How Big Is A Penis
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How Big Is A Penis
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Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Ⓒ 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved
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S. Nicole Lane is a freelance health journalist focusing on sexual health and LGBTQ wellness. She is also the editorial associate for the Chicago Reader.
Matthew Wosnitzer, MD, is board-certified in urology. He is an attending physician at Yale New Haven Health System, Northeast Medical Group and teaches at the Frank Netter School of Medicine.
For better or worse, the size of a penis can greatly influence a person's confidence when it comes to having sex. With that said, there is often a mismatch between how someone with a penis views themselves and how a potential partner sees them. This is especially true if the person thinks that their penis is "too small."
According to a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology , around 68% of men surveyed said they had concerns about their penis size. The concerns are largely driven by unrealistic expectations in the media—as well as society at large—about what is an "average-size" penis. 1 This is a problem.
Some people feel self-conscious about the size of their penis and want to know what's normal. The average size is probably smaller than you actually think.
While the size of a penis generally does not directly affect sexual function, it can increase the risk of sexual problems. Studies have shown that people who think their penises are small are more likely to have low self-esteem, performance anxiety, relationship problems, and erectile dysfunction . They are also less likely to let others, including doctors, look at their penises. 2
The article aims to set the record straight by detailing what the average penis size is, what factors influence penis size. and whether size really matters to partners and your own sexual health.
Statistically, the average length of an erect penis is 6 inches, while the average circumference (girth) is 5 inches. The average flaccid (soft) penis measures 3.6 inches in length with a girth that is roughly the same. 3
You can measure your penis with a ruler or tape measure. Here are some tips to ensure an accurate measurement: 4
Another popular belief is that some flaccid penises can "grow more" than others during an erection. This suggests that flaccid penis size has little to do with erect penis size. This is largely true.
A 2018 study in the International Journal of Impotence Research looked at two groups: one whose penises grew less than 1.5 inches from a flaccid to erect state ("showers") and those that grew more than 1.5 inches ("growers"). 5
What they found was smaller flaccid penises grew more than larger flaccid penises, with all groups averaging an erect penis length of around 6 inches. 5
In the end, the flaccid size of a penis is not a good predictor of its erect size. Moreover, penis size is not static and can change with temperature. When exposed to cold, a flaccid penis will shrink in size to conserve heat. Older age can also lead to a reduction in penis size. 4
There are not many things that can influence penis size, other than perhaps genetics. Penis growth is largely influenced by a surge of testosterone during puberty, typically between the ages of 10 and 14. The penis may continue to grow until a person is around 21. 6 After that, penis size is largely "set."
Despite what some people may tell you, a person’s foot size, nose size, height, and weight have little to do with their penis size. 7 With that said, a person's height and weight may create a false impression of what the penis size actually is.
A 2013 study from Australia found that taller men with an average-sized penis were perceived to have a "smaller" penis than shorter men with the same size penis. The same was seen when comparing overweight men to men who were slim. 8
Race and ethnicity play a role in penis size, but the association is not straightforward. When looked at as a whole, the difference in average penis length between Black men, Latinx men, Asian men, and White Men is not all that significant. 9
Diet, pills, and exercise do not in any way influence the size of the penis. The same applies to "penis enlargement" devices like penis pumps, which do little, if anything, to increase the length of the penis. They may increase girth if used excessively by creating scar tissues, but they can also cause permanent numbness. 10
One of the things that can change penis size is surgery. Some procedures, like radical prostatectomy (removal of the prostate), can shorten the penis. 11 To remedy this, a surgery known V-Y plasty may be used to increase penis length by cutting the ligament that anchors it to the pelvic bone. (Even so, V-Y plasty can destabilize the penis and cause it to turn uncomfortably while erect.) 12
One other common condition that can decrease penis size is Peyronie's disease (PD) . PD typically affects older men and causes the penis to curve abnormally. Scar tissue can develop at the site of the bend, reducing penis length by as much as a half-inch. 13
Prolonged celibacy may also cause penis size to shrink. 14
Many people have been conditioned to believe that "size matters" and will experience stress if they feel they fall short. They may also believe that they will be more attractive to a partner (or perceived to be more masculine) if they have a larger penis. This is largely untrue.
