An exploratory study of pubertal maturation timing and self-esteem among gay and bisexual male youths.

Eighty-three gay and bisexual male youths (17-23 years old) completed questionnaires and a structured interview. Pubertal maturation was associated with self-reported age of first orgasm and ho mosexual activity and frequency of orgasms during junior high school. Unrelated were age of first same-sex attractions, sexual orientation, age of first heterosexual activity, frequency of orgasms dur ing high school, number of lifetime male and female sex partners, reactions to puberty, and self esteem. Early and on-time maturers rarely varied from each other on the assessed domains. Youths did not differ in self-esteem level from heterosexual male youths. Gay and bisexual male youths share with heterosexual male youths a similar developmental trajectory in regard to pubertal maturation and self-esteem