Penis size is determined entirely by factors out of our control. Yet penis size may be the single greatest cause of anxiety for men young and old. Questions about penis size abound; What’s the average penis size? Can I increase my penis size? Does penis size matter as much as I think it does? Some of these questions have easy answers, most of them don’t.
What can safely be said is that concern about penis size is almost always misguided. Great sex is much more than the sum (or length) of its parts. Hopefully learning more about what researchers and regular folks have to say about penis size may help more men understand that.
Determining the average penis size for a group of males, let alone for men around the world, is more complicated than you might imagine. Unfortunately most information about average penis size comes from popular culture and not science. Let's start by considering some figures from science.
The results from three studies of penis size where the measurements were taken in a laboratory setting give the following ranges:
· Average penis length (flaccid/not erect): from 3.4 inches to 3.7 inches (8.6 cm to 9.3 cm)
· Average penis length (erect): from 5.1 inches to 5.7 inches (12.9 cm to 14.5 cm)
· Average penis girth (circumference when erect): from 3.5 inches to 3.9 inches (8.8 cm to 10 cm)
These numbers are obviously very different from the sizes we hear (and see) in adult movies, and even the kinds of numbers you read on line. Why such a difference?
Many, possibly most, statistics you read are not from legitimate research, but from marketing companies who want you to feel bad about your penis size (so you’ll buy their product).
Important facts about reports of average penis size
· There is much greater variation in size of flaccid (non-erect) penises than of penises when they are erect. A soft penis that looks large may be roughly the same size when erect as a soft penis that looks smaller.
· Because most men see other penises when they are not erect it can appear as if there is a big difference, and men may be likely to assume their erect penis is much smaller when compared to others.
· Male porn stars are often chosen specifically because they have larger than average penises. Also, there are a variety of techniques used to make penises look bigger on camera. Lighting, camera angle, and even shaving of pubic hair can all make things look bigger on camera.
Problems with research on average penis size
Determining what the average penis size is seems like it shouldn’t be that complicated. It’s a physical body part, you measure it, and repeat hundreds of thousands of times around the world, then take an average. Unfortunately, arriving at an accurate idea of what is an average penis size, is more complicated. Some of the problems with figuring out average penis size include:
· Is penis size considered to be the length, the girth, or both?
· When measuring penis length, where do you start?
· Is penis girth measured at the base of the penis, at the glans (head), or around the shaft?
· Are the people measured in these studies representative of the general population?
· Do all studies include measurements taken by others, or self-reported measurements (which are historically bigger than measurements reported by others)?
Different studies answer these questions differently, which makes arriving at a single average penis size almost impossible. Also, many researchers believe that those who are willing to participate in a study about penis size may have larger than average penises, which would also skew the results.
References:
1. H. Wessells, T. Lue, & J. McAninch. Penile Length in the Flaccid and Erect States: Guidelines for Penile Augmentation The Journal of Urology. Vol: 156, Issue: 3, September, 1996.
2. A. Smith D. Jolley, J. Hocking et al. Does penis size influence condom slippage and breakage? International Journal of STD AIDS 9: 444–447, 1998.
3. P. Bondil, P. Costa JP. Daures, et al. Clinical study of the longitudinal deformation of the flaccid penis and of its variations with aging. European Urology 21: 284–286, 1992.
4. C. da Ros C. Telo¨ken, P. Sogari , et al. Caucasian penis: what is the normal size? Journal of Urology 151: 323A, 1994.
5. A. Kinsey, W. Pomeroy, & C. Martin. Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Philadelphia
6. J. Richters, J. Gerofi, & B. Donovan. Are condoms the right size(s): a method for self measurement of the erect penis. Venereology 8: 77–81, 1995.
7. T. Schneider, H. Sperling, G. Lummen, et. al. Does penile size in younger men cause problems in condom use? a prospective measurement of penile dimensions in 111 young and 32 older men. Urology 2001 pp. 314-318.
8. Z. Awwad, M. Abu-Hijleh, S Basri , et. al. Penile measurements in normal adult Jordanians and in patients with erectile dysfunction International Journal of Impotence Research 17, 191−195, 2005.
Does Penis Size Matter?
Is bigger always better? When most people hear that question they either immediately or eventually think about penis size, and the more direct question that many men and women want to know, does penis size matter?
