sexual maturity rating

sexual maturity rating

Tanner staging, see there.

sexual maturity rating

The order and extent of the development of a patient's primary and secondary sexual characteristics as compared with the established norms for chronological age. In both sexes, the changes leading to puberty are the result of major hormonal changes that, although somewhat variable in age of occurrence, proceed in a predictable sequence. Assessing the degree of age-related sexual maturity enables the health care provider to detect abnormalities and to provide anticipatory guidance for the patient and family. An important and easily identified development in a girl is the onset of menstruation. Physical changes in the male such as voice change, facial hair growth, and testicular and penile growth are obvious but occur over a prolonged period.