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.
- Some women really dislike the idea of a large penis and
may be frightened by one that is too long.
- 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.
