A STUDY OF WHITE MIDDLE-CLASS ADOLESCENT BOYS RESPONSES TO SEMENARCHE(THE 1ST EJACULATION)

Few empirical studies focus on how boys respond to puberty. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire and interview survey of 36 wh ite middle-class class adolescent male camp counselors (mean age, 18.4 years) that addressed pubertal changes and first ejaculation (''semen arche''). It is a descriptive and hypothesis generating study. The fir st ejaculation, biologically significant in sexual and reproductive fu nctioning, was found to be psychologically meaningful but socially inv isible. The mean age at semenarche was 12.9 years. All of the boys in the group had sex education in school, yet many felt unprepared for th eir first ejaculation, which occurred earlier than they expected and b efore formal education. Those who felt prepared expressed more positiv e feelings and coped better. Common responses to semenarche included s urprise, curiosity, pleasure, and confusion. Most subjects did not tel l anyone that this event occurred and many boys initially confused eja culation and urination. The association of the first ejaculation with sexuality makes it a charged event. Psychosocial and developmental dif ficulties in sexual education for young males are noted.