According to a 2015 study in PLoS One, cisgender women shown photographs of erect penises preferred a penis size of 6.4 inches for a one-night sex partner. For a long-term partner, the preference was slightly smaller: 6.3 inches. 15
Other studies have found a disconnect between what female and male partners feel about penis size. In a study of heterosexual people published in the British Journal of Urology International , 85% of women were satisfied with the size of their partner’s penis, while 45% of men thought that their own penis was too small.
The dynamics are slightly different in men who have sex with men (MSM) . Penis size commonly factors into who takes the insertive ("top") or receptive ("bottom") role during sex. 16
With that said, MSM are 50% less likely to regard their penises as "small" compared to heterosexual men and far more likely to regard them as "above average" (35% versus 22%). 17
Having a larger penis may not always be a good thing. In fact, a 2015 study found that, among 75 women surveyed, one of every 15 had left a relationship because their partner's penis size was "too large." 15
There are other concerns. A large penis—particularly an uncircumcised penis —is linked to a higher risk of bacterial vaginosis (BV) , an infection of the vagina, in part because the increased friction against the vaginal wall damages tissues and allows more bacteria in. 18
A larger penis poses similar risks in MSM who have anal sex, including an increased risk of HIV . 17
Concerns about penis size can cause stress and lead to sexual dysfunction in men who think that their penises are small. The problem is that many men think that the "average penis" is larger than it actually is.
In fact, the average length of the male penis is 6 inches, while the average girth is around 5 inches. Studies suggest that women tend to prefer penises of this size compared to a large penis.
Once puberty is completed, the size of a penis is largely "set." While certain things can reduce the size of a penis, such as surgery or Peyronie's disease, there are few that can effectively increase it.
It is important to remember there is no “normal” when it comes to penis size. If you are worried that the size of your penis does not meet your partner's expectations, talk to a doctor or a therapist who can help you gain a better perspective.
While it can be difficult to discuss penis size with your partner, you can take a different approach and ask your partner what they enjoy sexually. Try focusing on intimacy and connection, which many women find just as important as sex. 15
Penises usually stop growing by the time a male completes puberty, between the ages of 18 and 21. 6
Genetics plays the largest role in determining penis size. However, other factors contribute, including hormones like testosterone. Certain genetic conditions like Klinefelter syndrome can impair testosterone production in boys. 19
There is little evidence that things like penis pumps or traction actually work. Moreover, the improper use of these products can cause injury that affects penile function. The same applies to fat injections and surgeries like V-Y plasty that may nominally increase penis girth or length but can also cause deformity or instability. 20
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Tiggemann M, Martins Y, Churchett L. Beyond muscles: unexplored parts of men's body image . J Health Psychol . 2008;Nov;13(8):1163-72. doi:10.1177/1359105308095971
Boston Children's Hospital. When will my penis stop growing in size? Updated April 19, 2018.
Siminoski K, Bain J. The relationships among height, penile length, and foot size . Ann Sex Re . 1993;6(3):231-5. doi:10.1177/107906329300600305
Mautz BS, Wong BBM, Peters RA, Jennion MD. Penis size interacts with body shape and height to influence male attractiveness . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . 2013 Apr 23;110(17):6925–30. doi:10.1073/pnas.1219361110
Hehemann MC, Towe M, Huynh LM, El-Khatib FM, Yafi FA. Penile girth enlargement strategies: what's the evidence? Sex Med Rev . 2019 Jul;7(3):535-47. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2018.11.003
Gaffney CD, Pagano MJ, Weinberg AC, et al. Lengthening strategies for Peyronie’s disease . Transl Androl Urol. 2016 Jun;5(3):351–62. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.04.03
Veale D, Miles S, Read J, Troglia A, Wylie, K, Muir G. Sexual functioning in small penis anxiety . Sexual Med . 2015;3:147-55. doi:10.1002/sm2.63
Prause N, Park J, Leung S, Miller G. Women’s preferences for penis size: a new research method using selection among 3D models . PLoS One . 2015;10(9):e0133079. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133079
Grov C, Parsons JT, Bimbi DS. The association between penis size and sexual health among men who have sex with men . Arch Sex Behav. 2010 Jun; 39(3): 788–97. doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9439-5
Urology Care Foundation. What is low testosterone?
