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{{short description|Measurement of the human penis}}
'''Penis size''' is of great concern to many men. Some consider having a large ] a mark of masculinity; others are concerned that their penis is too small to satisfy their sexual partners. These insecurities have led to the creation of a whole industry devoted to ].
{{redirect2|Penis length|Small penis|differences in penis length among non-human species|Penis#In different animals|the medical term|Micropenis}}
{{hatnote|"Big dick" redirects here. For other uses, see ].}}
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{{Copy edit|for=compliance with the rule ]|date=September 2024}}
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'''Human penis size''' varies on a number of measures, including ] and ] when ] and ]. Besides the natural variability of ]es in general, there are factors that lead to minor variations in a particular male, such as the level of ], time of day, ambient temperature, ] level, physical activity, and frequency of sexual activity. Compared to other ]s, including large examples such as the gorilla, the human penis is thickest, both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the body. Most human penis growth occurs in two stages: the first between infancy and the age of five; and then between about one year after the onset of ] and, at the latest, approximately 17 years of age.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{Cite book |last1=Stang, Jamie |title=Guidelines for Adolescent Nutrition Services |last2=Story, Mary |publisher=University of Minnesota |year=2005 |editor-last=Stang J, Story M |page=3 |chapter=Ch. 1. Adolescent Growth and Development |access-date=26 November 2012 |chapter-url=https://ahcaf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/adol_ch1.pdf}}</ref>
== Data ==
Regarding the length of the adult fully ] penis (measured along the top of the penis from the groin to the tip), several studies have been performed. Those studies that relied on self-measurement consistently reported a higher average than those that had staff take the measurements.
* The ] found in ] an average length of 6.20 inches (15.25 cm) with a ] of 0.77 inches (1.96 cm). (Self-measurement)
* An ] study by Wessells et.al. published in ] found an average of 5.1 inches (13.0 cm). (Measured by staff)
* A study by a Brazilian urologist found an average of 5.7 inches (14.5 cm). (Measured by staff)
* A German study in 1996 also reported an average of 5.7 inches (14.5 cm). (Measured by staff)


Measurements vary, with studies that rely on self-measurement reporting a significantly higher average than those with a health professional measuring. As of 2015, a ] of 20 studies, of up to 15,521 men, who were measured by health professionals rather than themselves, concluded that the average length of an ] human penis is {{cvt|13.12|cm}}, while the average circumference of an erect human penis is {{cvt|11.66|cm}}.<ref name="veale2015">{{Cite journal |last1=Veale |first1=David |last2=Miles |first2=Sarah |last3=Bramley |first3=Sally |last4=Muir |first4=Gordon |last5=Hodsoll |first5=John |date=June 2015 |title=Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men: Nomograms for flaccid/erect penis length and circumference |journal=BJU International |volume=115 |issue=6 |pages=978–986 |doi=10.1111/bju.13010 |pmid=25487360}}</ref> A 1996 study of flaccid length found a mean of {{cvt|8.8|cm}} when measured by staff.<ref name="pmid8709382" /> Flaccid penis length can sometimes be a poor predictor of erect length. An adult penis that is abnormally small but otherwise normally formed is referred to in medicine as a ].
The flaccid penis is measured when fully stretched, from the belly to the tip, excluding the ]. The length of a stretched flaccid penis closely conforms to erect length.


] human penis, flaccid and erect. Flaccid length is a poor predictor for erect length.]]
Average stretched penile length at birth is about 4 cm, and 90% of newborn boys will be between 2.4 and 5.5 cm (0.94 and 2.17 inches). Limited growth of the penis occurs between birth and 5 years of age, but very little occurs between 5 years and the onset of ]. The average size at the beginning of puberty is 6 cm with adult size reached about 5 years later. W.A. Schonfeld published a penis growth curve in 1943.


Limited to no statistically significant correlation between penis size and the size of other body parts has been found in research. Some environmental factors in addition to genetics, such as the presence of ]s, can affect penis growth.
Regarding the length of the adult flaccid fully stretched penis:
* Lee et.al. reported in 1980 an average of 13.3 cm (5.24 inches) with a ] of 1.6 cm (0.63 inches)
* Sutherland et al reported in 1996 an average of 12.4 cm (5.2 inches) (std. dev. 2.7cm or about 1 inch) in Caucasian peoples, an average of 14.6 cm (5.7 inches) in blacks, and an average of 10.6 cm (4.2 inches) in Oriental peoples.


==Studies==
The length of the unstretched flaccid penis is no guide to the size of the erect penis; indeed, some men with small flaccid penises may have larger erections than men with larger flaccid penes. When a man with a relatively large flaccid penis has a normal or below average length penis when fully aroused, or when a man with a relatively small flaccid penis has a normal or above average length penis when fully aroused, they are known by the slang terms as "showers" and "growers" (or, "peek-a-boo penises") respectively.
]
]
]
]
While results vary slightly across reputable studies, the consensus is that the ] human penis, when erect, is in the range {{cvt|5|–|6|in|cm|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name="pmid8709382">{{Cite journal |last1=Wessells |first1=Hunter |author-link=Hunter Wessells |last2=Lue |first2=Tom F |last3=McAninch |first3=Jack W |year=1996 |title=Penile Length in the Flaccid and Erect States: Guidelines for Penile Augmentation |journal=] |volume=156 |issue=3 |pages=995–7 |doi=10.1016/S0022-5347(01)65682-9 |pmid=8709382}}</ref><ref name="pmid11416836">{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=J |last2=Gefen |first2=A |last3=Greenstein |first3=A |last4=Matzkin |first4=H |last5=Elad |first5=D |year=2001 |title=Predicting penile size during erection |journal=International Journal of Impotence Research |volume=12 |issue=6 |pages=328–33 |doi=10.1038/sj.ijir.3900627 |pmid=11416836 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="lifestyles_condoms">{{Cite web |date=March 2001 |title=ANSELL RESEARCH – The Penis Size Survey |url=http://esvc000171.wic049u.server-web.com/education/research.htm |access-date=2006-07-13 |publisher=]}}</ref>
]


The ] by Veale et al. (2015), of 20 studies of 15,521 men, where subjects were measured by staff, rather than self measured, found the average flaccid, stretched, and erect lengths of {{cvt|9.16|cm}}, {{cvt|13.24|cm}}, and {{cvt|13.12|cm}}, respectively, and average flaccid and erect circumferences of {{cvt|9.31|cm}} and {{cvt|11.66|cm}}, respectively. Erect lengths in the included studies were measured by pushing the pre-pubic fat pad to the bone, and flaccid or erect girth (circumference) was measured at the base or mid-shaft of the penis.<ref name=veale2015/>
Environmental conditions play a role in the size of a relaxed flaccid penis, in particular cool temperatures. One general physiological response to cold is decreased circulation of blood to the appendages. As the size of the penis very much relies on blood supply, this results in a decreased flaccid size. The slang term "]" is sometimes used to describe this phenomenon, and was featured in a famous episode of ]. As humorist ] once said, "At forty degrees below zero, all men are indeed equal."


== Micropenis == ===Length===
A penis whose stretched flaccid length is more than approximately 2.5 ]s below average size for the age group but otherwise formed normally is referred to in a medical context as a ]. Some of the identifiable causes are deficiency of pituitary ] and/or ]s, mild degrees of ], a variety of genetic syndromes, and ''HOX9'' gene variations. Some types of micropenis can be improved with growth hormone or ] treatment in early childhood. Penis-enlargement self-treatments are not effective for this condition.


====Flaccid====
A news post on ] dated reads ''"A new surgical procedure has allowed men with abnormally short penises to enjoy a full sex life and urinate standing up, some for the first time. Tiny "micro-penises" have been enlarged to normal size without losing any erogenous sensation, say UK doctors."''
One study (published in 1996) found the mean flaccid penis length to be {{cvt|3.5|in|cm}} (measured by staff).<ref name=pmid8709382/> A review of several studies found average flaccid length to be {{cvt|9|–|10|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="pmid17355371">{{Cite journal |last1=Wylie |first1=Kevan R |last2=Eardley |first2=Ian |year=2007 |title=Penile size and the 'small penis syndrome' |journal=BJU International |volume=99 |issue=6 |pages=1449–55 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.06806.x |pmid=17355371}}</ref> Length of the flaccid penis does not necessarily correspond to length of the erect penis; some smaller flaccid penises grow much longer, while some larger flaccid penises grow comparatively less.<ref name="kinsey" />


The penis and scrotum can contract involuntarily in reaction to cold temperatures, anxious or nervous level and participation in sports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dr. Andrew Siege |date=12 November 2018 |title=Is this normal? 10 common penile 'flaws' you may have |url=https://njurology.com/is-this-normal-10-common-penile-flaws-you-may-have/ |access-date=23 May 2021 |publisher=New Jersey Urology, 12 Nov 2018}}</ref> This decrease of flaccid penis size is referred to by the slang term "shrinkage", due to action by the ]. The same phenomenon affects cyclists and exercise bike users, with prolonged pressure on the ] from the ] and the straining of the exercise causing the penis and scrotum to contract involuntarily. An incorrect saddle may ultimately cause ] (see ] for more information). Individuals with ] or other ] may temporarily have an abnormally small penis.
== Perceptions ==
Men tend to misjudge the size of their penis relative to that of other men they have seen naked, simply because of the ] effect obtained from always looking down at the penis from above. In addition, as ] noted in his memoirs, men who are overweight or have large stomachs may fail to allow for the partial concealment of the penis by their abdominal region and thicker skin at the base of the penis.


====Stretched====
A survey by ]s showed that many men who believed that their penis was of inadequate size actually had a normal-sized penis. Most sexologists believe that worries about penis size come from some other source of anxiety or perceived inadequacy.
Neither age or size of the flaccid penis accurately predicted erectile length. Stretched length has correlated with erect length in some cases.<ref name=pmid8709382/> However, studies have also shown drastic differences between stretched and erect length.<ref name="Promodu 558–563">{{Cite journal |last1=Promodu |first1=K |last2=Shanmughadas |first2=K V |last3=Bhat |first3=S |last4=Nair |first4=K R |year=2007 |title=Penile length and circumference: An Indian study |journal=International Journal of Impotence Research |volume=19 |issue=6 |pages=558–563 |doi=10.1038/sj.ijir.3901569 |pmid=17568760}}</ref> One study found that a minimal tension force of approximately 450 g during stretching of the penis was required to reach a full potential erection length. This study also found that tension forces exerted in this study by the urologist were shown to be significantly (P<0.01) lower than 450g.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=J |last2=Gefen |first2=A |last3=Greenstein |first3=A |last4=Matzkin |first4=H |last5=Elad |first5=D |date=December 2000 |title=Predicting penile size during erection |journal=International Journal of Impotence Research |language=en |volume=12 |issue=6 |pages=328–333 |doi=10.1038/sj.ijir.3900627 |issn=0955-9930 |pmid=11416836 |s2cid=17447888 |doi-access=free}}</ref> This may account for differences between stretched and erect length.
* The 2015 study of 15,521 men found that the average length of a stretched flaccid penis was 13.24&nbsp;cm (5.21 inches) long, which is near identical to the average length of an erect human penis which is 13.12&nbsp;cm (5.17 inches) long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Your Penis Normal? There's a Chart for That - RealClearScience |url=https://www.realclearscience.com/journal_club/2015/03/03/is_your_penis_normal_theres_a_chart_for_that_109106.html |website=realclearscience.com}}</ref>
* A 2001 study of about 3,300 men published in '']'' concluded that flaccid stretched length was measured on average to about {{cvt|12.5|cm|in}}. In addition, they checked for correlations in a random subset of the sample consisting of 325 men. They found a few statistically significant ]: between flaccid length and height of 0.208, −0.140 with weight, and −0.238 with BMI, flaccid circumference and height 0.156, stretched length and height 0.221, weight −0.136, BMI −0.169.<ref name="pmid11223678">{{Cite journal |last1=Ponchietti |first1=Roberto |last2=Mondaini |first2=Nicola |last3=Bonaf&Egrave |first3=Massimiliano |last4=Di Loro |first4=Filippo |last5=Biscioni |first5=Stefano |last6=Masieri |first6=Lorenzo |year=2001 |title=Penile Length and Circumference: A Study on 3,300 Young Italian Males |journal=European Urology |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=183–6 |doi=10.1159/000052434 |pmid=11223678 |s2cid=46856727}}</ref>


====Erect====
== Female preference ==
Scientific studies have been performed on the ] length of the adult penis. Studies that have relied on self-measurement, including those from Internet surveys, consistently reported a higher average length than those that used medical or scientific methods to obtain measurements.<ref name="lifestyles_condoms" /><ref name="average">{{Cite web |last=Aitken |first=Paul |title=What's Average? |url=http://www.altpenis.com/news/average_size.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426205910/http://www.altpenis.com/news/average_size.shtml |archive-date=26 April 2012 |access-date=2007-11-09 |website=altpenis.com}}</ref>
One source of continued debate is the extent to which women actually prefer certain penis sizes.