The reality is that sometimes penis size matters, and sometimes it doesn’t. There are those of us who have unique personal tastes (affectionately known as size queens), but others prefer variety. Some folks might be happy driving a Tercel one day and an SUV the next. Another key piece of information when talking about how much penis size matters, is making sure we know we agree on what is an average penis size.
Rather than rely on old sayings, fashion magazines, and the hundreds of emails in your inbox every day, let’s look at what research tells us about whether penis size matters?
Does penis size matter to women?
A survey of 556 women between the ages of 19-49 asked participants whether penis length and girth matter. The findings included:
· 18% said penis length was very important, 22% said penis girth was very important
· 57% said penis length was somewhat important, 53% said penis girth was somewhat important
· 25% said penis length was unimportant, 25% said penis girth was unimportant
A major flaw of this study was that it did not specify an optimal size. So women who felt penis girth mattered may have different ideas of what the ideal penis girth is. The assumption might be bigger is better, but this isn’t confirmed by this study.
Another ingenious study, done by Canadians, had women read erotic passages and rate them on the steaminess of the passage. The only thing they altered was the size of the penis. While some respondents did score the larger penises to be hotter, the differences were not statistically significant. Indicating that in a fantasy realm at least, bigger may not necessarily mean more arousing and penis size may not matter as much as other things.
While there have been other surveys that have asked women about the importance of penis length and girth, and most report that where this is a preference, girth is reported as more important then length, there doesn’t seem to be any academic research that actually addresses what size is preferable. If there were such research we could expect, of course, there to be great variability in size preferences.
Does penis size matter to men?
There is no question that men have a preoccupation with penis size. Most men seem to think penis size matters, and many worry about the size of their penis at some point in their lives. There have been several studies that have confirmed that men’s perception of penis size is skewed:
· An Internet-based survey of 52 031 heterosexual men and women found that while 85% of women were satisfied with their partners’ penis size, but only 55% of the men were satisfied with their penis size.
· Several studies that have asked men to evaluate the size of their penis, compare it to “normal” and then have actually measured their penis size, have shown that most men underestimate the size of their penis, and overestimate what isaverage penis size.
· Studies have also shown that men tend to compare penises in a way that is likely to end up with negative evaluation (e.g. they compare flaccid penis to an erect penis).
· One study of men who were seeking penile enlargement surgery found that most of the men had penises that were in the average size range, despite their belief that they had unusually small penises.
It seems from what research we have, that men think penis size matters more than women. Which begs the question, Why do guys worry and talk about penis size so much?
One answer is that we’re still stuck in this penis-centered idea of sex, where great sex comes solely from a man doing unbelievable things with his penis.
Let’s remember first, that lots of people are having great sex with no penis involved at all! And beyond that, most women don’t orgasm from penetration at all, so most orgasms are not being produced from a penis of any size. I think we still focus on penis size, because we still think that a dick is the measure of a man. And this is the worst misconception of all.
Sources:
1. Stulhofer, A. “How (Un)Important Is Penis Size for Women with Heterosexual Experience?” Archives of Sexual Behavior Volume 35, No. 1, (2006).
2. Lee, P. “Survey Report: Concept of Penis Size” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy Volume 22, No. 2 (1996):
3. Mondaini, N., Ponchietti, R., Gontero, P. et. al. “Penile Length is Normal
4. Wylie, K.R. and Eardley, I. “Penis Size and the ‘Small Penis Syndrome’” BJU International Volume 99, No. 6 (2007):1449-1455.
Reasons Why Men Think Their Penis is Too Small
Many men think their penis is small, often too small. Research confirms that heterosexual men worry about penis size more than women do, and are more dissatisfied with the size of their own penis than women are with their partners’ penis size. There are many reasons why men think their penis is too small, and all of them have to do with comparing your penis to someone else’s penis, which, I would argue, is a fruitless exercise.
Early Penis Sightings
For many men the first time they see penises as adolescents will be seeing their father naked. If you’re very young seeing a naked parent’s penis will likely seem big both because of the difference in body size between a child and an adult, and also because of the angle (seeing something from below can make it look bigger). In this way some of men’s earliest data on penis size are skewed.
