Dear Counselor, I am a boy of 16. I have started developing breasts.This makes me uncomfortable because my friends are laughing at me saying I am turning into a girl. What can I do?

It is normal for breast tissue to develop in a boy though it does not happen to every boy. It is always a temporary situation. During puberty both boys and girls experience body changes. Hormones which are chemicals produced by body glands are responsible for these body changes.
Boys and girls produce both androgens (hormones that help develop and maintain male characteristics) and estrogen ( a hormone that is responsible for most female characteristics).
Normally as a boy goes through puberty, a boy’s production of androgens increases significantly whereas the boy’s production of estrogen remains low. However, sometimes  a boy may produce enough etrogen during puberty that some breast tissue develops and the breast area can feel tender.  This does not mean the boy is turning into a girl. this is just a minor change in hormones as the boy grows into adulthood. Development of breasts in boys is almost always a temporary condition and it is very unusual for the breasts to stay developed.
You don’t have to do anything about your developing breasts. they will eventually flatten and go away on their own and no medical treatment is required. However if you feel embrassed or self-concious about your breasts, wear loose-fitting shirts which will make your breasts less noticeable until the tissue shrinks over time.