The following staff-measured studies are composed of different subgroups of the human population (in other words, specific age range; selection of those with sexual medical concerns or ]) that could cause a ].<ref name="average" /><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Biased sample |encyclopedia=Glossary |publisher=Center for Program Evaluation and Performance Management, Bureau of Justice Assistance |url=https://www.bja.gov/evaluation/glossary/glossary_b.htm |access-date=26 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908094726/https://www.bja.gov/evaluation/glossary/glossary_b.htm |archive-date=8 September 2015 |quote=A sample that is not representative of the population to which generalizations are to be made. For example, a group of band students would not be representative of all students at the middle school, and thus would constitute a biased sample if the intent was to generalize to all middle school students. |via=BJA.gov}}</ref>
Recently, there has been greater media attention to the issue of penis size and women being more vocal about their preferences. Television shows such as ] and ] popularized the penis size issue when characters in these TV shows stated their preference for well-endowed men over more modestly-endowed men. The media image of women's preference may have had an impact on some average sized men, making them feel inadequate and jealous of larger men. In recent years, sales of penis pumps, pills, and other dubious means of penis enlargement have had increased sales.
* A 1975 study conducted at Morrisania Hospital in the United States reported an average erect penis length of {{cvt|13.3|cm}} based on a sample of 150 American males.<ref name="auajournals.org">{{Cite journal |last1=Schonfeld |first1=W. A. |last2=Beebe |first2=G. W. |year=1975 |title=Normal Growth and Variation in the Male Genitalia from Birth to Maturity |journal=Journal of Urology |volume=48 |issue=6 |pages=759–777 |url=https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1016/S0022-5347%2817%2970767-7 |doi=10.1016/S0022-5347(17)70767-7}}</ref>
* In a study of 80 healthy males published in the September 1996 '']'' an average erect penis length of {{cvt|12.9|cm}} was measured.<ref name=pmid8709382/> The purpose of the study was to "provide guidelines of penile length and circumference to assist in counseling patients considering penile augmentation." Erection was pharmacologically induced in 80 physically normal American men (varying ethnicity, average age 54). It was concluded: "Neither patient age nor size of the flaccid penis accurately predicted erectile length."
* A study published in the December 2000 '']'' found that average erect penis length in 50 Jewish Caucasian males was {{cvt|13.6|cm}} (measured by staff).<ref name=pmid11416836/> The study intended "to identify clinical and engineering parameters of the flaccid penis for prediction of penile size during erection."<ref name=pmid11416836/> Erection was pharmacologically induced in 50 Jewish Caucasian patients who had been evaluated for ] (ED) (average age 47±14y). Patients with penis abnormalities or whose ED could be attributed to more than one psychological origin were omitted from the study.
* A review published in the 2007 issue of ''BJU International'' showed the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|14|–|16|cm|in|abbr=on}} and girth to be {{cvt|12|–|13|cm|in|abbr=on}}. The paper compared results of twelve studies conducted on different populations in several countries. Various methods of measurements were included in the review.<ref name=pmid17355371/>
* A 2015 study by ''BJU International'' concluded the average erect penis length to be 13.12&nbsp;cm (5.16 inches).<ref name=veale2015/>
* an Indian study (published in 2007) of 301 men ages 18 to 60 published in the ''International Journal of Impotence Research'' found flaccid, stretched and erect length to be {{cvt|8.21|cm}}, {{cvt|10.88|cm}} and {{cvt|13.01|cm}}, respectively.<ref name="Promodu 558–563" />
* A ]n study (published in 1971) of 702 men ages 21 to 31 identified the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|12.70|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 1971 |title=A Study on the Penile Size of Korea men |url=http://kmbase.medric.or.kr/Main.aspx?d=KMBASE&m=VIEW&i=0358319710120040401 |journal=Korean Journal of Urology |publisher=Chung, KM |volume=12 |pages=401–404 |access-date=9 April 2019 |via=kmbase.medric.or.kr |number=4}}</ref> Another study (from 1998) of 150 Koreans found the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|13.42|cm}}.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal |last1=Yoon |first1=Jong Seon |last2=Lee |first2=Gil Ho |last3=Chang |first3=Dae Soo |date=1998 |title=The Relationship between Height and Body Weight and Penile Size in University Students |url=https://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php?RID=1020KJU%2F1998.39.11.1061&DT=1%5B5%5D |journal=Korean Journal of Urology |volume=39 |issue=11 |pages=1061–1064}}</ref> In a different study conducted in 1998 with 287 Korean men, the average erect penis length was found to be 14.06&nbsp;cm (5.54&nbsp;in).<ref name="pdf.medrang.co.kr">Park Kwan-Jin et al. (1998). . Seoul National University College of Medicine. Retrieved from .</ref> A 2016 study of 248 Korean men identified the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|13.53|cm}}.<ref name="park">{{Cite journal |last1=Park |first1=Jong Kwan |last2=Doo |first2=A. Ram |last3=Kim |first3=Joo Heung |last4=Park |first4=Hyung Sub |last5=Do |first5=Jung Mo |last6=Choi |first6=Hwang |last7=Park |first7=Seung Chol |last8=Kim |first8=Myung Ki |last9=Jeong |first9=Young Beom |last10=Kim |first10=Hyung Jim |last11=Kim |first11=Young Gon |last12=Shin |first12=Yu Seob |date=13 September 2016 |title=Prospective investigation of penile length with newborn male circumcision and second to fourth digit ratio |journal=Canadian Urological Association Journal |volume=10 |issue=9–10 |pages=E296–E299 |doi=10.5489/cuaj.3590 |pmc=5028213 |pmid=27695583 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
* A 2015 study conducted by King's College London reviewed data from 20 studies (692 participants for length) and found an average erect length of {{cvt|13.12|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Veale |first1=D. |year=2015 |title=Nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference |journal=British Journal of Urology International |volume=115 |issue=6 |pages=978–986 |doi=10.1111/bju.13010 |pmid=25487360 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25487360/}}</ref>
* A 2020 review in the '']'' found that the majority of men believed that the average erect penis length is more than 15.24&nbsp;cm (6 inches). This inaccurate belief has likely been fed by inaccurate and exaggerated data presented in studies where the size of a participant's erect penis is self-reported. Participants may report overestimates of the size of their penis in the belief that a larger penis is more socially desirable.<ref name="King2020" /> The same review analyzed the results from ten prior studies where measurements of erect penis size were made by researchers. They reported an erect penis to be between 12.95 and 13.92&nbsp;cm (5.1 and 5.5 inches, respectively) in length, a result significantly below the average obtained in self-reported studies. The authors commented that results of such measurement studies may still be inflated due to ] — the possibility that men with larger penises may be more likely to choose to participate in such studies.<ref name="King2020">{{Cite journal |last=King |first=Bruce M. |date=2 January 2021 |title=Average-Size Erect Penis: Fiction, Fact, and the Need for Counseling |journal=Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=80–89 |doi=10.1080/0092623X.2020.1787279 |pmid=32666897 |doi-access=free}}</ref>


===Erect circumference===
Surveys of women's actual preference have consistently shown that penis size is only a priority for a minority of women, and some women dislike large penises. The media has been criticized for making "penis envy" into a male body issue equivalent to ] being criticized for their coverage of women's weight.
Similar results exist regarding studies of the ] of the adult fully ] penis, with the measurement usually taken mid-shaft.<ref name=pmid17355371/>
As with length, studies that relied on self-measurement consistently reported a significantly higher average than those with staff measuring. In a study of penis size where measurements were taken in a laboratory setting, the average penis circumference when erect was 11.66&nbsp;cm (4.59 inches).<ref name=veale2015/>


===Size at birth and during childhood===
A Dutch study found in 2002 that about 20-30% of women consider the size of a penis to be important.
The average stretched penile length at birth is about {{cvt|4|cm|in|abbr=on}}, and the length for 90% of newborn boys is between {{cvt|2.4|and|5.5|cm|in|abbr=on}}. Limited growth of the penis occurs between birth and 5 years of age, but very little occurs between 5 years and the onset of ].<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="pmid17355371" />
The average size at the beginning of puberty is {{cvt|6|cm|in|abbr=on}}, with adult size reached about 5 years later.


W.A. Schonfeld published a penis growth curve in 1943.<ref name="Miller">{{Cite journal |last=Schonfeld |first=William A |year=1943 |title=Primary and Secondary Sexual Characteristics |journal=American Journal of Diseases of Children |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=535 |doi=10.1001/archpedi.1943.02010160019003}}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2024}}
== Penis enlargement ==
Some men dissatisfied for some reason with their penis size seek to enlarge their penis. See ] for a discussion of the methods used.


==Myths and legends== ===Size in older men===
Age is not believed to negatively correlate with penis size.<ref name="pmid17355371" />
In some cultures, mass hysteria involving the believed removal or shrinking of the penis has been observed. See ] for a detailed discussion.


===Size and height===
Another myth is that shoe size is correlated to penis size. This myth does not hold up under statistical analysis.
Height is correlated with flaccid stretched length and erect length.<ref name="veale2015" />


==Race and penis size== ===Size and hands===
One study investigated the relationship with ] and found that men with longer ring fingers than index fingers had slightly longer penises.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The secrets of the male hand |url=http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/05/the-secrets-of-the-male-hand/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322161411/https://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/05/the-secrets-of-the-male-hand/ |archive-date=22 March 2022 |access-date=15 February 2019 |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Choi |first1=In Ho |last2=Kim |first2=Khae Hawn |last3=Jung |first3=Han |last4=Yoon |first4=Sang Jin |last5=Kim |first5=Soo Woong |last6=Kim |first6=Tae Beom |date=September 2011 |title=Second to fourth digit ratio: a predictor of adult penile length |journal=Asian J Androl |volume=3 |issue=5 |pages=710–714 |doi=10.1038/aja.2011.75 |pmc=3739592 |pmid=21725330 |doi-access=free}}</ref> However, the ] that hand size predicts penis size has been widely discredited.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christensen |first=Jen |date=8 March 2016 |title=Trump: Do small hands equal small penis, or a myth? |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/08/health/trump-small-hands-penis/index.html |website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=II |first=Thomas H. Maugh |date=4 July 2011 |title=Judging penis size by comparing index, ring fingers |url=https://www.latimes.com/style/la-xpm-2011-jul-04-la-heb-finger-ratio-penis-length-20110704-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>
The question of race and penis size is controversial, and has not been definitively established. The only reliable penis-size studies commonly quoted in the literature are the Kinsey study, the UCSF study, and an Italian study, none of which even attempted to correlate size with race. There is an ongoing government study in India, as well, commissioned with the goal of helping reduce the high ] failure rate there. This study is not likely to answer the question either. There have been many other studies with claims of varying rigor&mdash;for example, the ] condoms study&mdash;but they are generally flawed by selection bias.


