Facts about Penis Size

Riddler

25 March 2015 - Dr David Delvin - Netdoctor.co.uk

In 2015, newspaper headlines suddenly started claiming that the average man's erection measured only 5.2 inches (13.2cms) in length. While this was good news for a lot of men who think that they are 'too small', the new research is not quite as straightforward as it might seem. In fact, it is a sort of 'compilation' of various studies from around the world – some of which appear to have been of less than ideal quality.

Nevertheless, over the last few years it has become apparent that the average man's penis is not as long as had been thought previously. For decades, medical books and articles in the press have confidently stated that penile length is generally about 6.5 inches (16.5 centimetres). As a result, a lot of males who are slightly shorter than this have felt pretty inadequate.

However, it now seems that the statistics on which this 'average' was based had a serious flaw. It is this: the figure was originally calculated by collecting measurements that men had carried out themselves. Self-measurement of this sort is notoriously unreliable. Why? Because so many males don't know where to measure from or use inaccurate rulers or ancient tape measures. Also, there's a tendency for guys to round their 'scores' upwards, in an attempt to make themselves sound better-endowed. And the results tend to be skewed by people who falsely claim to be 10 or 11 inches long.

In recent times, a number of scientists have attempted to obtain more reliable figures, by the simple expedient of employing a trained person to carry out the measurement of each man. And the results, which they have produced, seem to indicate that the average adult male is considerably shorter than had been thought.

In reality, the mean length of the erect penis appears to be only about 5.88 inches (14.9 centimetres), which is considerably less than the 'old' measurement.

Size Matters

Does all this matter? If you're a man, you will know that such matters are – somewhat irrationally – of considerable importance to many males.

Why do men worry about length? Even in this supposedly enlightened century, men fret about penis size and especially length. Though the vast majority of guys have more than enough bulk and length to perform well as lovers, there's a widespread masculine obsession that 'more would be better'. So, we get a constant flow of emails and letters from males who are worried that they are 'too small'.

Companies who advertise penis-enlarging creams and pills on the internet make vast sums of money by exploiting this obsession. But other than surgery, there's nothing that's clinically proven to increase penis size.

Any woman reading this article may find it puzzling that so many males are concerned about the length of their penises, and wish they had 'just a couple of inches more'. But that's the way that a lot of men are. Worrying about penile size is not confined to heterosexual males. Many gay men have the same feelings about 'wanting to be bigger'. However, a lot of homosexual guys do not want a partner with a particularly large penis.

To the average man, whether he's straight or gay, his penis is, consciously or unconsciously, one of the most important things in the whole world. At an early age he discovers it and immediately becomes fascinated by it. But then a note of uncertainty enters his mind: 'Isn't mine rather small?' Look at Dad's, look at big brother's, look at those in the men's changing room – and he asks himself if he will ever be as big as that. And so he goes on through life, always a tiny bit sensitive about the size of his organ, always convinced that it would be nicer if it were just that little bit longer. No matter how often it's written that penile size doesn't matter, and that others aren't attracted to a man because of the length of his organ, many males continues to think the same way.

Never belittle a man's penis in bed, even as a joke, or say anything to indicate that you think it's small. The guy may take you seriously, and if he does, he'll be deeply hurt. We have known men who have gone on to have problems with impotence (erectile dysfunction) after someone made an unthinking remark about their dimensions. But almost all of these men had a perfectly normal male organ. Each one just thought he was very small compared with other guys.

It is also worth noting two points. Some really dislike the idea of a large penis and may be frightened by one that is too long. Secondly, others are much more impressed by the thickness of a penis, rather than its length. This is because some like the sense of feeling stretched round the anus – so if a guy is quite broad at the base of his penis, this can feel very exciting and satisfying to such persons.

A Question of Perspective

The trouble is that every man sees his own penis in a foreshortened view. The angle at which you look down inevitably makes your penis seem shorter than it is. But when you glance at another man's organ, there's no such foreshortening effect, so very often it'll look as though the other guy is slightly better endowed. A lifetime of comparison of this sort (and virtually every male does a quick mental check on each naked man he sees) can easily make you feel a bit inadequate. But it's important to realize the facts about penis length.

Average Penis Length

Measuring the penis when it isn't erect is pointless, since the length and bulk are affected by various temporary factors, such as the ambient temperature. Even the largest male organ can shrink to virtually nothing if the man goes for a swim in cold water. However, at normal temperatures a non-erect penis usually measures between 8.5cm and 10.5cm (3 to 4 inches) from tip to base. The average figure is about 9.5cm (3.75 inches).

Of course, it's true that some men have big penises and some have smaller ones, just as some men have small feet and some have big feet, but the measurement is not – repeat not – an index of virility. Most people think that a tall man will usually have a large penis, but this is not entirely true.

