Editing Tanner scale (section)

{{short description|Physical development scale of children, adolescents, and adults}}
{{Infobox diagnostic
| name = Tanner scale
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| pronounce = 
| purpose = Defines physical measurements of development
| test of = 
| synonyms = Tanner stages
}}
The '''Tanner scale''' (also known as the '''Tanner stages''' or '''sexual maturity rating''' ('''SMR''')) is a scale of [[Development of the human body|physical development]] as [[pre-pubescent]] [[children]] transition into [[adolescence]], and then [[adult|adulthood]]. The scale defines [[Measurement|physical measurements]] of development based on external [[primary sex characteristic|primary]] and [[secondary sex characteristic]]s, such as the size of the [[breast]]s, length of the [[penis]], volume of the [[testes]], and growth of [[pubic hair]]. This scale was first quantified in 1969 by [[James Mourilyan Tanner|James Tanner]], a British [[pediatrician]], after a two-decade-long study following the physical changes in girls undergoing [[puberty]].<ref>{{WhoNamedIt|synd|3082|Tanner's stages}}</ref><ref name="pmid5440182">{{cite journal |vauthors=Marshall WA, Tanner JM |title=Variations in the pattern of pubertal changes in boys|journal=Arch. Dis. Child. |volume=45 |issue=239 |pages=13–23 |date=February 1970 |pmid=5440182 |pmc=2020414 |doi= 10.1136/adc.45.239.13}}</ref><ref name="pmid5785179">{{cite journal |vauthors=Marshall WA, Tanner JM |title=Variations in pattern of pubertal changes in girls |journal=Arch. Dis. Child. |volume=44 |issue=235 |pages=291–303 |date=June 1969 |pmid=5785179 |pmc=2020314 |doi= 10.1136/adc.44.235.291}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Emmanuel|first1=Mickey|title=Tanner Stages|date=2019|url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470280/|work=StatPearls|publisher=StatPearls Publishing|pmid=29262142|access-date=2019-08-01|last2=Bokor|first2=Brooke R.}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| image1            = Tanner scale male intact.svg
| image2            = Tanner scale-female.svg
| caption1          = Illustration for males
| caption2          = Illustration for females
| width2            = 285
| align             = right
| header            = Tanner scale
}}

Due to [[Human variability|natural variation]], individuals pass through the Tanner stages at different rates, depending in particular on the timing of [[puberty]]. Among researchers who study puberty, the Tanner scale is commonly considered the "gold standard" for assessing pubertal status when it is conducted by a trained medical examiner.<ref name="Puberty and Its Measurement">{{cite journal |vauthors=Dorn LD, Biro FM |title=Puberty and Its Measurement: A Decade in Review|journal=Journal of Research on Adolescence |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=180–195 |date=February 2011 |doi= 10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00722.x}}</ref> In [[HIV]] treatment, the Tanner scale is used to determine which regimen to follow for pediatric or adolescent patients on [[Management of HIV/AIDS|antiretroviral therapy]] (adult, adolescent, or pediatric guidelines).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines/html/1/adult-and-adolescent-arv/21/adolescents-and-young-adults-with-hiv|title=Adolescents and Young Adults with HIV Considerations for Antiretroviral Use in Special Patient Populations Adult and Adolescent ARV|website=AIDSinfo|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-01}}</ref> The Tanner scale has also been used in forensics to determine aging, but its usage has decreased due to lack of reliability.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of forensic and legal medicine|others=Payne-James, Jason,, Byard, Roger W.|isbn=9780128000557|edition= Second|location=Amsterdam, Netherlands|oclc=924663619|date = 2015-09-29}}</ref>