===Size and other body parts===
] covers this subject in some detail in ''Black Skin, White Masks'', 1952, where he tends towards the view that the supposed positive correlation between large penises and African ancestry is a myth, a conclusion that he backs up with statistics. On the other hand, ] has published statistics claiming otherwise (''Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective'', 1995).
There is no correlation between ] and stretched penis size.<ref name="pmid12230622">{{Cite journal |last1=Shah |first1=J |last2=Christopher |first2=N |year=2002 |title=Can shoe size predict penile length? |journal=BJU International |volume=90 |issue=6 |pages=586–587 |doi=10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.02974.x |pmid=12230622 |s2cid=20887458}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cecil |first=Adams |date=26 August 2003 |title=The size of things to come |url=http://www.snopes.com/risque/penile/size.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081216223820/http://www.snopes.com/risque/penile/size.asp |archive-date=2008-12-16 |access-date=2006-08-05 |website=The Straight Dope}}</ref>


Nose size was highly related to stretched penile length in Japanese male cadavers.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ikegaya |first1=Hiroshi |last2=Suzuki |first2=Motofumi |last3=Kondou |first3=Hiroki |last4=Kawai |first4=Taketo |last5=Sato |first5=Yusuke |last6=Kitamura |first6=Tadaichi |last7=Kume |first7=Haruki |date=4 February 2021 |title=Nose size indicates maximum penile length |url=https://rdcu.be/cQy8p |journal=Basic and Clinical Andrology |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=3 |doi=10.1186/s12610-021-00121-z |pmc=7860195 |pmid=33535970 |access-date=28 June 2022 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
== References ==

* Wessells H, Lue TF, McAninch JW. "," ''Journal of Urology'', Vol. 195, 995-997, 1996.
There may be a link between the malformation of the genitalia and the human limbs. The development of the penis in an embryo is controlled by some of the same ]s (in particular ] and ])<ref name="pmid12357469">{{Cite journal |last=Goodman |first=Frances R |year=2002 |title=Limb malformations and the humanHOX genes |journal=American Journal of Medical Genetics |volume=112 |issue=3 |pages=256–65 |doi=10.1002/ajmg.10776 |pmid=12357469}}</ref> as those that control the development of the limbs. Mutations of some Hox genes that control the growth of limbs cause malformed genitalia (]).<ref name="pmid9020844">{{Cite journal |last1=Mortlock |first1=Douglas P |last2=Innis |first2=Jeffrey W |year=1997 |title=Mutation of HOXA13 in hand-foot-genital syndrome |journal=Nature Genetics |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=179–80 |doi=10.1038/ng0297-179 |pmid=9020844 |s2cid=24522600}}</ref>
* The ]

* Sutherland et al. "The effect of prepubertal androgen exposure on adult penile length." ''Journal of Urology'', Vol. 156(2S), 783-787, 1996.
===Size, race, and ethnicity===
* Lee PA, et al. "Micropenis. I. Criteria, etiologies, and classification." Johns Hopkins Med J 1980; 146:156.
Alleged differences in races have led to the creation of ]. There is no scientific background to support the alleged 'oversized' penis in black people.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mondaini |first1=Nicola |last2=Gontero |first2=Paolo |year=2005 |title=Idiopathic short penis: Myth or reality? |journal=BJU International |volume=95 |issue=1 |pages=8–9 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2005.05238.x |pmid=15638885}}</ref>
* W.A. Schonfeld, Am J Dis Child 1943;65:135

A 2015 systematic review of 15,521 men from 20 studies found "no indications of differences in racial variability".<ref name="veale2015" />

According to Aaron Spitz, a ], many websites and studies promoting variation of penis size between races use ] of collecting information and often ignore contradictory evidence. He concludes that "when you really take a good look at the naked data, there's not a whole lot there ."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spitz |first=Aaron |title=The Penis Book: A Doctor's Complete Guide to the Penis—From Size to Function and Everything in Between |publisher=Rodale Books |year=2018 |pages=43}}</ref>

A study of 253 males from ] found that the average stretched flaccid penis length of 93 Tanzanian men is {{cvt|11.5|cm}}.<ref name="pmid23473900">{{Cite journal |last1=Chrouser |first1=Kristin |last2=Bazant |first2=Eva |last3=Jin |first3=Linda |last4=Kileo |first4=Baldwin |last5=Plotkin |first5=Marya |last6=Adamu |first6=Tigistu |last7=Curran |first7=Kelly |last8=Koshuma |first8=Sifuni |date=August 2013 |title=Penile Measurements in Tanzanian Males: Guiding Circumcision Device Design and Supply Forecasting |journal=Journal of Urology |volume=190 |issue=2 |pages=544–550 |citeseerx=10.1.1.963.3280 |doi=10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.3200 |pmid=23473900}}</ref>

A 2007 study of 115 men from ] found that the average stretched penis length of Nigerian males was {{cvt|13.37|cm}}, and the median stretched penis length found was {{cvt|13|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Orakwe |first1=J C |last2=Ogbuagu |first2=B O |last3=Ebuh |first3=G U |date=29 August 2007 |title=Can physique and gluteal size predict penile length in adult Nigerian men? |journal=West African Journal of Medicine |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=223–225 |doi=10.4314/wajm.v25i3.28282 |pmid=17191423 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A 1990 study of 109 ] men identified the average flaccid stretched penis length of {{cvt|13.9|cm}}, and among 14 of the men, the average erect length found was {{cvt|13.7|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Weicheng |first1=Wu |last2=Desheng |first2=Na |last3=Jianang |first3=Chen |last4=Aiwei |first4=Wang |date=1990 |title=Penis Length Measurement Method and Its Error |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/103023459/Chinese-Study-1990 |journal=Chinese Journal of Andrology |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=217–219 |via=Scribd}}</ref> Another 1993 study of 104 Chinese men found the average stretched penis length of {{cvt|13.8|cm}}, and an average erect length of {{cvt|13.5|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Weicheng |first1=Wu |last2=Wenzhi |first2=Yang |date=1993 |title=Changes in Penis Size |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/103024071/Chinese-Study-1993 |journal=Chinese Journal of Andrology |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=36–38 |via=Scribd}}</ref>
A 2014 study on 5196 Chinese males reported an average flaccid length of {{cvt|6.5|cm}} and average stretched length of {{cvt|12.9|cm}} under the method of "gentle painless extension of the penis", which is a measurement method differing from other studies that stretch until maximal extension. A subgroup of 311 men reported an average erect circumference of {{cvt|10.5|cm}} and average erect length of {{cvt|12.9|cm}}. They stated that they had "also found that penile dimensions are different in different ethnicities, but further investigations are needed to validate this". However, the 'different ethnicities' referred to in the study were ethnicities within the Chinese population.<ref name="pmid24784891">{{Cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=X B |last2=Dai |first2=R X |last3=Li |first3=H N |last4=Yang |first4=J C |date=April 2014 |title=A comprehensive, prospective study of penile dimensions in Chinese men of multiple ethnicities |journal=International Journal of Impotence Research |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=172–176 |doi=10.1038/ijir.2014.9 |pmid=24784891 |s2cid=6468136}}</ref>

A study (published in 2021) of 14,597 ]ese men identified an average flaccid penis length of {{cvt|9.03|cm}} and an average stretched penis length of {{cvt|14.67|cm}} as well as an average non-aroused circumference, at the mid-shaft, of {{cvt|8.39|cm}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nguyen Hoai |first1=Bac |last2=Pham Minh |first2=Quan |last3=Nguyen Cao |first3=Thang |last4=Sansone |first4=Andrea |last5=Colonnello |first5=Elena |last6=Jannini |first6=Emmanuele A. |date=2021-01-23 |title=Data from 14,597 penile measurements of vietnamese men |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/andr.12978 |journal=Andrology |language=en |volume=9 |issue=3 |pages=906–915 |doi=10.1111/andr.12978 |pmid=33484108 |issn=2047-2919}}</ref>

A 1971 study of 702 ] men aged 21 to 31 found the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|12.7|cm|in}} and the average non-erect length {{cvt|8.0|cm|in}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 1971 |title=A Study on the Penis Size of Korean Men |url=https://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php?RID=1911266 |journal=Korean Journal of Urology |publisher=Chung, KM |volume=12 |pages=401–404 |access-date=9 April 2019 |via=kmbase.medric.or.kr |number=4}}</ref>
A 1998 study of 150 Korean men found the average flaccid penis length to be {{cvt|8.26|cm|in}}, the average flaccid girth {{cvt|8.34|cm|in}}, the average erect length {{cvt|13.42|cm|in}}, and the average erect girth {{cvt|11.17|cm|in}}.<ref name="auto" />
In a 1998 study conducted at Seoul National University College of Medicine, which involved a sample of 287 Korean men, the average erect penis length was measured at {{cvt|14.06|cm|in}}, and the average erect penis girth was {{cvt|12.11|cm|in}}.<ref name="pdf.medrang.co.kr"/>
A 2016 study of 248 Korean men identified the average flaccid penis length to be {{cvt|7.39|cm|in}} and the average erect penis length to be {{cvt|13.53|cm|in}}.<ref name="park" />

A 1999 study of 130 ]n men found the average erect penile length to be {{cvt|13.90|cm|in}}.<ref>Acuña et al., "Estudio de características anatómicas," Revista Colombiana de Urología, vol. 8, no. 2, 1999. Available at: https://encolombia.com/medicina/revistas-medicas/urologia/vol-8299/urologia8299-estudio/.</ref>

A 2014 American study by Herbenick et al. of 1,661 sexually active men involving Asian American, Black American, White American, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian, and Native American men, found average racial differences in erect penile length and circumference to be generally less than one centimeter, with averages in length being: 14.14 cm (5.57 in) for Asian Americans, 14.66 cm (5.77 in) for Black Americans, 14.88 cm (5.86 in) for Pacific Islanders/Hawaiians, 12.86 cm (5.06 in) for Native Americans, 14.18 cm (5.58 in) for White Americans, and 13.79 cm (5.43 in) for Americans reported as "Other" race; with averages in circumference being: 12.10 cm (4.76 in) for Asian Americans, 12.29 cm (4.84 in) for Black Americans, 11.88 cm (4.68 in) for Pacific Islanders/Hawaiians, 11.36 cm (4.47 in) for Native Americans, 12.25 cm (4.82 in) for White Americans, and 12.03 cm (4.74 in) for Americans reported as "Other" race. Unlike previously cited studies, findings were based on self-reported measurements with participants using paper rulers and "detailed, illustrated instructions" to measure their erect penis.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Herbenick |first1=Debby |last2=Reece |first2=Michael |last3=Schick |first3=Vanessa |last4=Sanders |first4=Stephanie A. |year=2014 |title=Erect Penile Length and Circumference Dimensions of 1,661 Sexually Active Men in the United States |journal=The Journal of Sexual Medicine |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=93–101 |doi=10.1111/jsm.12244 |pmid=23841855}}</ref>

Rumors about the penis size of ] men are often exaggerated and lack scientific reliability. According to research, there are significant issues with the accuracy of information disseminated on this topic. Most information sources, including radio and television broadcasts, failed to provide measurement methodologies or credible references, with 85.7% not specifying how measurements were conducted and 57.1% lacking bibliographical citations.<ref>Kamanda, M. M., et al., "Perception and Assessment of Penis Size: A Survey in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi," *The Pan African Medical Journal*, 2017. Available at: (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28154646/).</ref>

===Size preferences among sexual partners===
In a 1994 cover story by '']'',<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Michael Pertschuk |last2=Alice Trisdorfer |title=Men's bodies—the survey |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199411/mens-bodies-the-survey |access-date=2007-07-17 |website=Psychology Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jill Neimark |title=The beefcaking of America |url=http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200910/the-beefcaking-america |access-date=2022-06-24 |website=Psychology Today Nov–Dec 1994}}</ref> 1,500 readers (about two-thirds women) were surveyed about male body image. Many of the women were not particularly concerned with penis size, and over 71% thought men overemphasized the importance of penis size and shape. Generally, the women polled cared more about width than men thought, and less about length than men thought, although the strength of caring for either among women showed a similar pattern.