Locker Room Syndrome
Most heterosexual boys and men don’t see too many penises outside of the change room or locker room, and possibly home if there are male siblings or parents in the house. Checking out other men’s penises in a locker room situation carries many pitfalls. For one, you rarely get a chance to take a really good look. As well, the size of a flaccid penis may vary greatly from man to man, but the size of an erect penis doesn’t vary as much. In locker rooms (well most of them) the penises you see are usually flaccid.
In a study of men who sought medical help for concerns about having a small penis, 62% of men said their concerns began in childhood as a result of comparing penis size to that of their friends.
Porn Comparisons
A lot of men will get sex information from watching pornography, which is a terrible way to learn anything about sex (except perhaps that sex is fun). Male porn stars have larger penises and there are lighting and pubic hair styling tricks that make them look even bigger. Remember, the camera puts on ten pounds. In the same study cited above, just over 37% of men say their concern about penis size began after seeing porn.
Visual Orientation
When you look at your own penis you are probably most often looking at it from above. This is an angle that makes your penis look smaller. If you stand naked in front of a full length mirror both facing the mirror and in profile, you’ll get a better idea of what your penis looks like to others (if this is your concern). Just as looking from below can impact our earliest ideas of penis size, always looking from above can make you think your penis is smaller than it is.
What’s Average?
Finally, men who think their penis is too small are probably unaware of what average penis size is thought to be in the first place. According to some reviews, average erect penis length is between 5.1 and 5.7 inches.(other reviews put it slightly higher at 5.5 to 6.3). In either case somewhere around five and a half inches is an average penis length. It’s not that there aren’t men who live with very small penises (known as a micropenis ) but statistically speaking, most men will be somewhere in the middle.
Source:
Mondaini N, Gontero P. “Idiopathic Short Penis: Myth or Reality?” BJU International Volume 95 (2005): 8-9.
Bad Reporting on Sex Research: Average Penis Size
One of the reasons that it's so difficult to find accurate global data on average penis size is that measuring penises is a lot more complicated than you might think.
For one thing, where do you start? Unfortunately, everyone seems to measure differently, which makes it difficult to compare data across studies. The media also seems to be endlessly fascinated with talking about penis size (I wonder why), and can sometimes take perfectly reasonable research and twist it into something both misleading and misguided.
Take this example from 2006:
I came across a Reuters headline on MSNBC.cominforming me that "condoms a big problem for men in India
The article is about a two-year study, conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, which set out to determine the average penis size of men in India
It reported that most study participants' penises measured 126 to 156 mm in length; 30% measured between 100 and 125 mm. According to the authors, these sizes are significantly smaller than average condom sizes and, therefore, condoms need to be smaller for Indian men. According to the Times of India piece, the council was to make recommendations regarding new condom sizes a few months later (although I doubted from the start that this was true.)
Now, I could be generous and consider the reason for such an absurd statement to be published in a legitimate news source to be the same old story -- when it comes to any sex content, the editorial gaze fogs over and any old rubbish will be printed.
In this case, I should write a letter to Reuters and the Times of India and explain the following:
· Condom sizes are universally larger than average penis size. This is true in Europe, North America, and India
· Measuring penis size is in fact a difficult and somewhat contentious subject. One of the reasons that it's so hard to arrive at accurate averages is that everyone measures differently.
· That said, the reported penis size averages for the non-representational sample of 1,400 men in this study fall very much within the Western averages.
· While ill-fitting condoms are indeed one reason for condom failure and failure to use condoms in the first place, making condoms smaller will not necessarily fix this problem.
But let's say, on the other hand, that I'm not feeling generous. I'm feeling cynical and bitter about mainstream media's treatment of sexuality. I think to myself: "This sure sounds familiar. Let me think. Who were the last people to seriously correlate genitalia with race?" In this case, I should write a letter to Reuters and the Times of India and remind them of the following:
· The last group who carefully documented the relationship between genitalia and race were the colonial "scientists", not exactly the folks any of you want to emulate.
· In all this reporting, there is confusion between biological origin and citizenship. Suggesting this study applies to all Indian men suggests that every male living in India
· I shouldn’t have to point this out to a group of educated news people, but penis size simply is not a salient characteristic from which we can extrapolate anything in regard to race. In fact, let’s not forget that the physical parameters of race are, to an extent, arbitrary. And the variety inside any group is just as likely to be robust as the variety between groups.
In the end, I prefer to think of these articles as another example of how -- when it comes to reporting on sex -- journalists and editors consistently phone it in (and not in a legitimate way.) I don’t know why I find it less depressing to consider them infantile instead of racist, but I do.
