Is My Penis Small? No. Probably not! But we’ll get to that. First, let’s talk about why this topic even matters. Or rather why it shouldn’t.
For many, the first encounter seeing other members in the flesh was probably the changing rooms at school after sports practice. Even then, the look of fear on everyone’s face hid the inaudible question: “how big is my penis?” and infinitely worse: “is my penis too small?”
But why?
Somehow the importance of validating penis size is so ingrained in the male psyche that we don’t stop to think why we do this. A partial explanation is that traditional notions of “manliness” have been related to penis size as well as the myth that women’s sexual pleasure corresponds to the size of the equipment between a man’s legs. This narrative has been further driven into the collective consciousness by porn, and Hollywood movies. And a lack of open dialogue and good factual information has not helped either.
But back to the original question.
How big is my penis? The average penis size
There is no generally accepted right answer. Studies typically offer a range between 5 and 6 inches for average erect penis length. The most comprehensive study was conducted in 2014 by a team at King’s College, London which looked at 15,521 men with measurements taken in a clinical setting. According to the team’s analysis:
The average flaccid penis is 9.16 cm (3.61 inches) in length
The average erect penis is 13.12 cm (5.16 inches) long.
The corresponding girth measurements are 9.31 cm (3.66 inches) for a flaccid penis and 11.66 cm (4.59 inches) for an erect one.
Great but what does this all actually mean?
To give these numbers some context, out of 100 men, only five would have an erect penis that is larger than 16 cm (6.3 inches). Conversely, only five out of 100 men would have a penis smaller than 10 cm (3.9 inches) when erect.
So if you have been worrying about your size, you are more than likely in the “normal” range.
Small Penis Syndrome & micropenises
Small Penis Syndrome is the anxiety of thinking: “why is my penis small?” even if it isn’t. It’s a type of body dysmorphia. But as mentioned above, most people really don’t need to worry as they fall well within the normal range. The medical definition of a small penis is known as a micropenis. Only about 0.6% of the male population is estimated to fall in this category, which comes to about 7cm (2.75 inches) when erect. And if you do fall into this category, this should in no way stop you from giving (and receiving) sexual pleasure.
Sexual pleasure and penis size
The age-old question: Does size matter? Sexual pleasure is highly subjective. While some partners may prefer larger penises in terms of length or girth, sexual chemistry and understanding the needs of your sexual partner is much more likely to boost sexual pleasure. There are many different types of orgasms for both women and men, and not everyone can achieve each one. Therefore there is no one-size-fits-all solution to sexual pleasure. There is also no evidence that penis length increases sexual pleasure. In fact, another study found that erection quality was more important regarding female sexual satisfaction than penis length or girth.
How to improve erection quality
So what can you do to improve the quality of your erections? Well, a healthy diet and regular exercise such as yoga has been found to have a positive effect, as this helps regulate blood flow. Another, perhaps surprising, way to improve erection quality is to use a wearable ring (sometimes called cock rings). Believe it or not, rings can, through targeted stimulation, actually improve erection quality. Many users report longer-lasting, firmer erections and female partners can enjoy clitoral stimulus at the same time. Of course, there are many varieties available including the Pivot and the Verge by We-Vibe which have been designed with maximum comfort and erection quality in mind.
So it’s time to stop the obsession with penis size and move towards a holistic view of sexual pleasure.
Further articles
At times when everything seems to be going wrong in our lives and there’s no help in sight – what should you do? Take a long bubble bath or perhaps some deep breaths? But do these small actions really magically transform the world to seem like a better place again? As if! Countless self-love tips are simply nonsense! An opinion piece.
