Penises
are important in many ways. They are a symbol of manhood, play a big
role in procreation, and are something worth paying attention to if
you’re curious about your overall health. You may think you know
everything there is to know about this very special guy part (at least
when it comes to your own) but some of these facts may still surprise
you.
What an Average Penis Looks Like
The
average length of the penis in the U.S. is around 5 inches when erect
and 3.5 inches when not. One study from 1996 measured 80 men’s erect and
flaccid penises. Looking at their data, they suggested that a man
should only consider lengthening procedures if his penis measure less
than 1.5 inches when limp or less than 3 inches when erect.Dr. Paul
Turek, men’s health specialist and founder of the Turek Clinic says
length is a common concern among men that he speaks with but that it
really shouldn’t be. “You’re average, don’t worry about it,” he says.
When Size Matters
A
lot of concern over penis length has to do with how much it matters to
women but one studyc showed that there is more to sexual attractiveness
than just this. Women in the study rated the sexual allure of
computer-generated nude males and larger penises did relate to higher
scores but only up until about 3 inches (the penises were flaccid).
After that, the effect of penis size dropped off. What researchers found
was that other common measures of attractiveness, like height and the
shoulder-to-hip ratio, played a large role as well. In tall men, just a
third of an inch in added penis length could boost their score the same
amount as a shorter man whose length doubled. Eventually, the less fit,
short men couldn’t keep up, no matter what they had going on below the
belt.
Growers and Show-ers
Different
men are built differently, even when it comes to their penises. “There
are growers who tend to start small and end up bigger, and show-ers who
tend to start out big and not get much bigger,” says Dr. Paul Turek of
the Turek Clinic. While there is a lot of diversity when it comes to
penis length and growth, it’s generally true that men who have smaller
flaccid penises grow more (percentage-wise) than men whose penises start
out large. However, research has shown that flaccid penis length is
unrelated to erect length.
Curvature
In
most men, the penis curves slightly to the right or left when erect.
While Turek says this worries many men, it’s generally harmless.
However, if it curves more than 15 degrees off the midline, this could
indicate Peyronie’s disease (PD), a problematic curving. “When it really
curves due to PD, we published a paper showing that men are very much
affected by it and that their quality of life is very low,” says Turek.
Specifically, they found that men with PD often also have emotional and
relationship problems. PD can be fixed through medical and surgical
interventions.
Lumps and Bumps
Any
unusual lumps on your penis are probably worth talking to a medical
professional about, just in case. For the most part, though, the
majority of these are nothing to worry about. Penis skin is just like
skin everywhere else and it can have the same problems, including
conditions like eczema and vitiligo.
You Can Break It
As
horrible as it sounds, men can actually break their penises. It’s a
rare occurrence but seems to most often happen when a man is having
stressful sex. One study that looked at 16 men who had experienced
penile fractures found that half were having extra-marital affairs at
the time. Thirteen of the 16 were having sex in an unusual place, like a
car, at work, or in an elevator. These fractures are very serious.
“It’s like an I-Beam that buckles. It’s a big deal,"
says Turek. Men who have these fractures will hear an audible crack and
their penis will show visible bruising (it will be really painful too).
This requires a trip to the ER.
Zippers Injuries
Research from
UC San Francisco found that zipper injuries were the most common cause
of penile injury in adults. Between 2002 and 2010, 17,616 men made trips
to ERs for zipper mishaps, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all penis
injuries during this time. Should you ever find yourself in this
unfortunate situation, make sure you’re telling the truth about what
kind of teeth bit you. “If have a human bite injury and you go to get
care and tell them it’s a zipper injury, you could lose your penis,”
says Tudek. Human mouths have all kinds of special bacteria that zippers
don’t, so injuries from the two are treated very differently.
What Erectile Dysfunction Means About Your Health
Beyond
heart health, there are plenty of conditions that can affect your
penis. “If you have a big belly and you’re diabetic, and you have high
blood pressure and you have a cholesterol issue, guess what? You’re
probably going to have an erection problem,” says Turek. Basically, many
health issues affect various organs and systems all over your body and
your penis is not immune. Again, if your stuff is not acting quite
right, go ahead and get a doctor’s opinion.
Heart Health by Way of Penis
A
man’s penis health is a great indicator of his cardiovascular health in
general. The penis has very small blood vessels running through it,
which help create erections. If there is a problem in these small
vessels, a man’s erection will likely suffer. Therefore, erectile
problems can be red flags for future heart problems (where bigger blood
vessels are involved). This close relationship means that changes in
erection are something to talk to your doctor about and that staying
heart healthy is a good way to make sure your penis is healthy too.
Keeping it Clean
Keeping
your penis clean means a few different things. First, men should make
sure to soap up and wash off down there, and be especially diligent if
they are uncircumcised. Having a clean penis also means having safe sex
and getting checked for STDs. “You carry your whole history with you, as
does your partner,” says Turek. Remember that all sexually active
people are in a kind of sexual web. Even if you’ve slept with only one
person, they may have slept with another and who knows how many partners
that person has had?
What Is Phimosis?
Phimosis
is a condition where the foreskin of the penis can’t be pulled back.
This is common in children and usually resolves with age. It can also be
the result of scarring, infection, or inflammation. Phimosis can lead
to poor hygiene, infection, and even cancer, most likely due to an
inability to clean under the foreskin. Men can use a topical ointment to
soften the skin and pull it back. Circumcision is also used to treat
phimosis.
Never Ignore Below-the-Belt Health Problems
Between
risk-taking behaviors and less frequent doctor’s visits, research has
shown time and again that men aren’t always on top of taking care of
themselves. It’s a different story when it comes down to a man and his
penis. “Men pay appropriate attention to the wood,” says Dr. Paul Turek,
men’s health specialist and founder of the Turek Clinic. If anything,
many of the concerns men have about their penises are nothing to worry
about. (Of course, anything that seems off down below is still worth
discussing with a medical professional.)
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