The distinguished American researchers Masters and Johnson measured the penile lengths of more than 300 men.

The longest organ was 14 cm (5.5 inches) in the flaccid state. It belonged to a slim man who was 5' 7" tall (170 cm).
The shortest penis measured 6 cm (2.25 inches). It belonged to a fairly heavily built man of 5' 11" (180cm).

It's also worth pointing out that there is no correlation between penile size and race.

Average size of erections

We've talked about the length of the penis in its ordinary non-erect state, but how long is it be when it's erect?

Interestingly, most penises are very much the same size when erect. The man whose non-erect penis is smallish will usually achieve about a 100 per cent increase in length during sexual excitement. The man whose non-erect penis is on the largish size will probably manage about a 75 per cent increase. So you can see that even if a man has got a 'small' penis, he's got a built-in compensating factor that will bring him up to about the same size as the guy who appears to be 'better equipped' in the shower room.

As we've already said, the average penis is now known to be appreciably shorter than was traditionally thought. Most authorities now say that the mean length of the erect male organ is between 5.1 inches (12.9 centimetres) and 5.9 inches (15 centimetres).

One of the most accurate and scientific pieces of research on this subject was carried out in Mexico on behalf of LifeStyles condoms. Under the supervision of a doctor, four trained health professionals measured the erect penises of 300 men (who were mostly young Americans). They found that the average length was 5.877 inches (14.93 centimetres) – far less than the figure which had been generally quoted in the past. A review published in the British Journal of Urology in 2007 broadly confirmed this finding.

What if I'm not happy about my penis size?

If you're really worried that your penis is the wrong size, go and see your doctor. If you're not comfortable about consulting your general practitioner on such an intimate matter, you could see a urologist who spends their entire day checking men's penises.

In the UK, you can find these doctors at:

Private 'well-man' clinics, but take care: a few of these are run by quacks
NHS urology clinics
NHS sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
Brook advisory clinics (for the under 25s)

What treatments are there to increase penis size?

Many companies claim they know how to enlarge your penis – for a very high price. We have recently been to several medical conferences at which leading experts have spoken about penis size and penis enlargement.

Their opinions on the various methods that are so widely advertised to the public can be summed up as follows.

Pills or patches for increasing penis size: a complete waste of time
Penile enlargement surgery: of uncertain value and sometimes dangerous
Penile enlargement exercises: probably pretty futile
Penile suction devices: probably of little use

Surgery to increase penis size

A number of private clinics now offer operations that claim to make the penis look bigger. The expense of this type of surgery is very great and there is a risk of complications like bleeding, infection or deformity.

One surgical procedure that became popular in the early years of this century is slicing through the ligament that supports the penis. (You can feel this ligament through your pubic hair, just above where your penis starts.) This makes the penis dangle more, so it looks longer when not erect. But it will make no difference to the size of your erection – and furthermore it probably won't come up as high as it used to before the op.

Another type of surgery involves injecting your own fat into your penis to make it more bulky. This may not work, and it can lead to complications. We recommend that you do not agree to undergo any surgery unless you have seen a board certified urologist who feels that you really need penis enlargement surgery.

Please note that a 2006 study from the Institute of Urology in London found that about 70 per cent of men who had undergone penis-lengthening surgery were dissatisfied with the results.

Penis stretchers (extenders)

Some urologists are beginning to use a special extending frame to try to stretch the penis. These 'stretchers' are small rectangular frames that you wear on your penis for hours at a time, every day. They pull your organ out to its maximum length, and the idea is that it will gradually remain longer. The devices are said to be undetectable under trousers. There have been several reports from Italy and Spain by surgeons who claim a modest degree of improvement in length from this kind of traction.

We don't think these devices are some sort of miracle discovery, but one surgeon reported that a group of men achieved an average increase in length of 1.8cm after using the device daily for four months. This is less than three-quarters of an inch, but for some men this would be significant. Stretchers cost between £150 and £200.

What treatments are there to reduce penis size?

Very occasionally, a man with a big penis feels that he wants it reduced in size. This can be done, but there is quite a risk that the operation might go wrong. Again, we advise you not to have this operation unless an NHS consultant urologist has said it's necessary. This would be very rare.

Ok, I'm well aware I'm a little obsessed with my penis size… It's more a desire to win over other than a complex of inferiority, but I cannot get myself to pass over it. However, I wanted to say that even after knowing all these facts about penis size I continue to see in my gym locker room cocks bigger than mine and I'm not small... Just today I saw a guy taller than me that either had a semi hard on, either was a shower or it was very very big, because if it was really soft I'm starting have really inferiority complexes...
I want to believe it was semi (he was 45 degrees downward, but this is not an objective sign), but maybe it's true that Italian are mostly above average as stereotypes says... And this would make me... well... Average...