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that can hang outside your pants.
    Most erections will just go away unless there is stimulation.
    Wet Dreams
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    As you know by now, males often wake up with erections. This happens when the bladder fills with urine during the night. The pressure from the bulging bladder can stimulate nerves at the base of the penis, causing it to become erect. You may find that you’ve ejaculated during the night in your sleep. The scientific name for this type of ejaculation, nocturnal emission , means “nighttime release.” It’s not really accurate, because it can occur anytime that you’re asleep. The usual name for it, “wet dream,” isn’t really accurate, either, because you can ejaculate without dreaming.
    Either way, you’ll wake up with sticky semen on your body, pajamas, or bedsheets. If it has dried, it may look like a thin yellowish paste.
    Although not everyone has wet dreams, after puberty many males do have them.
    Taking Care of Yourself
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    Because your genitals are outside your body, they require extra attention. Wash your genitals with soap and water, cleaning all the skin folds, every day. Dry thoroughly to avoid getting a fungus, which causes an itchy rash. Fungal infections are very common and can usually be cleared up by “jock itch” products sold in drugstores.
    Dry cotton underpants that feel soft to your skin and aren’t too tight are a good idea. Cotton is important because it allows your genitals to breathe and, unlike synthetic fabrics, doesn’t trap bacteria in the genital area.
    Athletic Supporters
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    Boys who play sports often wear athletic supporters, which are also called jockstraps. These are special covers for the penis and scrotum.
    For sports like running, some athletic supporters fit like snug jockey shorts and either press your genitals against your body or support them in a sling lining or in soft cups. Others are held in place by actual straps. For some sports, likefootball, baseball, basketball, and hockey, athletic programs require jockstraps with hard cups.
    You can find athletic supporters in the boys’ and men’s clothing sections and sports sections of department stores, in sporting goods stores, and in some drugstores. To buy one, all you need to know is the size of your waist. Just look on the label for the correct size in inches. Some brands have cups in two sizes, youth and adult.
    Like your underwear, your jockstrap should fit as comfortably as possible, without chafing, and should always be kept clean. It’s a good idea to have more than one so that you always have a clean one when you need it.
    Other External Signs of Puberty
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    Okay, we talked about the penis and all its parts and behaviors. Now we’ll discuss the other changes boys experience during puberty and adolescence due to the increase in hormone production.
    Voice Changes
    Your voice may well have changed and deepened already. Your larynx, which produces your deeper voice, may now have begun to stick out from the front of your neck in a bump called an Adam’s apple.
    Hair Growth
    After your voice changes, your beard may start to grow, usually very slowly for the first few years. Your hair changes, too.It increases and darkens on your legs, grows under your arms (where you may have more sweat and body odor), and may appear also on your chest, back, abdomen, or shoulders.
    The pubic hair around the base of the penis becomes curlier, then turns coarser and darker. As the hair takes on thecolor and texture seen in grown men, it starts to form an upside-down triangle.

    How much hair a man will have depends on traits inherited from his parents and his ethnic background. Having a lot or almost no hair does not make you more or less masculine.
    Facial Hair
    Facial hair usually appears on boys at age fourteen or fifteen. Some people might tell you that shaving right away will make your hair come in thicker. That is a myth.
    For many boys, starting to shave every day is a big decision. Whether you want to