Are you worried about your penis size? Well, here is something to reduce the anxiety.

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.

Does all this matter? If you're a woman, you probably think that this concern about fractions of an inch is rather silly.

But 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'. .

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. 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.

Size matters

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 women aren't attracted to a man because of the length of his organ, many males continues to think the same way.

The average female cannot understand this obsession with penile measurement. So if you're a woman, 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 about women.

1. Some women really dislike the idea of a large penis and may be frightened by one that is too long.
2. Some women are much more impressed by the thickness of a penis, rather than its length. This is because some females like the sense of feeling stretched round the entrance to the vagina – so if a guy is quite broad at the base of his penis, this can feel very exciting and satisfying to such women.

So just be satisfied because even females are different in their liking.

A question of perspective

A wise man once said ”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 realise 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 6cm (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.

Sex and women

Many men forget that to a female, it doesn't really matter how long or how short your penis is, because the vagina will accommodate itself to virtually any length.

• The vagina of a woman who hasn't had a child is only 7.5cm (3 inches) long when she's not sexually excited. The figures for women who have had babies are only slightly different.
• Even when aroused, a woman's vagina usually extends only to a length of about 10cm (about 4 inches).

This means any man's penis will fill her vagina completely, unless you happen to be one of those rare guys with an erect penile length of less than four inches.

You're probably now wondering how the average man with an erection of six inches manages to insert his penis into the vagina at all.

But fortunately, the vagina has the most remarkable capacity for lengthening if something is introduced into it gradually.

So the exceptional man whose erect penis is eight inches (20.3 cms) long can still make love to any woman, providing he excites her properly and introduces his organ very slowly. If he does this, her vagina will lengthen by 150 or 200 per cent to accommodate him.

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.

Its recommended that you do not agree to undergo any surgery unless you have seen an NHS consultant 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.

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, its advise you not to have this operation unless an NHS consultant urologist has said it's necessary. This would be very rare.