Human Penis Size

Human penis size refers to the length and width of human male genitalia. Interest in larger penis sizes has led to an industry devoted to penis enlargement. When compared to other primates, including large primates such as the gorilla, the male human genitalia are remarkably large. The human penis is both longer and thicker than that of any other primate both in absolute terms and in relative size to the rest of the body. Measuring the penis To get the most accurate measurements for an individual's penis size, it has been recommended that several measurements be taken at different times, preferably with different erections on different days. The measurements are then to be averaged together. This is to account for what may be natural variability in size due to factors such as arousal level, time of day, room temperature, frequency of sexual activity, and unreliability of the measurement methods. Length The length can be measured with the subject standing and the penis held parallel to the floor. The penis is measured along the top, from the base to the tip. Results are inaccurate if the measurement is taken along the underside of the penis, or if the subject is seated or prone. Circumference Penis girth is the measurement of the circumference of the completely erect penis. It is variously quoted as an average of three measurements: just below the glans penis, in the middle of the shaft, and at the base. Problems A penis must be completely erect in order to obtain an accurate measurement. This may be difficult to achieve in a clinical setting. At least one Brazilian doctor resorted to injecting penises with drugs to induce erection, which gave more consistent results.Some clinicians measure the penis by stretching the flaccid penis as far as comfortably possible.Self-reported measurements tend to be unreliable because men often want to report a larger penis size. Studies on penis size While results vary across studies, the consensus is that the mean human penis is approximately 12.9–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length with a 95% confidence interval of (10.7 cm, 19.1 cm) (or, equivalently, 4.23 in, 7.53 in).The typical girth or circumference is approximately 12.3 cm (4.85 in) when fully erect. The mean penis size is slightly greater than the median size. Size at birth The average stretched penile length at birth is about 4 cm (1.6 in), and 90% of newborn boys will be between 2.4 and 5.5 cm (0.9 and 2.2 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 with aging Authors of a paper reviewing research on area of penis sizes conclude that "flaccid penile length is just under 4 cm at birth and changes very little until puberty, when there is marked growth. Age is not believed to negatively correlate with penis size. “Individual research studies have ... suggested that penis size is smaller in studies focusing on older men, but Wylie and Eardley found no overall differences when they collated the results of various studies [over a 60 year period]. Erect length Several scientific studies have been performed on the erect length of the adult penis. Studies which have relied on self-measurement, including those from Internet surveys, consistently reported a higher average length than those which used medical or scientific methods to obtain measurements. The following staff-measured studies are each composed of different subgroups of the human population (i.e. specific age range and/or race; selection of those with sexual medical concerns or self-selection) which could cause a sample bias. A study published in the September 1996 Journal of Urology concluded that average erect length was 12.9 cm (5.08 in) (measured by staff). 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 (5.35 in) (measured by staff).[7] Quote: "The aim of this prospective study was 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 (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 study conducted by LifeStyles Condoms found an average of 14.9 cm (5.9 in) with a standard deviation of 2.1 cm (0.8 in) (measured by staff).[8] The purpose of this study was to ensure properly sized condoms were available. 401 college students volunteered to be measured during 2001 Spring Break in Cancún, Mexico, of which 300 gained an erection to be clinically measured (without pharmacological aid). The 300 effective measurements makes this study double the size of any prior study that uses medical staff to measure penis size (but the sample is more representative of male American college students visiting Cancun, and eager to have their penises measured, than it is of the entire male American population.) A review published in 2007 issue of BJU Internetional, have shown that average erect penis length is 14–16 cm and its girth is 12–13 cm. This paper compares results of twelve studies conducted on different populations in several countries. An Italian study of about 3,300 Italian men concluded that stretched length was measured on average to about 5 inches. In addition, a correlation between weight and height and penis length was also found. However this was done only on 500 men with a small correlation value. Erect circumference The Cancún LifeStyle study, in which the circumference of the shaft was measured at three points (base, mid-shaft, and just below the head) and then averaged, found an average of 12.63 cm (4.972 inches) with a standard deviation of 1.3 cm (0.5 in). Similar results exist regarding studies of the circumference of the adult fully erect penis, with the measurement taken mid-shaft.[citation needed] As with length, studies that relied on self-measurement consistently reported a significantly higher average than those with staff measuring. Flaccid length One study found the mean flaccid penis length to be 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) (measured by staff). A review of several studies have shown average flaccid length to be 9–10 cm. Length of the flaccid penis does not necessarily correspond to length of the erect penis; some smaller flaccid penises can grow much larger, and some larger flaccid penises cannot grow much larger. The penis and scrotum can contract involuntarily in reaction to cold temperatures or nervousness, referred to by the slang term "shrinkage", due to action by the cremaster muscle. The same issue affects cyclist and exercise bike users, with prolonged pressure on the perineum from the saddle, and the straining of the exercise causing the penis and scrotum to contract involuntarily which is sometimes referred to as "gym balls" or "saddle balls". An incorrect saddle may ultimately cause erectile dysfunction (see crotch pressure for more information). Penises that are short when flaccid but more average when erect are colloquially known as growers, where those with greater flaccid lengths that increase little when erect are known as showers. Flaccid penis length is a poor estimate of erect length, a better estimate is stretched length, that is 12–13 cm, as shown in review by Wylie and Erdley. Penis enlargement surgery Most men concerned about their penis size and seeking surgical treatment to enlarge their penis overestimate "normal" penis length. All of the patients studied by Mondaini et al seeking surgical treatment had penis size within the normal range. Surgical techniques used for penis enlargement (enhancement phalloplasty) -- penis lengthening and penile widening (girth enhancement) -- have been in the urologic literature for many years. There are two basic ways of enlarging the penis: Penis lengthening surgery involves the release of the fundiform ligament and the suspensory ligament that attaches the 2 erectile bodies to the pubic bone. Once these ligaments have been cut, part of the penile shaft (usually held within the body) drops forward and extends out, enlarging the penis in 2-3 cm. Penis widening with PMMA injection. This method involves injection of silicone, PMMA[19] and other materials into the penis and scrotum, to achieve girth enlargement.