In a small study conducted by ] and published in 2001 in '']'', 50 undergraduate women were surveyed by two popular male athletes on campus about their perceptions of sexual satisfaction and it was concluded that the width of a penis feels better than the length of a penis, when subjects are asked to choose between the two (size was left unspecified). It was also concluded that this may show that penis size overall affects sexual satisfaction, since women chose between the two options they were given.<ref name="pmid11415468">{{Cite journal |last=Eisenman |first=Russell |year=2001 |title=Penis size: Survey of female perceptions of sexual satisfaction |journal=BMC Women's Health |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1 |doi=10.1186/1472-6874-1-1 |pmc=33342 |pmid=11415468 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A study published in 2002, conducted at ], asked 375 sexually active women (who had recently given birth) the importance of penis size. The results showed that 21% of women felt length was important and 32% felt that girth was important.<ref name="pmid12429149">{{Cite journal |last1=Francken |first1=A.B |last2=Van De Wiel |first2=H.B.M |last3=Van Driel |first3=M.F |last4=Weijmar Schultz |first4=W.C.M |year=2002 |title=What Importance Do Women Attribute to the Size of the Penis? |url=https://pure.rug.nl/ws/files/6668165/Francken_2002_European_Urology.pdf |journal=European Urology |volume=42 |issue=5 |pages=426–31 |doi=10.1016/S0302-2838(02)00396-2 |pmid=12429149 |s2cid=206054651 |hdl-access=free |hdl=11370/c999b218-0b41-4410-a30a-d8b20f5d4e54}}</ref>

A study conducted at the ], published in early 2013, showed that penis size influences a man's sex appeal, and the taller the man, the bigger the effect.<ref name="pmid23569234">{{Cite journal |last1=Mautz |first1=B. S |last2=Wong |first2=B. B. M |last3=Peters |first3=R. A |last4=Jennions |first4=M. D |year=2013 |title=Penis size interacts with body shape and height to influence male attractiveness |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=110 |issue=17 |pages=6925–30 |bibcode=2013PNAS..110.6925M |doi=10.1073/pnas.1219361110 |pmc=3637716 |pmid=23569234 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The study showed life-sized 3D computer-generated images, altering the height and other physical attributes, with women typically registering preferences in under 3 seconds. A preference for taller men's larger penis size was indicated.

A US study published in 2015 of the stated preferences of a panel of 75 women using ] models as scale references showed a preferred penis length of {{cvt|16|cm}} and a preferred circumference of {{cvt|12.2|cm}} for long-term sexual partners, with slightly larger preferred sizes of a length of {{cvt|16.3|cm}} and circumference of {{cvt|12.7|cm}} for one-time sexual encounters.<ref name="pmid26332467">{{Cite journal |last1=Prause |first1=Nicole |last2=Park |first2=Jaymie |last3=Leung |first3=Shannon |last4=Miller |first4=Geoffrey |year=2015 |title=Women's Preferences for Penis Size: A New Research Method Using Selection among 3D Models |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=10 |issue=9 |pages=e0133079 |bibcode=2015PLoSO..1033079P |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0133079 |pmc=4558040 |pmid=26332467 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

] shown with diagrams of the female anatomy|365x365px]]

According to the study, however, when asked to estimate the length of their partner's penis, most women would say a size significantly smaller than what their partner was recorded to be. This suggests that perception of size is not entirely accurate.<ref name=pmid26332467/> The visual impression of the size is not necessarily in correlation with the feeling in the vulva and vagina. A very long penis can cause ], if the man doesn't understand how to use it carefully.

===Condom use===
One Australian study of 184 men looked at penis length and circumference in relationship to condom breakage or slippage. 3,658 condoms were used. The study found that when used correctly, condoms had a breakage rate of 1.34% and a slippage rate of 2.05%, for a total failure rate of 3.39%. Penile dimensions did not influence slippage, although penis circumference and broken condoms were strongly correlated, with larger sizes increasing the rate of breakage.<ref name="pmid9702591">{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Anthony M A |last2=Jolley |first2=Damien |last3=Hocking |first3=Jane |last4=Benton |first4=Kim |last5=Gerofi |first5=John |year=2016 |title=Does penis size influence condom slippage and breakage? |journal=International Journal of STD & AIDS |volume=9 |issue=8 |pages=444–7 |doi=10.1258/0956462981922593 |pmid=9702591 |s2cid=29431895}}</ref>

==Biochemistry==
]s like ] are responsible for penis enlargement and elongation during puberty.<ref name="RosenthalBurchum2017">{{Cite book |last1=Laura Rosenthal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gfYoDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA551 |title=Lehne's Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Practice Providers - E-Book |last2=Jacqueline Burchum |date=17 February 2017 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=978-0-323-44779-9 |pages=551–}}</ref> Penis size is positively correlated with increasing testosterone levels during puberty.<ref name="NieschlagBehre2013">{{Cite book |last1=Eberhard Nieschlag |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=05fsCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |title=Andrology: Male Reproductive Health and Dysfunction |last2=Hermann Behre |date=29 June 2013 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-3-662-04491-9 |pages=54–}}</ref> But after puberty, administration of testosterone does not affect penis size, and androgen deficiency in adult men only results in a small decrease in size.<ref name="NieschlagBehre2013" /> ] (GH) and ] (IGF-1) are also involved in penis size, with deficiency (such as that observed in ] or ]) at critical developmental stages having the potential to result in ].<ref name="PorstBuvat2008">{{Cite book |last1=Hartmut Porst |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S4GJio79XOUC&pg=PA263 |title=Standard Practice in Sexual Medicine |last2=Jacques Buvat |date=15 April 2008 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-4051-7872-3 |pages=263–}}</ref>

==Variance==
{{commons category|Flaccid and erect human penises in comparison}}
]

===Genetics===
There are certain genes, like ] (Hox A and D) genes, which may have a role in regulating penis size. In humans, the ], located on the ] at Xq11-12, may affect penis size. The ] located on the ] may have a role to play. Variance in size can often be attributed to ]. Deficiency of ] or ] or mild degrees of androgen insensitivity can cause small penis size in males and can be addressed with growth hormone or testosterone treatment in early childhood.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

===Conditions===
{{Main|Micropenis}}]An adult penis with an erect length of 2.5 ] below the average but otherwise formed normally is referred to in a medical context as having the ] condition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2004 |title=Surgeons Pinch More Than An Inch From The Arm To Rebuild A Micropenis |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041206205001.htm |access-date=2007-07-25}} "Whereas the average size of the human penis is around {{cvt|12.5|cm}}, a micropenis spans less than 7&nbsp;cm or just over two inches."</ref> The condition affects 0.6% of men.<ref name="kinsey">{{Cite web |year=2009 |title=Penis Size FAQ & Bibliography |url=http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/resources/bib-penis.html |access-date=2013-11-07 |publisher=Kinsey Institute}}</ref> Some of the identifiable causes are ] or ]s, mild degrees of ], a variety of genetic syndromes and variations in certain ] genes. Some types of micropenis can be addressed with growth hormone or ] treatment in early childhood. Operations are also available to increase penis size in cases of micropenis in adults.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=6 December 2004 |title=Length-boosting surgery for 'micro-penises' |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6761-lengthboosting-surgery-for-micropenises.html |access-date=2006-08-06 |magazine=]}}</ref>

===Environmental influence===
It has been suggested that differences in penis size between individuals are caused not only by ], but also by environmental factors such as ], ] and chemical or pollution exposure.<ref name="pmid16079079">{{Cite journal |last1=Swan |first1=Shanna H |author-link=Shanna Swan |last2=Main |first2=Katharina M |last3=Liu |first3=Fan |last4=Stewart |first4=Sara L |last5=Kruse |first5=Robin L |last6=Calafat |first6=Antonia M |last7=Mao |first7=Catherine S |last8=Redmon |first8=J. Bruce |last9=Ternand |first9=Christine L |last10=Sullivan |first10=Shannon |last11=Teague |first11=J. Lynn |year=2005 |title=Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |volume=113 |issue=8 |pages=1056–1061 |doi=10.1289/ehp.8100 |pmc=1280349 |pmid=16079079}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=PCBs Diminish Penis Size |url=http://copa.org/library/articles/rhwn/penis.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303194352/http://copa.org/library/articles/rhwn/penis.htm |archive-date=3 March 2012 |access-date=2007-04-09 |website=copa.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miner, John |date=29 April 2006 |title=Pesticides may affect penis size |url=http://www.lookingglassnews.org/viewstory.php?storyid=5914 |website=London Free Press}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hormone Hell |url=http://discovermagazine.com/1996/sep/hormonehell865/ |access-date=2008-04-05 |website=DISCOVER}}</ref> ] resulting from chemical exposure has been linked to genital deformation in both sexes (among many other problems). Chemicals from both synthetic (e.g., pesticides, anti-bacterial ], ]s for plastics) and natural (e.g., chemicals found in ] and lavender oil)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lavender and Tea Tree Oils May Cause Breast Growth in Boys |url=http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm |access-date=2008-04-07 |website=NIH}}</ref><ref name="pmid17267908">{{Cite journal |last1=Henley |first1=Derek V |last2=Lipson |first2=Natasha |last3=Korach |first3=Kenneth S |last4=Bloch |first4=Clifford A |year=2007 |title=Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |volume=356 |issue=5 |pages=479–85 |doi=10.1056/NEJMoa064725 |pmid=17267908 |doi-access=free}}</ref> sources have been linked to various degrees of endocrine disruption.

Both ] and the plasticizer ] have been associated with smaller penis size.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chemicals and Male Reproductive Health |url=http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/envis/maldoc104.html |access-date=2010-08-14 |publisher=Ces.iisc.ernet.in}}</ref> DEHP metabolites measured from the urine of pregnant women have been significantly associated with the decreased penis width, shorter ] and the incomplete descent of ]s of their newborn sons, replicating effects identified in animals.<ref name="pmid18949837">{{Cite journal |last=Swan |first=Shanna H |year=2008 |title=Environmental phthalate exposure in relation to reproductive outcomes and other health endpoints in humans |journal=Environmental Research |volume=108 |issue=2 |pages=177–184 |bibcode=2008ER....108..177S |doi=10.1016/j.envres.2008.08.007 |pmc=2775531 |pmid=18949837}}</ref> According to a 2008 study published by the US ], approximately 25% of US women have ] levels similar to those observed in animals.<ref name=pmid18949837/>

A 2007 study by the ], Faculty of Medicine, found that penile size may decrease as a result of some ] combined with external beam ].<ref name="pmid17162022">{{Cite journal |last1=Haliloglu |first1=Ahmet |last2=Baltaci |first2=Sumer |last3=Yaman |first3=Onder |year=2007 |title=Penile Length Changes in Men Treated with Androgen Suppression Plus Radiation Therapy for Local or Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer |journal=The Journal of Urology |volume=177 |issue=1 |pages=128–30 |doi=10.1016/j.juro.2006.08.113 |pmid=17162022}}</ref> In addition, some estrogen-based ] like ] (DES) have been linked to genital abnormalities or a smaller than normal penis (microphallus).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Center of Disease Control |title=DES Update: Consumers |url=https://www.cdc.gov/des/consumers/about/effects_sons.html |access-date=2013-11-07}}</ref>