Marra G, Drury A, Tran L, Veale D, Muir GH. Systematic review of surgical and nonsurgical interventions in normal men complaining of small penis size . Sex Med Rev. 2019;2019:S2050-0521(19)30012-5. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.01.004
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Dicks
Magdalene Taylor
January 29, 2021
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While most dudes may want their dicks to be considered ‘big,’ there’s no objective measure. So why does the obsession continue?
In any context, “big” is a messy thing to quantify. That messiness, however, is never more baffling than it is when we talk about bodies. Here, big can mean many things — in a bodily context, bigness can produce stigma and shame from both its presence and lack thereof. Add sex to the equation, and assessing what “big” actually means seems absurd. But in the case of “big dicks,” the world continues to try.
There are literally billions of Google results pertaining to penis size , and searches for “what is considered a big penis” or “average penis size” have remained relatively steady for the last 15 years. Of course, there is some statistical data to help answer these questions, though the data itself might only complicate things further. Most studies point to a worldwide average of around 5.1 inches in length when erect. “Big” may therefore mean anything above this margin, or might require a number significantly higher. It’s even possible that the average-sized penis is “big.” While we can quantify what is average, we don’t have the precise language to determine what big means.
As such, the abundance of searches for answers is almost more revealing than the potential answers themselves. The searches point to an anxiety and need for assurance that the internet writ large seems unlikely to provide.
For her, big doesn’t always mean better, either. “The focus on bigness is bizarre because most women probably agree a big dick can be uncomfortable during sex, especially when it’s slamming against my cervix.”
A married man who reached out to me explained his definition in similar terms. “I’ve had big dick problems with my wife,” he explains, comparing sex to a “6-inch diameter PVC pipe in a 4-inch hole.” Thus, “big dick” doesn’t even have a positive connotation. “Painful intercourse for the woman is how I define a BD,” he says.
This also points to the issue of girth , another variable subjected to our incomplete vocabulary. Many of those I spoke to on the subject didn’t explain their vision of bigness in numbers, but instead by describing other objects. “Girth over length always appears big, in my opinion. Like soda can dicks,” a different young woman tells me. One man said 7 inches in length made a dick “big,” but that the girth needed to be at least that of a cardboard toilet paper roll. And as writer and adult actor Ty Mitchell so aptly puts it, “The only true definition of ‘big dick’ is ‘bigger than mine.’”
Despite the discrepancies in personal definitions, one broad theme in determining “big dick” seems to be that dick size doesn’t matter at all — until it does . This can apply to both ends of the spectrum of size. In a 1996 study of penis size, researchers ultimately concluded that only those with an erect penis of less than 3 inches in length ought to be considered candidates for enlargement . For the most part, a penis of below statistical average length is still perfectly acceptable. Conversely, as many have mentioned, a dick that’s above the statistical average has the potential to be painful. For some, an otherwise “average” sized penis can be painful, as well.
The problem of “big dick” is one that has pervaded our cultural conversations around sex without being properly quantifiable. It’s a vague synthesis of definitions emerging from porn, pop culture and personal experience, none necessarily objectively true. Presumably, most men want to think their penis fits the bill of being big. But if everyone’s dick is big, is anyone’s?
Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.
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