Spermarche—also known as semenarche—is the beginning of development of

sperm Sperm is the male reproductive cell, or gamete, in anisogamous forms of sexual reproduction (forms in which there is a larger, female reproductive cell and a smaller, male one). Animals produce motile sperm with a tail known as a flagellum, ...

in boys'

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testoste ...

s at

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a ...

.''Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach'', Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 3rd edition, 2006. It is the counterpart of

menarche Menarche ( ; ) is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female humans. From both social and medical perspectives, it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility. Gir ...

in girls. Depending on their upbringing, cultural differences, and prior sexual knowledge, boys may have different reactions to spermarche, ranging from fear to excitement. Spermarche is one of the first events in the life of a male leading to

sexual maturity Sexual maturity is the capability of an organism to reproduce. In humans it might be considered synonymous with adulthood, but here puberty is the name for the process of biological sexual maturation, while adulthood is based on cultural definit ...

. It occurs at the time when the secondary sex characteristics are just beginning to develop. The age when spermarche occurs is not easy to determine. However, researchers have tried to determine the age in various populations by taking

urine Urine is a liquid by-product of metabolism in humans and in many other animals. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the urinary bladder. Urination results in urine being excreted from the body through the urethra. Cellul ...

samples of boys and determining the presence of

spermatozoa A spermatozoon (; also spelled spermatozoön; ; ) is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote. (A zygote is a single cell, with a complete set of chromos ...

. The presence of sperm in urine is referred to as

spermaturia Spermaturia is condition characterized by the presence of sperm in the urine. It can be observed in males of other species and then sometimes diagnosed in veterinary medicine.Beatrice, Laura, et al.Comparison of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio ...

Age of occurrence

''1986 Year Book of Pediatrics'' stated "Fish irsch - n.n.et al. (J. Adolesc. Health Care 6:35, 1985) have suggested that spermarche is present in 38% of boys at age 12 and 70% of boys at age 13." Actually citing Caroline Sahuc gives the range 10–16 years old for spermarche. According to Moshang, genital Tanner 3 stage implies spermarche.

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

says that the age of spermarche is between 10 and 12 years old, "though some start a little sooner and others a little later".

Context

In one study, boys were asked the circumstances in which their first

ejaculation Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract as a result of an orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential compo ...

occurred. Most commonly this occurred via a

nocturnal emission A nocturnal emission, informally known as a wet dream, sex dream, nightfall or sleep orgasm, is a spontaneous orgasm during sleep that includes ejaculation for a male, or vaginal wetness or an orgasm (or both) for a female. Nocturnal emissions ...

, with a significant number experiencing semenarche via

masturbation Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinat ...

, which is very common at that stage. Less commonly, the first ejaculation occurred during

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal pene ...

with a partner.

References

{{Reproductive physiology Developmental biology Developmental stages Human male reproductive system Puberty Sexual health Sexuality and age Men's health

Age of occurrence

Context

See also

References