Even in the supposedly enlightened 21st century, men are always worrying about their penis size.To the average man, his penis is, consciously or unconsciously, one of the most important things in the whole world. At an early age he discovers it and immediately becomes fascinated by it.And so he goes on through life, always a tiny bit sensitive about the size of his penis, always convinced that it would be nicer if it were just that little bit longer. No matter how often textbooks repeat that penis size doesn't matter, and that women aren't attracted to a man because of the length of his penis, the average male continues to think the same way.
We have actually known men who suffered from impotence (erectile dysfunction) after someone had made an unthinking remark about their dimensions.Now, the ridiculous thing about all this was that all of these men had a perfectly normal male organ. Each one just thought he was very small compared with other men.But it's important for a man to realise the true facts about the length of the penis. When it is in a non-erect condition, the male penis usually measures between 8.5cm (just over 3") and 10.5cm (just over 4") from tip to base. The average figure is about 9.5cm (or 3 ¾"), but this kind of precise measurement is really rather valueless because so many factors (for instance, cold weather or going swimming) can temporarily cause a shrinkage of two inches or more. So you needn't be worried if you happen to fall short of the average figure.
Penis size is of great concern to many people. Some consider having a large penis a mark of masculinity; others are concerned that their penis is too small to satisfy their sexual partner(s). These insecurities have led to many erroneous beliefs about penis size, and to the creation of a whole industry devoted to penis enlargement.
There are a variety of different ways to measure a penis, and there are a number of difficulties in doing so. First of all, a penis must be maximally erect to do so, and in a clinical setting this is difficult to achieve. At least one Brazilian doctor resorted to injecting penises with drugs to induce an erection, giving much more consistent results[citation needed]. Some clinicians measure the penis by stretching the flaccid penis as far as comfortably possible and take the measurement based on the theory that a fully stretched flaccid penis is equal to an erect penis length. Relying on self-reporting of penis size is problematic, since some patients exaggerate or are unable or unwilling to measure the penis correctly.
Length of a penis is typically measured with the subject standing and the penis held parallel to the floor. Measurement of length goes horizontally along the top of the penis from the penis's base to the tip. If the penis is measured along the bottom or underside, the result is a longer but more variable measurement. Measurements taken while sitting or laying down also tend to be more variable.
Girth is measured by using a tape measure. It is variously quoted as an average, at 3 places along the penis, just below the penile head, in the middle of the shaft, and at the base or the thickest part.
Average stretched penis length at birth is about 4 cm, 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 penis 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. [2]
Regarding the length of the adult fully erect penis (measured along the top of the penis from the groin to the tip), several studies have been performed. Studies that have relied on self-measurement, including those from Internet surveys, consistently reported a higher average than those which used medical or scientific researchers to perform the measurements.
Academic and Scientific Studies
A study published in the September 1996 Journal of Urology concluded that average erect length was 12.9 cm (5.0 in). (Measured by staff)[3]
A study published in the December 2000 International Journal of Impotence Research found that average erect penis length was 13.6 cm (5.35 in), (SD = 1.7 cm (.67 in), n = total participants = 55, measured by staff). [4]
Random sample of college students on spring break
A study conducted by LifeStyles Condoms during 2001 Spring Break in Cancún, Mexico, found an average of 14.9 cm (5.9 in) with a standard deviation of 2.1 cm (0.8 in). (Measured by staff)[5]
Self Measurement Surveys
An Internet survey performed by Sizesurvey.com found an average of 16 cm (6.4 in). (measured by Internet survey respondents)[6]
An Internet survey performed by Jackinworld.com found an average of 15.6 cm (6.1 inches). (measured by Internet survey respondents)
The aim of this prospective study was to identify clinical and engineering parameters of the flaccid penis for prediction of penile size during erection. Dorsal and ventral penile lengths, as well as base and tip circumferences were measured in flaccid states, gently stretched states and at full erection resulting from intracavernosal injection of prostaglandin E1 in 55 patients. The forces required to stretch the penis were measured by a specially designed gauge and regression relationships of the measured dimensions were calculated. An engineering model was developed to analyze differences between results obtained during stretching and erection, as well as to approximate the optimal force values which should be applied during the stretching part of the clinical evaluation of penis size. The ratio between the flaccid to stretched penile lengths was shown to be the best predictor for the ventral elongation from flaccid to erect penile lengths. The engineering analysis predicted that a minimal tension force of approximately 450 g during stretching of the penis is required to reach the potential erection length. The stretching forces exerted by the urologist in the clinical setting were experimentally shown to be significantly (P<0.01) less than this value. The values of the relative and absolute elongations of the stretched penis at its ventral aspect provide reliable estimations of its potential maximal elongation during erection. The model designed for this study may obviate the use of intracavernosal injections for estimating penile length during erection.
The Penis Size Survey
Ansell, makers of LifeStyles Condoms, has conducted research into average penis size. The survey found that the average length of the erect penis is 5.877 inches (14.928cm), with the majority ranging between the small 5.5 inch penis size (14cm) and the large 6.3 inch penises (16cm).
The average girth is 4.972 inches (12.63cm), with the majority ranging between 4.7 inches (12cm) and 5.1 inches (13cm). This indicates that the difference between small penis size and large is not very big.
From March 11 to 17, 2001 a total 401 males over the age of 18 were measured, one at a time, by qualified medical staff (protected by Ansell Medi-Touch gloves) in private tents at the Dady Rock nightclub in Cancun, Mexico. Of the 401 men, 300 were able to gain an erection for measurement - a success rate of only 75%.
The LifeStyles Condoms Average Penis Size Survey was designed to create a better condom, to ensure that they are sized properly, comfortable and won't slip. Are you interested in the different size condoms available?
Sample Size
401 male voluteers of which, only 300 were "effective" male volunteers (75%), as 101 male volunteers (25%) could not gain an erection for measurement. At 300 effective measurements, this study is twice the size of any previous study that uses medical staff to measure penis size. This method is more accurate and reliable than studies where volunteers undertake self-measurement / reporting.
Erect Penis Length
The average erect penis length was 5.877 inches (14.928cm).
Standard deviation was 0.825 inches (2.096cm) with 54% of the effective sample measuring between 5.5 inches (14cm) and 6.3 inches (16cm).
Erect Penis Girth
The average erect penis girth was 4.972 inches (12.63cm).
Standard deviation was 0.508 inches (1.29cm) or with 53.33% of the effective sample measuring between 4.725 inches (12cm) and 5.118 inches (13cm).
Conclusion
It is fair to say that in all cases, where medical staff has measured erect penis size, the average length has been below 6 inches and in every case where the surveys rely on self-measurement and voluntary reporting the average leaps over six inches. Interestingly average girth remains around 5 inches in all surveys.
Using the figure of 5.877 inches from the LifeStyles Condoms Average Penis Size Survey it appears that men on average exaggerate their penis length by a quarter to a half an inch when they are permitted to measure and report their own size.
The results do show that the difference between small penises, average penis size and large penises is not so great as folklore might have us believe.
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