==Historical perceptions==
{{See also|Nude (art)}}

===Ancient===
Perceptions of penis size are culture-specific.<ref name="Dover1989">{{Cite book |last=Dover |first=Kenneth James |url=https://archive.org/details/greekhomosexuali00dove_0 |title=Greek Homosexuality |date=1989 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-36270-3 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=–128 |quote=size. |url-access=registration |orig-year=1978}}</ref> Some prehistoric sculptures and ]s depict male figures with exaggerated erect penises.<ref name="Kim2016">{{Cite book |last=Kim |first=Won Whe |title=Penile Augmentation |date=2016 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-662-46753-4 |editor-last=Park |editor-first=Nam Cheol |location=Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany |pages=11–26 |chapter=2: History and Cultural Perspective |editor-last2=Moon |editor-first2=Du Geon |editor-last3=Kim |editor-first3=Sae Woong |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2LNCwAAQBAJ&q=penis+panic&pg=PA11}}</ref> ]ian cultural and artistic conventions generally prevented large penises from being shown in art, as they were considered obscene,<ref name="Gay1993">{{Cite book |last=Robins |first=Gay |url=https://archive.org/details/womeninancienteg00robi |title=Women in Ancient Egypt |date=1993 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-95469-4 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |pages=–190 |quote=Turin erotic papyrus. |url-access=registration}}</ref> but the scruffy, balding male figures in the ] are shown with exaggeratedly large genitals.<ref name="Gay1993" /><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Schmidt |first1=Robert A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eSBVQpifqhkC&q=%22Turin+Papyrus%22&pg=PA254 |title=Archaeologies of Sexuality |last2=Voss |first2=Barbara L. |date=2000 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-22366-9 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |page=254}}</ref> The Egyptian god ] is sometimes shown with a massive erect penis and the god ] is almost always shown with an erection.<ref name="Kim2016" />{{multiple image
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| caption2 = Ancient Roman fresco from the ] in ], dating to the first century AD, showing the god ] weighing his massive, permanently erect penis against a bag of gold<ref name="Roman_art">{{Cite news |title=Phallus in Wonderland |url=http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/phallus-wonderland/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016111949/http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/features/phallus-wonderland/index.html |archive-date=16 October 2007 |access-date=2007-11-13 |work=]}}</ref><ref name="Kim2016" />
}}
]
The males of ] believed that small penises were ideal.<ref name="Dover1989" />
Scholars believe that most ancient Greeks probably had roughly the same size penises as most other Europeans,<ref name="Dover1989" /> but Greek artistic portrayals of handsome youths show them with inordinately small, uncircumcised penises with disproportionately large ]s,<ref name="Dover1989" /> indicating that these were seen as ideal.<ref name="Dover1989" /> Large penises in ] are reserved exclusively for comically grotesque figures,<ref name="Dover1989" /><ref name="Kim2016" /> such as ]s, a class of hideous, horse-like woodland spirits, who are shown in Greek art with absurdly massive penises.<ref name="Dover1989" />
] portraying male characters in ] wore enormous, fake, red penises, which dangled underneath their costumes;<ref name="StorieAllen2005">{{Cite book |last1=Storie |first1=Ian C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z2t1cIVk-A8C&q=phalli+in+ancient+Greek+comedy&pg=PA181 |title=A Guide to Ancient Greek Drama |last2=Allen |first2=Arlene |date=2005 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |isbn=978-1-4051-0215-5 |location=Malden, Massachusetts, Oxford, England, and Victoria, Australia |page=181}} these were intended as ridiculous and were meant to be laughed at.<ref name="StorieAllen2005" /</ref>

In ]'s comedy '']'', "Mr. Good Reason" gives the character Pheidippides a description of the ideal youth: "A glistening chest and glowing skin / Broad shoulders, a small tongue /A mighty bottom and a tiny prong."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roche |first=Paul |title=Aristophanes: The Complete Plays: A New Translation by Paul Roche |date=2005 |publisher=New American Library |isbn=978-0-451-21409-6 |location=New York City, New York |page=178}}</ref>
In ], ], the god of fertility, had an impossibly large penis that was always ].<ref name="Kerényi">{{Cite book |last=Kerényi |first=Karl |author-link=Károly Kerényi |url=https://archive.org/details/godsofgreeks00kerrich/page/175 |title=The Gods of the Greeks |date=1951 |publisher=Thames and Hudson |isbn=978-0-500-27048-6 |location=London, England |pages=}}</ref><ref name="Kim2016" /> Priapus was widely seen as hideous and unattractive.<ref name="Kerényi" /> A '']'' on ]'s '']'' states that, when Priapus's mother ], the goddess of love and beauty, gave birth to him, she was so horrified by the size of his penis, his massive ], and his huge tongue that she ] in the wilderness.<ref name="Kerényi" /> A herdsman found him and raised him as his son,<ref name="Kerényi" /> later discovering that Priapus could use his massive penis to aid in the growth of plants.<ref name="Kerényi" />

Nonetheless, there are indications that the Greeks had an open mind about large penises.<ref name="Kim2016" /> A statue of the god ] with an exaggerated penis stood outside the main gate of ]<ref name="Kim2016" /> and in ] in 275 BC, a procession in honor of ] hauled a 180-foot phallus through the city and people venerated it by singing hymns and reciting poems.<ref name="Kim2016" /> The Romans, in contrast to the Greeks, seem to have admired large penises<ref name="Kim2016" /><ref name="Roman_art" /> and large numbers of large phalli have been recovered from the ruins of ].<ref name="Kim2016" /> Depictions of Priapus were very popular in Roman erotic art and literature.<ref name="Kim2016" /><ref name="Roman_art" /> Over ] have survived.<ref name="Kim2016" />

Penis size is alluded to in the ]:<ref name="Kim2016" />

<blockquote>
<sup>18</sup> And she revealed her whorings, and she revealed her nakedness, and so I turned from her ''just as'' I turned from her sister. <sup>19</sup> Yet she increased her whorings, ''recalling'' the days of her childhood when she was prostituted in the land of Egypt. <sup>20</sup> And she lusted after her male lovers whose genitalia ''were the'' genitalia of male donkeys and ''their'' seminal emission ''was the'' seminal emission of horses.
</blockquote>

Ancient Chinese legend holds that a man named ] had the largest penis in history and that he had an affair with ] ({{circa}} 280–228 BC), the mother of ], by pretending to be a ].<ref name="Kim2016" /> ]ns admired large penises and ] (437–514 AD) of the ] Dynasty is said to have had a forty-five-centimeter penis that was so large his subordinates had to search for a woman that fit him.<ref name="Kim2016" /> Traditional ]ese erotic paintings usually show genitals as exaggeratedly large.<ref name="Kim2016" /> The oldest known painting of this type, found in the ] Temple in ], dates to the eighth century AD and depicts a fairly large penis.<ref name="Kim2016" />

The ancient Indian sexual treatise '']'', originally written in ], probably between the second and fourth centuries AD, divides men into three classes based on penis size: "hare" size (about 5–7&nbsp;cm, or 2–3 inches, when erect), "bull" size (10–15&nbsp;cm, or 4–6 inches), and "horse" size (18–20&nbsp;cm, or 7–8 inches).<ref name="Kim2016" /> The treatise also divides women's vaginas into three sizes ("deer", "mare", and "elephant")<ref name="Kim2016" /> and advises that a man match the size of the vagina of the woman he is having sex with to the size of his own penis.<ref name="Kim2016" /> It also gives medically dubious advice on how to enlarge one's penis using ]s.<ref name="Kim2016" />

===Post-classical===
] shows a ] peeking from underneath the young man's jacket.<ref name="Kim2016" /> Larger codpieces were regarded as more fashionable.<ref name="Kim2016" />]]

In medieval ], a longer penis was preferred, as described in an '']'' tale called "Ali with the Large Member". As a witty ] of this fantasy, the 9th-century ] author ] wrote: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the ] would belong to the ]" (the tribe to which ] belonged and from which he descended).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ulrich Marzolph |title=The Arabian Nights: An Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-57607-204-2 |location=Santa Barbara, Calif |pages=97–8}}</ref><ref name="Kim2016" />

The medieval ] considered the size of a man's penis as the measure of his manliness,<ref name="Mitchell">{{Cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Steven A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=shCXJLB6mDAC&q=penis+size+in+the+middle+ages&pg=PA56 |title=Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages |date=2011 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-4290-4 |location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |pages=55–57}}</ref> and a thirteenth-century Norse magic ] from ], a ] inscribed with writing in ], promises its wearer: "You will fuck Rannveig the Red. It will be bigger than a man's prick and smaller than a horse's prick."<ref name="Mitchell" /> A late fourteenth century account of the life of ] from the '']'' describes a pagan ritual which centered around a preserved horse's penis used as a cult artifact<ref name="Mitchell" /> which members of the cult would pass around in a circle,<ref name="Mitchell" /> making up verses in praise of it,<ref name="Mitchell" /> encouraging it and the other members of the group to behave in sexually suggestive ways.<ref name="Mitchell" />

During the ], some men in Europe began to wear ]s, which accentuated their genitals.<ref name="Kim2016" /> There is no direct evidence that it was necessarily worn to enhance the apparent size of the wearer's penis,<ref name="Kim2016" /> but larger codpieces were seen as more fashionable.<ref name="Kim2016" />

==Contemporary perceptions==
] advertising ]]]

===Male self-perception===
Males may quite easily underestimate the size of their own penis relative to those of others. A survey by ] showed that many men who believed that their penis was of inadequate size had average-sized penises.<ref>"". ScienceDaily. 31 May 2007.</ref> Another study found sex education of standard penile measurements to be helpful and relieving for patients concerned about small penis size, most of whom had incorrect beliefs of what is considered medically normal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shamloul |first=R. |year=2005 |title=Treatment of men complaining of short penis |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15922413/ |journal=Urology |volume=65 |issue=6 |pages=1183–1185 |doi=10.1016/j.urology.2004.12.066 |pmid=15922413}}</ref> The study found that almost all of their patients that were concerned about their penis size overestimated the average penis size. The perception of having a large penis is often linked to higher self-esteem.<ref name="media">{{Cite journal |last1=Lever |first1=Janet |author-link=Janet Lever |last2=Frederick |first2=David A |last3=Peplau |first3=Letitia Anne |year=2006 |title=Does Size Matter? Men's and Women's Views on Penis Size Across the Lifespan |journal=Psychology of Men & Masculinity |volume=7 |issue=3 |pages=129–143 |doi=10.1037/1524-9220.7.3.129}}</ref> Fears of shrinking of the penis in folklore have led to a type of ] called ], though the penis legitimately can shrink in size due to scar tissue formation in the penis from a medical condition called ].<ref name="pmid7815586">{{Cite journal |last1=Rigaud |first1=Gilbert |last2=Berger |first2=Richard E |year=1995 |title=Corrective Procedures for Penile Shortening Due to Peyronie's Disease |journal=The Journal of Urology |volume=153 |issue=2 |pages=368–70 |doi=10.1097/00005392-199502000-00021 |pmid=7815586}}</ref><ref>. Mayo Clinic</ref> Marketers of ] products exploit fears of inadequacy, but there is no consensus in the scientific community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases either the thickness or length of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range.

Small penis syndrome (SPS), a term sometimes used in medical literature, is characterized by an obsessive concern that the penis is smaller than average, often despite normal measurements. It has been associated with wider psychological disorders, including ] and body ] disorder. Assessment focuses on confirming normality and addressing underlying psychological factors.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wylie |first1=Kevan R. |last2=Eardley |first2=Ian |date=2007-06-01 |title=Penile size and the 'small penis syndrome' |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17355371/ |journal=BJU International |volume=99 |issue=6 |pages=1449–1455 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.06806.x |issn=1464-4096 |pmid=17355371}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wylie |first1=Kevan R. |last2=Eardley |first2=Ian |date=2007-06-01 |title=Penile size and the 'small penis syndrome' |url=https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.06806.x |journal=BJU International |language=en |volume=99 |issue=6 |pages=1449–1455 |doi=10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.06806.x |pmid=17355371 |issn=1464-4096}}</ref>

===Shrinking and enlarging===
Widespread private concerns related to penis size have led to a number of ] sayings and ] reflections related to penis size. Penis panic is a form of mass hysteria involving the believed removal or shrinking of the penis, known as ]. The penis can significantly shrink due to scar tissue formation from a condition called Peyronie's disease which affects up to 10% of men.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Levine |first=Laurencea |year=2006 |title=Peyronie's disease and erectile dysfunction: Current understanding and future direction |journal=Indian Journal of Urology |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=246 |doi=10.4103/0970-1591.27633 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Products such as penis pumps, pills, and other dubious means of penis enlargement are some of the most marketed products in ]. At present there is no consensus in the scientific community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases either the thickness or length of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range (4.5" to 7").

