The Missing Politics and Unsettled Science of the Trend Toward Earlier Puberty

Sprinkle, Robert Hunt

doi:10.1017/s0730938400005177

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 256 publications

(266 reference statements)

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“…36,37 Psychological, emotional, and behavioral affects of earlier sexual maturity may be pivotal, given the current phenomena of social and emotional delay in achieving adulthood. 4,33 Longitudinal tracking is needed to clarify any impact of overweight/obesity on boys' sexual development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Boys: Data From the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network

et al. 2012

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Recent investigations of pubertal onset in US girls suggest earlier maturation. The situation for US boys is unknown, and existing investigations are outdated and lack information on a key physical marker of male puberty: testicular enlargement.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: US boys appear to be developing secondary sexual characteristics and achieving testicular enlargement 6 months to 2 years earlier than commonly used norms, with African American boys entering Tanner stages 2 to 4 earlier than white or Hispanic boys. abstract BACKGROUND: Data from racially and ethnically diverse US boys are needed to determine ages of onset of secondary sexual characteristics and examine secular trends. Current international studies suggest earlier puberty in boys than previous studies, following recent trend in girls. METHODS:Two hundred and twelve practitioners collected Tanner stage and testicular volume data on 4131 boys seen for well-child care in 144 pediatric offices across the United States. Data were analyzed for prevalence and mean ages of onset of sexual maturity markers. RESULTS:Mean ages for onset of Tanner 2 genital development for nonHispanic white, African American, and Hispanic boys were 10.14, 9.14, and 10.04 years and for stage 2 pubic hair, 11.47, 10.25, and 11.43 years respectively. Mean years for achieving testicular volumes of $3 mL were 9.95 for white, 9.71 for African American, and 9.63 for Hispanic boys; and for $4 mL were 11.46, 11.75, and 11.29 respectively. African American boys showed earlier (P , .0001) mean ages for stage 2 to 4 genital development and stage 2 to 4 pubic hair than white and Hispanic boys. No statistical differences were observed between white and Hispanic boys.CONCLUSIONS: Observed mean ages of beginning genital and pubic hair growth and early testicular volumes were 6 months to 2 years earlier than in past studies, depending on the characteristic and race/ ethnicity. The causes and public health implications of this apparent shift in US boys to a lower age of onset for the development of secondary sexual characteristics in US boys needs further exploration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Boys: Data From the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network

et al. 2012

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“…Second, many types of behavior-including depression/anxiety, learning disabilities, and violence-can now be traced to brain chemistry or anatomy. The earlier onset of puberty, which has led to the explosion of teenage sexuality, is a global phenomenon caused by multiple factors in industrial society (Sprinkle 1999(Sprinkle , 2001. Brain chemistry can be significantly influenced by genetics, toxins, or other biological factors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

BIOLOGY ANDPOLITICS: Linking Nature and Nurture

Masters

2001

Annu. Rev. Polit. Sci.

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Although millions of Americans take psychoactive medicines (e.g. Prozac and Ritalin), few social scientists believe biological theories and findings should be integrated with research on human behavior. Four topics illustrate current studies linking politics and the life sciences: (a) Developments in genetics and medicine indicate that governmental policies have greatly underrated the dangers posed by radiation and the social transformations that will result from DNA sequencing. (b) Research on brain structures and neurochemistry shows how toxic chemicals undermine normal emotions and behavior. Heavy metal burdens are higher in violent criminals, and exposure to these toxins is significantly correlated with rates of violence (controlling for socioeconomic, ethnic, and demographic factors). (c) An untested chemical used to treat water supplied to 140 million Americans significantly increases both odds of dangerous lead uptake and behavioral dysfunctions in children and adults. (d ) The complexity of gene-environment interactions challenges accepted theories of gender, sociopolitical inequalities, ethnocentrism, and history. Such research in biopolitics can illuminate policy controversies in education, substance abuse, and crime.

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“…Therefore, we consider an understanding of the psychological consequences of this phenomenon an issue of broad interest to society (cf. Sprinkle, 2001).…”

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confidence: 99%

Timing of Sexual Maturation and Women’s Evaluation of Men

Belles

Kunde

Neumann

2010

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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Many antecedents and consequences of an accelerated sexual maturation are associated with negative experiences with the opposite sex. Here we show a connection between menarcheal age, a salient sign of female sexual maturation, and the implicit attitude toward men in later adulthood. In Study 1, earlier age at first menstruation was associated with automatic negative evaluations of male faces but not female ones. Study 2 revealed a relationship between early age of menarche and an implicit association between the concepts male and danger. In Study 3, the earlier the menarche, the larger was the estimated egocentric distance of virtual male voices and the shorter the estimated distance of female voices. These results, obtained about a decade after onset of menstruation, suggest that apparently subtle differences in the onset of sexual maturation may have long-lasting implications for intersexual relationships.

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The Missing Politics and Unsettled Science of the Trend Toward Earlier Puberty

Cited by 4 publications

References 256 publications

Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Boys: Data From the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network

Secondary Sexual Characteristics in Boys: Data From the Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network

BIOLOGY ANDPOLITICS: Linking Nature and Nurture

Timing of Sexual Maturation and Women’s Evaluation of Men

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