Women's and Children's Health Network
Secret boy's business
Kids' Health Topic
About your 'privates'
Whatever you may have called them when you were a little kid, in your family or among your
mates your 'privates' have got other names used by doctors and other medical professionals.
You will probably have to talk about what's 'down there' at some stage so let's be sure of their
official names, penis (say pee-nis), scrotum (say sk-row-tum) and testicles (say test-ick-ulz)
The scrotum is the name for the sac that hangs below the penis and inside this sac, if you
touch gently, you will feel the testicles.
This area of the body has lots of nerve endings, which make it very sensitive. There are no
protecting bones around here so this area can be easily hurt.
Circumcision
All baby boys are born with a 'hood' of skin covering the glans or head of the penis. This is
called the foreskin. Most boys have this foreskin over the head of their penis, but an operation
called circumcision is done on some boys. This foreskin is removed and the end of the penis
is left uncovered.
Circumcision is done for many reasons.
 It may be traditional for that family to have all boys circumcised.
 It may be for religious reasons.
 It may be for cultural reasons.
 It may be that some people believe it is easier for boys to keep the penis clean if the
foreskin is removed.
 Sometimes there may be a medical reason for circumcision.
Usually the operation is done by a doctor, when the boy is under 10 days old.
The operation hurts, and there is a risk of bleeding or damage to the penis so it is not often
done nowadays.
Sometimes older boys and men have to have a circumcision operation. If you need one you
will have an anaesthetic so that you will not feel the pain of the operation.
Erections
Even tiny babies sometimes get an erection (when the penis grows bigger and stands up or
erect), but about the time of puberty boys start getting more erections, sometimes without any
obvious cause.
 They may happen when you are embarrassed, and they may cause you to feel
embarrassed because you think that everyone can see it.
 Sometimes they happen when you feel sexy, maybe when you think about someone you
might be sexually attracted to.
 These erections go away after a short period of time. You do not have to do anything about
them. Having an erection which goes away by itself does not cause any harm to you.
People do not usually watch other people closely, and no one is likely to notice that you have
an erection.
Penis size
As boys grow through puberty and into young manhood their penis gets longer and thicker.
As not everyone grows at the same rate some boys may be worried about the size of their
penis.
It is important to know that when the penis is limp the size for an adult male can vary between
7.5cm and 15cm. In cold temperatures or after swimming in cold water it can get smaller! It
doesn't matter what size a penis may be when limp, it generally grows to around 16cm when
erect (sometimes a bit shorter and sometimes longer).
If you are still worrying about this then have a talk with your dad or your doctor. Don't believe
all that 'locker room' talk you hear from the other boys your age. Everyone gets a bit worried
at times when going through puberty - even those super cool guys... and even girls!
Wet dreams
Around the time of puberty most boys start having 'wet dreams'. During their sleep they get an
erection and then ejaculate (e-jack-u-late). An ejaculation is when sperm, and the fluid in
which sperm live, come out of the penis.
Boys find a wet spot on their pyjamas and on their sheets.
This is not urine – you have not wet the bed.
Fathers and other men know about wet dreams, so you can talk to a trusted male if you feel a
bit worried or embarrassed.
Masturbation
Rubbing your penis until you have an ejaculation is called masturbation.
 Masturbation does not cause any harm to your body.
 It is something that is done in private.
 Talk to a trusted adult if you have questions or worries about it.
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 Be aware that talking about it with other kids your age may not give you the right
information
Taking care
Because the genital area is so sensitive, it is important that boys learn to look after it.
Boys can do this by:
 Keeping clean and washing carefully every day. You can gently pull your foreskin back and
wash under it. You don't need to use soap. Sometimes there is a white substance under
the foreskin (called smegma). This is normal and healthy and does not need to be washed
away.
 Telling an adult if you are hurting, swollen or your wee is burning.
 Wearing a box if you are playing some ball games such as cricket and baseball. It really
hurts if you get hit down there!
Injuries
You can't walk around all the time wearing a 'box' or athletic 'cup' as it is sometimes called.
So, yes, you may get hurt there and it will be painful! You may feel really sick and even throw
up!
Most times it will be painful for a while, and then will feel better.
You need to talk to a doctor if:
 The pain is really bad.
 It is still really bad after an hour.
 The scrotum is swollen, bruised or cut.
 If you are still feeling like throwing up ages after.
An injury to the scrotum rarely causes any lasting damage… but it certainly can hurt.
What's happening?
Sometimes a boy may get pain in the scrotum or testicles and he hasn't been hit there.
Sometimes he may feel really itchy around there.
Sometimes it may hurt when he is doing a wee.
If one of these things is happening to you tell mum, dad or whoever cares for you, so that you
can get checked out at the doctors. You may have an infection.
Kids say
 "I was scared when I found some sticky stuff in my PJs. Dad told me it is normal so I felt
ok."
 "I got hit by a cricket ball when I didn't have a box on. I was very sore. I always wear a box
for cricket now."
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 "I have one testicle bigger than the other. I thought there was something wrong with me but
the doctor says it's normal and lots of boys do."
 "If you start getting an erection in public, it's a good idea to start saying your tables or your
alphabet backwards in your mind. It works for me."
 "I got really sore and it hurt when I was doing a wee. I got some tablets from the doctor and
I'm better now. It was an infection."
 "I thought I was growing breasts like a girl but the doctor said it was ok. It was called
‘guynee something' I read about it in the topic called Boys breasts. It was just for a while
and I'm ok now."
Dr Kim says:
Everyone feels a bit embarrassed at times especially when showing their 'private parts '. After
all they're sort of 'private' aren't they?
If you are worried, you should never feel embarrassed talking about your worries to those you
trust. And remember that doctors won't feel embarrassed. After all, they are there to help you
keep a happy, healthy body.
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Last updated: February 2011