===Among male homosexuals===
A study undertaken at ] found that the majority of ] in the study regarded a large penis as ideal, and having one was linked to self-esteem.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Woertman |first1=Liesbeth |last2=De Wit |first2=John |last3=Hoogesteeger |first3=Marcel |date=2005 |title=Tevredenheid met het eigen lichaam en zelfwaardering van homoseksuele mannen: Maakt een grote(re) penis een man gelukkig? |trans-title=Body satisfaction and self-esteem of gay men: Does a large penis make a man happy? |url=https://www.tijdschriftvoorseksuologie.nl/artikelen/item/303-tevredenheid-met-het-eigen-lichaam-en-zelfwaardering-van-homoseksuele-mannen-maakt-een-grote-re-penis-een-man-gelukkig |url-status=dead |journal=Tijdschrift voor Seksuologie |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=181–188 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309212034/https://www.tijdschriftvoorseksuologie.nl/artikelen/item/303-tevredenheid-met-het-eigen-lichaam-en-zelfwaardering-van-homoseksuele-mannen-maakt-een-grote-re-penis-een-man-gelukkig |archive-date=9 March 2023 |access-date=2022-04-23}}</ref> One study analysing the self-reported ] data set found that the average penis of a homosexual man was larger than the average penis of their heterosexual counterparts (6.32&nbsp;inches in length amongst gay men versus 5.99&nbsp;in in heterosexuals, and 4.95&nbsp;inches circumference amongst gay men versus 4.80&nbsp;in in heterosexual men).<ref name="pmid10410197">{{Cite journal |last1=Bogaert |first1=Anthony F |last2=Hershberger |first2=Scott |year=1999 |title=The relation between sexual orientation and penile size |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=28 |issue=3 |pages=213–21 |doi=10.1023/A:1018780108597 |pmid=10410197 |s2cid=42801275}}</ref>

===Pornography, black men, and penis size===
While more than 46% of people have watched ], with 30%–90% of women and 60%–98% of men having watched it at some point in their lifespan, between 1973 and 2016, among and in comparison to other racial groups, ] and Black men were reported to have watched the most porn.<ref name="Thorpe">{{Cite journal |last=Thorpe |first=Shemeka |display-authors=etal |date=March 2024 |title=The influence of pornography on heterosexual black men and women's genital self-image & grooming |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1740144523002127 |journal=Body Image |volume=48 |pages=101669 |doi=10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101669 |issn=1740-1445 |oclc=10107760964 |pmid=38128239 |s2cid=266449448}}</ref> Pornography tends to depict ] through ] and ] ], such as Black people being hypersexual and animalistic, and ] Black people through its emphasis and focus on sexual vigor and genitalia; this is socially generated and reinforced through production and supply of porn, such as ] and ] that initially debuted in 1982 and big Black cock (]) porn, which then meets the demand from porn consumers, such as White men with ] about the ] in 1982 and porn consumers on ] whose top search terms in 2022 were: "Black", the 13th most searched term, "BBC", the 9th most searched term, and "Ebony", the 3rd most searched term and the most searched category of 2022.<ref name="Thorpe" /> Cosmetic changes and digital changes to genitalia can occur in porn, with the ] of women being portrayed as smaller than the average size and the penis of men being portrayed as larger than the average size.<ref name="Thorpe" /> Genital self-image is affected by the consumption of pornography as the primary focus of pornography is on genitalia and ].<ref name="Thorpe" /> The genital ] and focus for Black women were genital odor and appearance, and the genital self-image and focus for Black men were penis size; racially diverse study sample sizes indicate that, in contrast to women who tend to have a less positive genital self-image, men tend to have a more positive genital self-image.<ref name="Thorpe" />

==Evolution==
{{see also|Sexual selection in humans#Sexual anatomy}}
The human penis is thicker than that of any other primate, both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the body.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Small |first=Meredith F. |title=What's Love Got to Do With It? The Evolution of Human Mating |publisher=Anchor Books |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-385-47702-4}}</ref> Early research, based on inaccurate measurements, concluded that the human penis was also longer. In fact, the penis of the ] is no shorter than in humans, averaging 14.4&nbsp;cm (5.7 inches), and some other primates have comparable penis sizes relative to their body weight.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dixson, A. F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VRTniKE2liYC |title=Sexual selection and the origins of human mating systems |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |isbn=9780191569739 |pages=61–65}}</ref>

The evolutionary reasons for the increased thickness have not been established.<ref name="pmid18158617">{{Cite journal |last=Bowman |first=Edwin A |year=2007 |title=Why the Human Penis is Larger than in the Great Apes |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=361 |doi=10.1007/s10508-007-9297-6 |pmid=18158617 |s2cid=28199803}}</ref>{{update inline|date=September 2024}} One explanation is that thicker penises are an ] to a corresponding increase in ]. The vaginal canal is believed to have expanded in humans to accommodate the larger size of a newborn's ]. Women may then have ] men with penises large enough to fit their vagina, to provide ] and ensure ].<ref name=pmid18158617/>

Other evolutionary hypotheses to explain humans' relatively large penis length and girth include a sperm competition hypothesis and a mate competition hypothesis. The sperm competition hypothesis does not have much support as in other mammals where sperm competition is present, larger testes evolve, not larger penises. The mate competition hypothesis involves the prediction that a human with a larger penis would be able to displace the sperm of another. Studies have found that larger penises do not displace other sperm more effectively than smaller penises, but rather longer penises may ejaculate sperm inside the vagina in places that would be harder for a following penis to displace. The depth of pelvic thrusting was correlated to the displacement of competing sperm.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cotner |first1=Sehoya |url=https://open.lib.umn.edu/evolutionbiology/ |title=The Evolution and Biology of Sex |last2=Wassenberg |first2=Deena |year=2020 |language=en}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Human sexuality}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ]
*'']'', a ] comedy film about an unusually large penis being transplanted
* '']''
* '']''
* ]

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== General and cited sources ===
* {{Cite press release |title=Men worry more about penile size than women, says 60-year-old research review |date=31 May 2007 |publisher=Blackwell |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/bpl-mwm053107.php |access-date=11 August 2018}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=P. A |last2=Mazur |first2=T |last3=Danish |first3=R |last4=Amrhein |first4=J |last5=Blizzard |first5=R. M |last6=Money |first6=J |last7=Migeon |first7=C. J |year=1980 |title=Micropenis. I. Criteria, etiologies and classification |journal=The Johns Hopkins Medical Journal |volume=146 |issue=4 |pages=156–63 |pmid=7366061 |id={{NAID|10010056499}}}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Lauersen |first1=Niels |url=https://archive.org/details/itsyourbodywomanla00laue/page/480 |title=It's Your Body: A Woman's Guide to Gynecology |last2=Whitney |first2=Steven |publisher=Berkley Publishing |year=1983 |isbn=978-0-425-09917-9 |edition=3rd |location=New York |page=}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Rushton |first1=J.Philippe |last2=Bogaert |first2=Anthony F |year=1987 |title=Race differences in sexual behavior: Testing an evolutionary hypothesis |journal=Journal of Research in Personality |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=529–51 |doi=10.1016/0092-6566(87)90038-9}}
* {{Cite journal |last1=Sutherland |first1=Ronald S |last2=Kogan |first2=Barry A |last3=Baskin |first3=Laurence S |last4=Mevorach |first4=Robert A |last5=Conte |first5=Felix |last6=Kaplan |first6=Selna L |last7=Grumbach |first7=Melvin M |year=1996 |title=The Effect of Prepubertal Androgen Exposure on Adult Penile Length |journal=The Journal of Urology |volume=156 |issue=2 |pages=783–7; discussion 787 |doi=10.1016/S0022-5347(01)65814-2 |pmid=8683783}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Human penis size}}
{{Wiktionary|Wikisaurus:macropenis}}


{{Human systems and organs}}
== External links ==
{{Sex}}
* Internet-based, self-reported and appears to have exaggerated data.
{{Male reproductive system}}
* Comprehensive listing of online resources. (Note: advertises pornography.)
{{Human regional anatomy}}
* Website About the Penis and Male Sexuality
{{Authority control}}
* Summary Penis Size data
* Details Penis Size Data
* page on the penis
* page about penis
*
*
* from the ] about a man with a very long penis


{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Penis Size}}
] ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 15:02, 28 December 2024

Measurement of the human penis "Penis length" and "Small penis" redirect here. For differences in penis length among non-human species, see Penis § In different animals. For the medical term, see Micropenis. "Big dick" redirects here. For other uses, see Big Dick (disambiguation).

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Diagram showing how to measure the length and circumference of an erect human penis

Human penis size varies on a number of measures, including length and circumference when flaccid and erect. Besides the natural variability of human penises in general, there are factors that lead to minor variations in a particular male, such as the level of arousal, time of day, ambient temperature, anxiety level, physical activity, and frequency of sexual activity. Compared to other primates, including large examples such as the gorilla, the human penis is thickest, both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the body. Most human penis growth occurs in two stages: the first between infancy and the age of five; and then between about one year after the onset of puberty and, at the latest, approximately 17 years of age.

Measurements vary, with studies that rely on self-measurement reporting a significantly higher average than those with a health professional measuring. As of 2015, a systematic review of 20 studies, of up to 15,521 men, who were measured by health professionals rather than themselves, concluded that the average length of an erect human penis is 13.12 cm (5.17 in), while the average circumference of an erect human penis is 11.66 cm (4.59 in). A 1996 study of flaccid length found a mean of 8.8 cm (3.5 in) when measured by staff. Flaccid penis length can sometimes be a poor predictor of erect length. An adult penis that is abnormally small but otherwise normally formed is referred to in medicine as a micropenis.

A large, uncircumcised human penis, flaccid and erect. Flaccid length is a poor predictor for erect length.

Limited to no statistically significant correlation between penis size and the size of other body parts has been found in research. Some environmental factors in addition to genetics, such as the presence of endocrine disruptors, can affect penis growth.

Studies

Distribution of penis sizes by length. 45% of erect penises are between 12 and 14 cm long.
Distribution of penis sizes by circumference. 81% of erect penises (green) are between 10 and 13 cm in circumference.
Percentile of penile length
Percentile of penile circumference

While results vary slightly across reputable studies, the consensus is that the mean human penis, when erect, is in the range 5–6 in (13–15 cm) in length.

Mean erect length with measurements

The systematic review by Veale et al. (2015), of 20 studies of 15,521 men, where subjects were measured by staff, rather than self measured, found the average flaccid, stretched, and erect lengths of 9.16 cm (3.61 in), 13.24 cm (5.21 in), and 13.12 cm (5.17 in), respectively, and average flaccid and erect circumferences of 9.31 cm (3.67 in) and 11.66 cm (4.59 in), respectively. Erect lengths in the included studies were measured by pushing the pre-pubic fat pad to the bone, and flaccid or erect girth (circumference) was measured at the base or mid-shaft of the penis.

Length

Flaccid

One study (published in 1996) found the mean flaccid penis length to be 3.5 in (8.9 cm) (measured by staff). A review of several studies found average flaccid length to be 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in). Length of the flaccid penis does not necessarily correspond to length of the erect penis; some smaller flaccid penises grow much longer, while some larger flaccid penises grow comparatively less.

The penis and scrotum can contract involuntarily in reaction to cold temperatures, anxious or nervous level and participation in sports. This decrease of flaccid penis size is referred to by the slang term "shrinkage", due to action by the cremaster muscle. The same phenomenon affects cyclists and exercise bike users, with prolonged pressure on the perineum from the bicycle saddle and the straining of the exercise causing the penis and scrotum to contract involuntarily. An incorrect saddle may ultimately cause erectile dysfunction (see crotch pressure for more information). Individuals with hard flaccid syndrome or other pelvic floor disorders may temporarily have an abnormally small penis.

Stretched

Neither age or size of the flaccid penis accurately predicted erectile length. Stretched length has correlated with erect length in some cases. However, studies have also shown drastic differences between stretched and erect length. One study found that a minimal tension force of approximately 450 g during stretching of the penis was required to reach a full potential erection length. This study also found that tension forces exerted in this study by the urologist were shown to be significantly (P<0.01) lower than 450g. This may account for differences between stretched and erect length.

  • The 2015 study of 15,521 men found that the average length of a stretched flaccid penis was 13.24 cm (5.21 inches) long, which is near identical to the average length of an erect human penis which is 13.12 cm (5.17 inches) long.
  • A 2001 study of about 3,300 men published in European Urology concluded that flaccid stretched length was measured on average to about 12.5 cm (4.9 in). In addition, they checked for correlations in a random subset of the sample consisting of 325 men. They found a few statistically significant Spearman's correlations: between flaccid length and height of 0.208, −0.140 with weight, and −0.238 with BMI, flaccid circumference and height 0.156, stretched length and height 0.221, weight −0.136, BMI −0.169.

