Now themen mature physically faster than ever. The age of sexual maturity has beenreduced by about two and a half months every decadesince the mid-eighteenth century, according to a study by Joshua Goldstein of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany.
“The reason for this precocious maturation of the boys, as it had already been verified in the girls, is probably due to improvements in nutrition and favorable environments from the point of view of the diseases”, explains Goldstein. It has long been documented in medical records that girls have their first menstruation earlier and earlier, but there was no comparative analysis with boys’ sexual maturity. Goldstein has solved the problem by studyingdemographic data related to mortality. According to the researcher,when the production of male hormones reaches its maximum level at puberty the probability of dying skyrockets. This phenomenon exists in all societies and is statistically well documented.
The increased risk of fatal accidents is found in this period because it corresponds to a time when young people have a behavior that carries more risks because the release of testosterone reaches its maximum. Thehighest peak of biological maturity occurs in late puberty, when men reach reproductive capacity and voice changes occur.
With regard to the stage of development of the body “lToday’s 18-year-olds are like 22-year-olds in 1800“Goldstein concludes. However, although adolescents become adults earlier in a biological sense,” they reach adulthood later with respect to their social and economic roles. “
