Underarm hair and pubic hair are usually considered secondary sex characteristics, but they may also be considered non-secondary sex characteristics because they are features of both sexes following puberty. In mammals, these characteristics may include increased mammary tissue in females and greater muscle mass in males. The reproductive organs in male or female mammals that are usually identifiable at birth are described as the primary sex characteristics or sex organs. In evolution, secondary sex characteristics are the product of sexual selection for traits that show fitness, giving an organism an advantage over its rivals in courtship and in aggressive interactions. In males, testosterone stimulates the growth of facial hair, enlargement of the Adam’s apple, and increase in muscle mass and angular features . This article explores the various aspects of secondary sexual characteristics, including their development, importance, and related health implications.
Blood levels of testosterone vary dramatically over time and even during the course of a day. The proper balance between testosterone (along with other androgens) and estrogen is important for the ovaries to work normally. These hormones are thought to have important effects on For example, the genitals may not enlarge, facial and body hair may be scant, and the voice may not deepen normally.
For women with PCOS, hormones like birth control pills can be used to help lessen the effects of this increased level of testosterone. Some of these effects may decline as testosterone levels might decrease in the later decades of adult life. Pubertal effects begin to occur when androgen has been higher than normal adult female levels for months or years. These include adult-type body odor, increased oiliness of skin and hair, acne, pubarche (appearance of pubic hair), axillary hair (armpit hair), growth spurt, accelerated bone maturation, and facial hair. Specifically, testosterone, along with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) promote growth of the Wolffian duct and degeneration of the Müllerian duct respectively. As the metabolism of testosterone in males is more pronounced, the daily production is about 20 times greater in men.
In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle and bone mass, and the growth of body hair. Some secondary sexual characteristics are common to both males and females, such as the growth of pubic hair, onset of body odor, and changes in skin (e.g., acne) . Estrogen (American English) or oestrogen (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. Green arrows from the ovary show estrogen release, leading to folliculogenesis and female secondary sex characteristics including breast development and maturation, hip broadening, and pubic hair growth. This diagram illustrates the hormonal regulation of puberty and development of secondary sex characteristics in both males and females. Two of the most significant differences between puberty in females and puberty in males are the age at which it begins, and the major sex steroids involved, the androgens and the estrogens.
There is no FDA-approved androgen preparation for the treatment of androgen insufficiency; however, it has been used as an off-label use to treat low libido and sexual dysfunction in older women. In addition, a continuous increase in vaginal sexual arousal may result in higher genital sensations and sexual appetitive behaviors. Men who watch sexually explicit films also report increased motivation and competitiveness, and decreased exhaustion.

Gender: Female

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