Erect

Scientific studies have been performed on the erect length of the adult penis. Studies that have relied on self-measurement, including those from Internet surveys, consistently reported a higher average length than those that used medical or scientific methods to obtain measurements.

The following staff-measured studies are composed of different subgroups of the human population (in other words, specific age range; selection of those with sexual medical concerns or self-selection) that could cause a sample bias.

  • A 1975 study conducted at Morrisania Hospital in the United States reported an average erect penis length of 13.3 cm (5.2 in) based on a sample of 150 American males.
  • In a study of 80 healthy males published in the September 1996 Journal of Urology an average erect penis length of 12.9 cm (5.1 in) was measured. The purpose of the study was to "provide guidelines of penile length and circumference to assist in counseling patients considering penile augmentation." Erection was pharmacologically induced in 80 physically normal American men (varying ethnicity, average age 54). It was concluded: "Neither patient age nor size of the flaccid penis accurately predicted erectile length."
  • A study published in the December 2000 International Journal of Impotence Research found that average erect penis length in 50 Jewish Caucasian males was 13.6 cm (5.4 in) (measured by staff). The study intended "to identify clinical and engineering parameters of the flaccid penis for prediction of penile size during erection." Erection was pharmacologically induced in 50 Jewish Caucasian patients who had been evaluated for erectile dysfunction (ED) (average age 47±14y). Patients with penis abnormalities or whose ED could be attributed to more than one psychological origin were omitted from the study.
  • A review published in the 2007 issue of BJU International showed the average erect penis length to be 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) and girth to be 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in). The paper compared results of twelve studies conducted on different populations in several countries. Various methods of measurements were included in the review.
  • A 2015 study by BJU International concluded the average erect penis length to be 13.12 cm (5.16 inches).
  • an Indian study (published in 2007) of 301 men ages 18 to 60 published in the International Journal of Impotence Research found flaccid, stretched and erect length to be 8.21 cm (3.23 in), 10.88 cm (4.28 in) and 13.01 cm (5.12 in), respectively.
  • A Korean study (published in 1971) of 702 men ages 21 to 31 identified the average erect penis length to be 12.70 cm (5.00 in). Another study (from 1998) of 150 Koreans found the average erect penis length to be 13.42 cm (5.28 in). In a different study conducted in 1998 with 287 Korean men, the average erect penis length was found to be 14.06 cm (5.54 in). A 2016 study of 248 Korean men identified the average erect penis length to be 13.53 cm (5.33 in).
  • A 2015 study conducted by King's College London reviewed data from 20 studies (692 participants for length) and found an average erect length of 13.12 cm (5.17 in).
  • A 2020 review in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that the majority of men believed that the average erect penis length is more than 15.24 cm (6 inches). This inaccurate belief has likely been fed by inaccurate and exaggerated data presented in studies where the size of a participant's erect penis is self-reported. Participants may report overestimates of the size of their penis in the belief that a larger penis is more socially desirable. The same review analyzed the results from ten prior studies where measurements of erect penis size were made by researchers. They reported an erect penis to be between 12.95 and 13.92 cm (5.1 and 5.5 inches, respectively) in length, a result significantly below the average obtained in self-reported studies. The authors commented that results of such measurement studies may still be inflated due to volunteer bias — the possibility that men with larger penises may be more likely to choose to participate in such studies.

Erect circumference

Similar results exist regarding studies of the circumference of the adult fully erect penis, with the measurement usually taken mid-shaft. As with length, studies that relied on self-measurement consistently reported a significantly higher average than those with staff measuring. In a study of penis size where measurements were taken in a laboratory setting, the average penis circumference when erect was 11.66 cm (4.59 inches).

Size at birth and during childhood

The average stretched penile length at birth is about 4 cm (1.6 in), and the length for 90% of newborn boys is between 2.4 and 5.5 cm (0.94 and 2.17 in). Limited growth of the penis occurs between birth and 5 years of age, but very little occurs between 5 years and the onset of puberty. The average size at the beginning of puberty is 6 cm (2.4 in), with adult size reached about 5 years later.

W.A. Schonfeld published a penis growth curve in 1943.

Size in older men

Age is not believed to negatively correlate with penis size.

Size and height

Height is correlated with flaccid stretched length and erect length.

Size and hands

One study investigated the relationship with digit ratio and found that men with longer ring fingers than index fingers had slightly longer penises. However, the common misconception that hand size predicts penis size has been widely discredited.

Size and other body parts

There is no correlation between shoe size and stretched penis size.

Nose size was highly related to stretched penile length in Japanese male cadavers.

There may be a link between the malformation of the genitalia and the human limbs. The development of the penis in an embryo is controlled by some of the same Hox genes (in particular HOXA13 and HOXD13) as those that control the development of the limbs. Mutations of some Hox genes that control the growth of limbs cause malformed genitalia (hand-foot-genital syndrome).

Size, race, and ethnicity

Alleged differences in races have led to the creation of sexual myths. There is no scientific background to support the alleged 'oversized' penis in black people.

A 2015 systematic review of 15,521 men from 20 studies found "no indications of differences in racial variability".

According to Aaron Spitz, a urologist, many websites and studies promoting variation of penis size between races use unscientific methods of collecting information and often ignore contradictory evidence. He concludes that "when you really take a good look at the naked data, there's not a whole lot there ."

A study of 253 males from Tanzania found that the average stretched flaccid penis length of 93 Tanzanian men is 11.5 cm (4.5 in).

A 2007 study of 115 men from Nigeria found that the average stretched penis length of Nigerian males was 13.37 cm (5.26 in), and the median stretched penis length found was 13 cm (5.1 in).

A 1990 study of 109 Chinese men identified the average flaccid stretched penis length of 13.9 cm (5.5 in), and among 14 of the men, the average erect length found was 13.7 cm (5.4 in). Another 1993 study of 104 Chinese men found the average stretched penis length of 13.8 cm (5.4 in), and an average erect length of 13.5 cm (5.3 in). A 2014 study on 5196 Chinese males reported an average flaccid length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in) and average stretched length of 12.9 cm (5.1 in) under the method of "gentle painless extension of the penis", which is a measurement method differing from other studies that stretch until maximal extension. A subgroup of 311 men reported an average erect circumference of 10.5 cm (4.1 in) and average erect length of 12.9 cm (5.1 in). They stated that they had "also found that penile dimensions are different in different ethnicities, but further investigations are needed to validate this". However, the 'different ethnicities' referred to in the study were ethnicities within the Chinese population.

A study (published in 2021) of 14,597 Vietnamese men identified an average flaccid penis length of 9.03 cm (3.56 in) and an average stretched penis length of 14.67 cm (5.78 in) as well as an average non-aroused circumference, at the mid-shaft, of 8.39 cm (3.30 in).

A 1971 study of 702 Korean men aged 21 to 31 found the average erect penis length to be 12.7 cm (5.0 in) and the average non-erect length 8.0 cm (3.1 in). A 1998 study of 150 Korean men found the average flaccid penis length to be 8.26 cm (3.25 in), the average flaccid girth 8.34 cm (3.28 in), the average erect length 13.42 cm (5.28 in), and the average erect girth 11.17 cm (4.40 in). In a 1998 study conducted at Seoul National University College of Medicine, which involved a sample of 287 Korean men, the average erect penis length was measured at 14.06 cm (5.54 in), and the average erect penis girth was 12.11 cm (4.77 in). A 2016 study of 248 Korean men identified the average flaccid penis length to be 7.39 cm (2.91 in) and the average erect penis length to be 13.53 cm (5.33 in).

A 1999 study of 130 Colombian men found the average erect penile length to be 13.90 cm (5.47 in).

A 2014 American study by Herbenick et al. of 1,661 sexually active men involving Asian American, Black American, White American, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian, and Native American men, found average racial differences in erect penile length and circumference to be generally less than one centimeter, with averages in length being: 14.14 cm (5.57 in) for Asian Americans, 14.66 cm (5.77 in) for Black Americans, 14.88 cm (5.86 in) for Pacific Islanders/Hawaiians, 12.86 cm (5.06 in) for Native Americans, 14.18 cm (5.58 in) for White Americans, and 13.79 cm (5.43 in) for Americans reported as "Other" race; with averages in circumference being: 12.10 cm (4.76 in) for Asian Americans, 12.29 cm (4.84 in) for Black Americans, 11.88 cm (4.68 in) for Pacific Islanders/Hawaiians, 11.36 cm (4.47 in) for Native Americans, 12.25 cm (4.82 in) for White Americans, and 12.03 cm (4.74 in) for Americans reported as "Other" race. Unlike previously cited studies, findings were based on self-reported measurements with participants using paper rulers and "detailed, illustrated instructions" to measure their erect penis.

Rumors about the penis size of Congolese men are often exaggerated and lack scientific reliability. According to research, there are significant issues with the accuracy of information disseminated on this topic. Most information sources, including radio and television broadcasts, failed to provide measurement methodologies or credible references, with 85.7% not specifying how measurements were conducted and 57.1% lacking bibliographical citations.

Size preferences among sexual partners

In a 1994 cover story by Psychology Today, 1,500 readers (about two-thirds women) were surveyed about male body image. Many of the women were not particularly concerned with penis size, and over 71% thought men overemphasized the importance of penis size and shape. Generally, the women polled cared more about width than men thought, and less about length than men thought, although the strength of caring for either among women showed a similar pattern.

In a small study conducted by University of Texas–Pan American and published in 2001 in BMC Women's Health, 50 undergraduate women were surveyed by two popular male athletes on campus about their perceptions of sexual satisfaction and it was concluded that the width of a penis feels better than the length of a penis, when subjects are asked to choose between the two (size was left unspecified). It was also concluded that this may show that penis size overall affects sexual satisfaction, since women chose between the two options they were given.

A study published in 2002, conducted at Groningen University Hospital, asked 375 sexually active women (who had recently given birth) the importance of penis size. The results showed that 21% of women felt length was important and 32% felt that girth was important.

A study conducted at the Australian National University, published in early 2013, showed that penis size influences a man's sex appeal, and the taller the man, the bigger the effect. The study showed life-sized 3D computer-generated images, altering the height and other physical attributes, with women typically registering preferences in under 3 seconds. A preference for taller men's larger penis size was indicated.

A US study published in 2015 of the stated preferences of a panel of 75 women using 3D-printed models as scale references showed a preferred penis length of 16 cm (6.3 in) and a preferred circumference of 12.2 cm (4.8 in) for long-term sexual partners, with slightly larger preferred sizes of a length of 16.3 cm (6.4 in) and circumference of 12.7 cm (5.0 in) for one-time sexual encounters.

Two possible causes of pain for the female during penile-vaginal intercourse shown with diagrams of the female anatomy

According to the study, however, when asked to estimate the length of their partner's penis, most women would say a size significantly smaller than what their partner was recorded to be. This suggests that perception of size is not entirely accurate. The visual impression of the size is not necessarily in correlation with the feeling in the vulva and vagina. A very long penis can cause dyspareunia, if the man doesn't understand how to use it carefully.

Condom use

One Australian study of 184 men looked at penis length and circumference in relationship to condom breakage or slippage. 3,658 condoms were used. The study found that when used correctly, condoms had a breakage rate of 1.34% and a slippage rate of 2.05%, for a total failure rate of 3.39%. Penile dimensions did not influence slippage, although penis circumference and broken condoms were strongly correlated, with larger sizes increasing the rate of breakage.

Biochemistry

Androgens like testosterone are responsible for penis enlargement and elongation during puberty. Penis size is positively correlated with increasing testosterone levels during puberty. But after puberty, administration of testosterone does not affect penis size, and androgen deficiency in adult men only results in a small decrease in size. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are also involved in penis size, with deficiency (such as that observed in growth hormone deficiency or Laron syndrome) at critical developmental stages having the potential to result in micropenis.

Variance

Various size erect penises. There are large individual differences in penis size and shape.