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How Do I Measure Up?
Question: How Do I Measure Up?
All the guys I see in porn basically have dicks the size of my arm. Partly because I’m shy, and partly because I have scars from surgery when I was a kid, I don't shower in front of other guys and haven't seen a naked guy since I was a boy. I'm guessing that porn stars are just naturally bigger, but want to know how I measure up.
Answer:
Like you I tend to be shy about my body. And even though I personally would have a hard time with it, I know if we all lived in a culture where our bodies weren't considered dirty, and nudity was more normalized, we’d all have far fewer hang ups about how we measure up.
The first thing you need to know is that very little in porn is "real", and you should never compare yourself to what you see I porn films. Male porn stars either genuinely have larger than normal penises, or they use tricks to make them look larger than normal. I promise you that with the proper lighting, make-up, pubic hair design, and camera angle, your penis could look like most of theirs.
One of the many oddities about penises is that they seem to actively defy all the attempts we make at figuring out which of them is "normal" or "regular". This is one of the reasons I recommend people not even bother with what the average numbers are. On the other hand, some people find comfort in statistics, and if you're one of those people, you can read more about what research tells us is average penis size .
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What's the Deal with Penis Size?
Question: What's the Deal with Penis Size?
What’s the deal with penis size? Guys seem obsessed with it, I know some women friends who are definite size queens, but here’s my problem. I’ve been with guys of a lot of different sizes, but there doesn’t seem an obvious link for me between size and pleasure. I have this feeling that there’s probably a right size out there for me, and when I find it that’s the man I should marry (or at least test drive!) Do you think that there’s such a thing as your genital soul mate?
Answer:
There are many questions in this one. Does penis size matter? Do we actually fit together? And what makes a good lover?
The short answer to the question about size is kind of like that famous presidential quote: it matters to some of the people, some of the time... There has been surprisingly little research in this area, but you’ll find information on that research through the link below.
For the most part people’s size interests take a back seat to other considerations. Aside from your friends who are size queens, the same person might be happy driving a Toyota Tercel one day, and an SUV the next. And as folks on the discussion board are pointing out, small can sometimes be better, depending one what you want to do with it.
For research details and more check out The Question of Penis Size
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Do Penis Pumps Permanently Enlarge Your Penis?
Question: Do Penis Pumps Permanently Enlarge Your Penis?
Answer:
Thankfully, this question, which is one I received 43 times in my first year as a guide (not from the same person) is one of the easier sex questions to answer. And of course the answer is yes...and no.
Penis pumps will absolutely make your penis bigger, temporarily. Penis pumps create a vacuum effect that draws blood into the penis, which in most cases will result in an erection. Given that an erection is bigger than a flaccid penis, it’s true that penis pumps “make” the penis bigger. But only while they are on over the penis. And this can get in the way of things.
The only published study that has examined the effectiveness of penis pumps at permanentenlargement found the claims of thousands of ads, websites, and "real" guys who promise permanent size gains to be puffed up, just a lot of hot air.
The study was published in the British Journal of Urology International in 2006. In the study the researchers followed a group of men with small penises who were willing to use penis pumps three times a week, for twenty minutes each session, over a period of six months. The device that was used was not a sex shop style penis pump, it was a clinically tested vacuum erection device.
At the end of the study there was an average increase of 0.3 centimeters, which is not statistically significant. But interestingly, even though this average increase is minor, 30% of the men who participated said they were satisfied with the “treatment”.
Despite the fact that the actual gain was not significant, and for some participants presumably there was no actual increase, many of the participants felt satisfied, which makes one wonder what it was that they were satisfied with. Was it the permission to spend an hour each week focused on an activity that some men find pleasurable? Was there a placebo effect?
With only one published study, we would need much more to go on before concluding anything. Even so, I have always been wary of the penis pump sales pitch. In the end, as long as you use your penis pump safely there is no reason not to try it if you like, and there is no question that some guys say it makes a difference. But as far as the research is concerned, the difference is largely in their heads.
Sources:
Aghamir, M. K., Hosseini, R., & Alizadeh, F. “A Vacuum Device for Penile Elongation: Fact or Fiction?”British Journal of Urology International. Volume 97, Issue 4 (April 2006): 777-778.
