Penis Size Frequently Asked Questions
Does penis size matter?
The mere fact that this subject has been so fiercely debated is a first indication that penis size does matter. From a medical perspective, this is a multi-layered topic as penis size matters for a number of reasons:
Penetration and penis size
Putting aside for the moment the topic of sexual satisfaction, in order for a man to successfully penetrate his partner, adequate penile length is necessary. For the vast majority of men without erectile dysfunction, their penis length is enough to achieve penetration. For a very small subset of men suffering from micro-phallia, i.e. a penis not long enough to be able to easily penetrate a partner, then a total penile reconstruction may be the only option.
Sexual stimulation and penis size
As both the anatomical characteristics of the penis as well as those of the vagina are amongst the sexual anatomy, some penises may be too small and incapable of causing pleasurable sensations for their female partner, despite sufficient erection firmness.
Given that the majority of the female anatomical nerves, whose stimulation results in sexual arousal and orgasm, are located in the clitoris and the outer one-third of the vagina, especially near the opening for most women, what is most important is not so much the penis length but the penis girth (90% of women according to a recent study) which is required to achieve a sense of fullness and sufficient stimulation of the clitoris and vaginal nerves.
It is important to stress that the anatomy of each woman is unique and penis length may be very important to some women to achieve orgasm but from statistical research, they are reported to represent a minority.
Men’s attractiveness and penis size
The overall attractiveness of a man will depend on a number of factors in terms of appearance, social status and intellect. Although it is very difficult to design studies to determine whether penis size is one of the factors that affect men’s attractiveness, everyday experience as well as a growing scientific evidence suggest that women find men with long penises in the flaccid state more attractive than men with shorter penises. There are no similar studies for erect penises but given that the erect penis size is more closely associated with sexual stimulation of the vagina and clitoris, then it can be hypothesized that male attractiveness is more affected by the erect penis girth rather than the length. These are of course generalisations and we are involved in further research into this under-examined area.
Self perception and penis size
According to a recent study a staggering 45% of men reported that they were dissatisfied with their penis size. To put this in statistical perspective, the percentage of men who are not happy with their height and weight has been recorded as less than 40%. This study also found that men who are dissatisfied with their penis size also tend to be less confident and are less satisfied with their body and face. The findings of this study suggest that penis size can affect men’s general impression of themselves; while men with larger penises may feel more confident. This is largely confirmed by our doctor’s experiences over the years. Men who undergo penis enlargement surgery, report increased confidence both during sexual intercourse and in their social life. Conversely, men who experience a loss of penile length and girth (usually due to radical prostatectomy or Peyronie’s disease) usually report severe dissatisfaction and even depression.
Is my penis size normal?
When deciding whether penis enlargement is something you should pursue, you should consider whether your size is a problem to you and why this is.
Most heterosexual men will never see another man’s erect penis in real life and typically will only receive feedback from:
- Pornography: which gives a very skewed image of sizes both because of the actors as well as the shooting angles.
- Places like locker rooms: where one gets to see other men’s penises in the flaccid state, which is NOT a good indication of erect penis size.
- Feedback from sexual partners: most men will at some point in their lives have a sexual partner who gives them feedback (positive or negative) regarding their penis size and/or mentions the penis size of their previous partners.
It’s worth considering, whether your desire for a larger penis is based on your lack of knowledge about the size of the average penis or whether it’s based on feedback from a partner attempting to hurt and concentrating on something that is seen as central to the male ego. Irrespective, even in very well organized medical surveys, it is really hard to define what is the average penis size, which one might define as a proxy for “normal”. Based on a review of different surveys, we have created a rough guide to penis size:
- If your erect length is less than 5” and your erect girth is less that 4”, you are below average.
- If your erect length is 5-7” and your erect girth is 4-5.5”, you are average.
- If your erect length is over 6.21” and your erect girth is over 4.85”, you are larger than the majority of other men
The above figures are based on various surveys and are just a rough guide for men who are unsure about their penis size.
How can I properly measure my penis size?
- Measuring the length of the erect penis
The length of the erect penis is measured in a fully erect condition. For this, a ruler or folding metre stick is held to the penis shaft, starting at the belly and the distance up to the glans tip is measured. As opposed to the so-called “bone press” measurement, during which the ruler is applied with strong pressure, the loose application of the measuring instrument also takes into consideration the fat layer surrounding the penis shaft and, thus determines the actually useful length of the penis. Therefore, the measured result may differ depending on weight gain or weight loss.
A flexible measuring tape directly positioned on the top side of the penis may falsify the measured result when the penis is curved in an upwards direction (because a curve between two measuring points always results in a longer distance than a straight line). Therefore in order that men are able to compare their penis lengths across different shapes of penis, the shortest distance between belly and penis tip must be measured for an accurate comparison.
- Measuring the length of the flaccid penis
In its flaccid, non-erect condition, the penis has different lengths depending on the situation. Therefore, an average value must be determined by means of several measurements in order to measure the length of the flaccid penis (see also notes on the measurement above and the following example).
- Measuring the circumference of the erect penis
The penis circumference is measured on a fully erect penis. For this, a flexible measuring tape is positioned around the penis without strong tensile force, but flush, directly at the penis shaft. When talking about penis thickness, people commonly mean penis circumference or girth.
I would like to increase the size of my penis. What should I do next?
If you are looking to increase the size of your penis, we advise that you book a consultation with one of our highly experienced doctors. During this consultation, our doctor will examine you and explain all possible treatments options in detail, discuss the size you wish to achieve and answer any questions you may have.