Genetics

There are certain genes, like homeobox (Hox A and D) genes, which may have a role in regulating penis size. In humans, the AR gene, located on the X chromosome at Xq11-12, may affect penis size. The SRY gene located on the Y chromosome may have a role to play. Variance in size can often be attributed to de novo mutations. Deficiency of pituitary growth hormone or gonadotropins or mild degrees of androgen insensitivity can cause small penis size in males and can be addressed with growth hormone or testosterone treatment in early childhood.

Conditions

Main article: Micropenis
Measuring erect micropenis

An adult penis with an erect length of 2.5 SD below the average but otherwise formed normally is referred to in a medical context as having the micropenis condition. The condition affects 0.6% of men. Some of the identifiable causes are deficiency of pituitary growth hormone or gonadotropins, mild degrees of androgen insensitivity, a variety of genetic syndromes and variations in certain homeobox genes. Some types of micropenis can be addressed with growth hormone or testosterone treatment in early childhood. Operations are also available to increase penis size in cases of micropenis in adults.

Environmental influence

It has been suggested that differences in penis size between individuals are caused not only by genetics, but also by environmental factors such as culture, diet and chemical or pollution exposure. Endocrine disruption resulting from chemical exposure has been linked to genital deformation in both sexes (among many other problems). Chemicals from both synthetic (e.g., pesticides, anti-bacterial triclosan, plasticizers for plastics) and natural (e.g., chemicals found in tea tree oil and lavender oil) sources have been linked to various degrees of endocrine disruption.

Both PCBs and the plasticizer DEHP have been associated with smaller penis size. DEHP metabolites measured from the urine of pregnant women have been significantly associated with the decreased penis width, shorter anogenital distance and the incomplete descent of testicles of their newborn sons, replicating effects identified in animals. According to a 2008 study published by the US National Library of Medicine, approximately 25% of US women have phthalate levels similar to those observed in animals.

A 2007 study by the University of Ankara, Faculty of Medicine, found that penile size may decrease as a result of some hormonal therapy combined with external beam radiation therapy. In addition, some estrogen-based fertility drugs like diethylstilbestrol (DES) have been linked to genital abnormalities or a smaller than normal penis (microphallus).

Historical perceptions

See also: Nude (art)

Ancient

Perceptions of penis size are culture-specific. Some prehistoric sculptures and petroglyphs depict male figures with exaggerated erect penises. Ancient Egyptian cultural and artistic conventions generally prevented large penises from being shown in art, as they were considered obscene, but the scruffy, balding male figures in the Turin Erotic Papyrus are shown with exaggeratedly large genitals. The Egyptian god Geb is sometimes shown with a massive erect penis and the god Min is almost always shown with an erection.

Ancient Greek kouros sculpture from Anavyssos dating to c. 530 BC, showing an idealized young man with a flaccid penisAncient Roman fresco from the House of the Vettii in Pompeii, dating to the first century AD, showing the god Priapus weighing his massive, permanently erect penis against a bag of gold
David (1504) by Michelangelo

The males of ancient Greece believed that small penises were ideal. Scholars believe that most ancient Greeks probably had roughly the same size penises as most other Europeans, but Greek artistic portrayals of handsome youths show them with inordinately small, uncircumcised penises with disproportionately large foreskins, indicating that these were seen as ideal. Large penises in Greek art are reserved exclusively for comically grotesque figures, such as satyrs, a class of hideous, horse-like woodland spirits, who are shown in Greek art with absurdly massive penises. Actors portraying male characters in ancient Greek comedy wore enormous, fake, red penises, which dangled underneath their costumes;

In Aristophanes's comedy The Clouds, "Mr. Good Reason" gives the character Pheidippides a description of the ideal youth: "A glistening chest and glowing skin / Broad shoulders, a small tongue /A mighty bottom and a tiny prong." In Greek mythology, Priapus, the god of fertility, had an impossibly large penis that was always permanently erect. Priapus was widely seen as hideous and unattractive. A scholion on Apollonius of Rhodes's Argonautica states that, when Priapus's mother Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, gave birth to him, she was so horrified by the size of his penis, his massive potbelly, and his huge tongue that she abandoned him to die in the wilderness. A herdsman found him and raised him as his son, later discovering that Priapus could use his massive penis to aid in the growth of plants.

Nonetheless, there are indications that the Greeks had an open mind about large penises. A statue of the god Hermes with an exaggerated penis stood outside the main gate of Athens and in Alexandria in 275 BC, a procession in honor of Dionysus hauled a 180-foot phallus through the city and people venerated it by singing hymns and reciting poems. The Romans, in contrast to the Greeks, seem to have admired large penises and large numbers of large phalli have been recovered from the ruins of Pompeii. Depictions of Priapus were very popular in Roman erotic art and literature. Over eighty obscene poems dedicated to him have survived.

Penis size is alluded to in the Bible:

And she revealed her whorings, and she revealed her nakedness, and so I turned from her just as I turned from her sister. Yet she increased her whorings, recalling the days of her childhood when she was prostituted in the land of Egypt. And she lusted after her male lovers whose genitalia were the genitalia of male donkeys and their seminal emission was the seminal emission of horses. Ezekiel 23:18–20 Lexham English Bible

Ancient Chinese legend holds that a man named Lao Ai had the largest penis in history and that he had an affair with Queen Dowager Zhao (c. 280–228 BC), the mother of Qin Shi Huang, by pretending to be a eunuch. Ancient Koreans admired large penises and King Jijeung (437–514 AD) of the Silla Dynasty is said to have had a forty-five-centimeter penis that was so large his subordinates had to search for a woman that fit him. Traditional Japanese erotic paintings usually show genitals as exaggeratedly large. The oldest known painting of this type, found in the Hōryū-ji Temple in Ikaruga, dates to the eighth century AD and depicts a fairly large penis.

The ancient Indian sexual treatise Kama Sutra, originally written in Sanskrit, probably between the second and fourth centuries AD, divides men into three classes based on penis size: "hare" size (about 5–7 cm, or 2–3 inches, when erect), "bull" size (10–15 cm, or 4–6 inches), and "horse" size (18–20 cm, or 7–8 inches). The treatise also divides women's vaginas into three sizes ("deer", "mare", and "elephant") and advises that a man match the size of the vagina of the woman he is having sex with to the size of his own penis. It also gives medically dubious advice on how to enlarge one's penis using wasp stings.

Post-classical

Portrait of Lodovico Caponi (painted c. 1550–1555) by Angelo Bronzino shows a codpiece peeking from underneath the young man's jacket. Larger codpieces were regarded as more fashionable.

In medieval Arabic literature, a longer penis was preferred, as described in an Arabian Nights tale called "Ali with the Large Member". As a witty satire of this fantasy, the 9th-century Afro-Arab author Al-Jahiz wrote: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would belong to the Quraysh" (the tribe to which Muhammad belonged and from which he descended).

The medieval Norsemen considered the size of a man's penis as the measure of his manliness, and a thirteenth-century Norse magic talisman from Bergen, a wooden stave inscribed with writing in runic script, promises its wearer: "You will fuck Rannveig the Red. It will be bigger than a man's prick and smaller than a horse's prick." A late fourteenth century account of the life of Saint Óláfr from the Flateyjarbók describes a pagan ritual which centered around a preserved horse's penis used as a cult artifact which members of the cult would pass around in a circle, making up verses in praise of it, encouraging it and the other members of the group to behave in sexually suggestive ways.

During the Renaissance, some men in Europe began to wear codpieces, which accentuated their genitals. There is no direct evidence that it was necessarily worn to enhance the apparent size of the wearer's penis, but larger codpieces were seen as more fashionable.

Contemporary perceptions

Sign in South Africa advertising penis enlargement

Male self-perception

Males may quite easily underestimate the size of their own penis relative to those of others. A survey by sexologists showed that many men who believed that their penis was of inadequate size had average-sized penises. Another study found sex education of standard penile measurements to be helpful and relieving for patients concerned about small penis size, most of whom had incorrect beliefs of what is considered medically normal. The study found that almost all of their patients that were concerned about their penis size overestimated the average penis size. The perception of having a large penis is often linked to higher self-esteem. Fears of shrinking of the penis in folklore have led to a type of mass hysteria called penis panic, though the penis legitimately can shrink in size due to scar tissue formation in the penis from a medical condition called Peyronie's disease. Marketers of penis enlargement products exploit fears of inadequacy, but there is no consensus in the scientific community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases either the thickness or length of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range.

Small penis syndrome (SPS), a term sometimes used in medical literature, is characterized by an obsessive concern that the penis is smaller than average, often despite normal measurements. It has been associated with wider psychological disorders, including anxiety and body dysmorphic disorder. Assessment focuses on confirming normality and addressing underlying psychological factors.

Shrinking and enlarging

Widespread private concerns related to penis size have led to a number of folklore sayings and popular culture reflections related to penis size. Penis panic is a form of mass hysteria involving the believed removal or shrinking of the penis, known as genital retraction syndrome. The penis can significantly shrink due to scar tissue formation from a condition called Peyronie's disease which affects up to 10% of men. Products such as penis pumps, pills, and other dubious means of penis enlargement are some of the most marketed products in email spam. At present there is no consensus in the scientific community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases either the thickness or length of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range (4.5" to 7").

Among male homosexuals

A study undertaken at Utrecht University found that the majority of gay men in the study regarded a large penis as ideal, and having one was linked to self-esteem. One study analysing the self-reported Kinsey data set found that the average penis of a homosexual man was larger than the average penis of their heterosexual counterparts (6.32 inches in length amongst gay men versus 5.99 in in heterosexuals, and 4.95 inches circumference amongst gay men versus 4.80 in in heterosexual men).

Pornography, black men, and penis size

While more than 46% of people have watched pornography, with 30%–90% of women and 60%–98% of men having watched it at some point in their lifespan, between 1973 and 2016, among and in comparison to other racial groups, Black women and Black men were reported to have watched the most porn. Pornography tends to depict Black people through racist and sexist stereotypes, such as Black people being hypersexual and animalistic, and sexually objectifies Black people through its emphasis and focus on sexual vigor and genitalia; this is socially generated and reinforced through production and supply of porn, such as Black porn and interracial porn that initially debuted in 1982 and big Black cock (BBC) porn, which then meets the demand from porn consumers, such as White men with fantasies about the sexuality of Black people in 1982 and porn consumers on Pornhub whose top search terms in 2022 were: "Black", the 13th most searched term, "BBC", the 9th most searched term, and "Ebony", the 3rd most searched term and the most searched category of 2022. Cosmetic changes and digital changes to genitalia can occur in porn, with the Labia minora of women being portrayed as smaller than the average size and the penis of men being portrayed as larger than the average size. Genital self-image is affected by the consumption of pornography as the primary focus of pornography is on genitalia and sexual acts. The genital self-image and focus for Black women were genital odor and appearance, and the genital self-image and focus for Black men were penis size; racially diverse study sample sizes indicate that, in contrast to women who tend to have a less positive genital self-image, men tend to have a more positive genital self-image.

Evolution

See also: Sexual selection in humans § Sexual anatomy

The human penis is thicker than that of any other primate, both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the body. Early research, based on inaccurate measurements, concluded that the human penis was also longer. In fact, the penis of the common chimpanzee is no shorter than in humans, averaging 14.4 cm (5.7 inches), and some other primates have comparable penis sizes relative to their body weight.

The evolutionary reasons for the increased thickness have not been established. One explanation is that thicker penises are an adaptation to a corresponding increase in vaginal size. The vaginal canal is believed to have expanded in humans to accommodate the larger size of a newborn's skull. Women may then have sexually selected men with penises large enough to fit their vagina, to provide sexual stimulation and ensure ejaculation.

Other evolutionary hypotheses to explain humans' relatively large penis length and girth include a sperm competition hypothesis and a mate competition hypothesis. The sperm competition hypothesis does not have much support as in other mammals where sperm competition is present, larger testes evolve, not larger penises. The mate competition hypothesis involves the prediction that a human with a larger penis would be able to displace the sperm of another. Studies have found that larger penises do not displace other sperm more effectively than smaller penises, but rather longer penises may ejaculate sperm inside the vagina in places that would be harder for a following penis to displace. The depth of pelvic thrusting was correlated to the displacement of competing sperm.

See also

References

Citations

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