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Micropenis
What Is a Micropenis?
Micropenis is a clinical term used to describe a very small penis. In an ideal world (where we didn’t assume that being too far from a norm is automatically cause for concern) being born with a very small penis would not be considered a medical problem unless the penis was causing pain, or not functioning the way a newborn penis should. However, because we do associate health at birth with a variety of norms, infants born with very small penises can be labeled as in need of medical attention (even if they aren't).
People born with micropenises that either received no treatment, or received treatment that had no effect, can go through puberty and move into adulthood and still have a micropenis. The generally accepted definition of a micropenis is a penis that is "more than 2.5 standard deviations" below the average penis length for the age of the individual. This is just a statistical term that means a certain length away from average, based on the average penis size in the population.
Even though researchers disagree on whatconstitutes average penis size a micropenis is considered in newborns to be around 3 /4 of an inch (1.9 centimeters) in length, and in adults to be less than 2.8 inches (7 centimeters)in length.
What Causes Micropenises?
Micropenises are the result of a difference in fetal development. Most often the cause of a micropenis is chromosomal and hormonal, and results from some problem in either the making of, or body’s response to, androgen. Research on fetal development suggests that there are two stages of penile development in fetuses. The first happens early in fetal development is when androgen triggers the development of the penis and scrotum from its undifferentiated state. The second, which happens later on in fetal development, occurs when androgen influences the further growth of the penis. It is thought that a micropenis is the result of the first stage happening but not the second (so the penis looks like most penises, but it is much smaller).
Because the term micropenis is really just a descriptive one, there could be many reasons someone is born with a micropenis. As many as a third of people born with a micropenis don’t fit into an easily identifiable category to explain the cause of it.
Many adult men who think they have a micropenis would not fit the clinical diagnosis. If you are concerned that you may have a micropenis the easiest first step would be to talk with your doctor.
Can You Have Sex With a Micropenis?
You can absolutely have sex with a micropenis. For adult men who have true micropenises this may be a huge concern. The first thing to point out is that if you want, you can have great sex without a penis at all. So regardless of size, sex is still out there.
In terms of the sexual functioning and response of the micropenis itself, reports vary. Certainly many men who have micropenises report having satisfying sexual intercourse as well. There haven’t been many studies, but one reported that 75% of men with micropenises reported satisfying sexual intercourse. Yet another recent study which examined the nighttime erections of men with micropensises found them to be different from men without micropenises. Again, I would suggest that sexual satisfaction and functioning are not categories to be left to “researchers” alone, and how you feel about it is more important than what laboratory research can tell us.
Is There Treatment for a Micropenis?
Given the society we live in, where a man’s worth is measured by the size of everything from his car to his income to his penis, it’s not surprising that many men think a small penis is, by definition, a broken penis. But this isn’t the case. If you are an adult with a micropenis the “treatment” may be more about accepting that your body is okay, and can give you the same amount of pleasure as other bodies than any more significant intervention.
Most treatments for micropenises happen just after birth and around puberty. This treatment usually involves hormones to stimulate further penile growth.
For adult men with true micropenises there are also surgical options, although these surgeries tend to have low satisfaction ratings, and a recent review suggested that surgery should not be recommend to patients specifically because of the lack of satisfaction.
Sources:
Li, C.Y., Kumar, P., Agrawal, V, et. al. “The Role of Surgery for Penile Dysmorphophobia and Congenital Micropenis” BJU International Volume 93, Suppliment 4 (2004): 71.
Migeon, C.J., Wisniewski, A.B., & Gearhart, J.P. Syndromes of Abnormal Sex Differentiation. The Johns Hopkins
Parisi, M.A., Kletter, G.B., Grady, R., et. al. “Micropenis With Testicular Regression, Low LH Levels, and Poor Androgen and HCG Responses: A Distinct Syndrome?” American Journal of Medical Genetics Volume 109, (2002):271–277.
Wessells H., Lue, T.F. & McAninch, J.W. “Penile Length in the Flaccid and Erect States: Guidelines for Penile Augmentation”. Journal of Urology Volume 156 (1996): 995-997.
Yaman, O., Soygu, T., Akand, M, & Tokatli, Z. “Effect of Penile Size on Nocturnal Erections: Evaluation with NPTR Testing with Men Having Micropenis” International Journal of Impotence Research Volume 17, (2005): 243–247.
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