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Pittsburgh, PA
A 34-year-old female asked:

Can a 5 or 6 year old boy if he plays with himself release hormones if there not going through puberty ?

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. James Ferguson
Pediatrics 48 years experience
No: Puberty is driven by centralized signals from the brain as pre-programmed by genes. In infant or child can have erections because the equipment is wired that way. It does not trigger hormones that are not ready to be made.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Stuart Hickerson
Family Medicine 34 years experience
No: There is no specific hormonal response from toughing the genitals. Typically it is the result of curiosity and it feels good.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Feb 13, 2020

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