is frequently used to make baby bottles, water bottles, sports equipment, medical devices, and as a coating in food and beverage cans. Scientists are concerned about BPA's behavioral effects on fetuses, infants, and children at current exposure levels because it can effect the prostate gland, mammary gland, and lead to early puberty in girls. BPA mimics and interferes with the action of estrogen-an important reproduction and development regulator. It leaches out of plastic into liquids and foods, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found measurable amounts of BPA in the bodies of more than 90 percent of the U.S. population studied. The highest estimated daily intakes of BPA occur in infants and children. Many plastic baby bottles contain BPA, and BPA is more likely to leach out of plastic when its temperature is increased, as when one warms a baby bottle or warms up food in the microwave.[45]



As for disease effecting the age of puberty let me ask my friend from a science forum first.