Human penis size

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"Penis length" redirects here. For differences in penis length among non-human species, see Penis
§ In different animals.

Diagram showing how to measure the length and circumference of an erect human penis

Human penises vary in size on a number of measures, including length and circumference when
flaccid and erect. Besides the natural variability of human penises in general, there are factors that
lead to minor variations in a particular male, such as the level of arousal, time of day, room
temperature, and frequency of sexual activity. Compared to other primates, including large examples
such as the gorilla, the human penis is thickest, both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the
body.
Measurements vary, with studies that rely on self-measurement reporting a significantly higher
average than those with a health professional measuring. As of 2015, a systematic review of 15,521
men, and the best research to date on the topic, as the subjects were measured by health
professionals, rather than self-measured, has concluded that the average length of an erect human
penis is 13.12 cm (5.17 inches) long, while the average circumference of an erect human penis is
11.66 cm (4.59 inches).[1] Flaccid penis length can sometimes be a poor predictor of erect length.
Most human penis growth occurs between infancy and the age of five, and between about one year
after the onset of puberty and, at latest, approximately 17 years of age.[2]
A statistically significant correlation between penis size and the size of other body parts has not
been found in research. Some environmental factors in addition to genetics, such as the presence
of endocrine disruptors, can affect penis growth. An adult penis with an erect length of less than
7 cm (2.8 in), but otherwise formed normally, is referred to in medicine as a micropenis.

Contents

 1Studies
o 1.1Length
 1.1.1Flaccid
  1.1.2Stretched
 1.1.3Erect
o 1.2Erect circumference
o 1.3Size at birth
o 1.4Size with ageing
o 1.5Size and height
o 1.6Size and hands
o 1.7Size and race
 2Biochemistry
 3Variance
o 3.1Genetics
o 3.2Conditions
o 3.3Environmental influence
 4Historical perceptions
o 4.1Prehistory and early civilizations
o 4.2Antiquity
o 4.3Middle Ages and Renaissance
 5Contemporary perceptions
o 5.1Male self-perception
o 5.2Shrinking and enlarging
o 5.3Among male homosexuals
o 5.4Size of other body parts
 6Studies of size preferences among sexual partners
 7Evolution
 8Condom use
 9See also
 10References
 11External links

Studies

Distribution of penis sizes by length. Erect penises (green) are 45% between 12 and 14 cm long. [1]
Distribution of penis sizes by circumference. Erect penises (green) are 81% between 10 and 13 cm in
circumference.[1]

While results vary slightly across reputable studies, the consensus is that the mean human penis,
when erect, is in the range 12.9–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in length.[3][4][5]
A 2015 systematic review published by Veale et al. of medical research on the topic over the
previous 30 years published in BJU International showed similar results, giving mean flaccid,
stretched non-erect, and erect lengths of 9.16 cm, 13.24 cm, and 13.12 cm respectively, and mean
flaccid and erect circumferences of 9.31 cm and 11.66 cm respectively. Erect lengths in the included
studies were measured by pushing the pre-pubic fat pad to the bone, and flaccid or erect girth
(circumference) was measured at the base or mid-shaft of the penis.[1]
Length
Flaccid
One study found the mean flaccid penis length to be 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) (measured by staff).[3] A
review of several studies found average flaccid length to be 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in).[6] Length of the
flaccid penis does not necessarily correspond to length of the erect penis; some smaller flaccid
penises grow much longer, while some larger flaccid penises grow comparatively less.[7]
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
phenomenon affects cyclist and exercise bike users, with prolonged pressure on the perineum from
the bicycle saddle and the straining of the exercise causing the penis and scrotum to contract
involuntarily. An incorrect saddle may ultimately cause erectile dysfunction (see crotch pressure for
more information).
Stretched
Neither age nor size of the flaccid penis accurately predicted erectile length. Stretched length has
correlated with erect length in some cases.[3] However, studies have also shown drastic differences
between stretched and erect length.[8]

 The 2015 study of 15,521 men, found that the average length of a stretched flaccid penis was
13.24 cm (5.21 inches) long, which is near identical to the average length of an erect human
penis which is 13.12 cm (5.17 inches) long.[9]
 An Italian study of about 3,300 men published in European Urology concluded that flaccid
stretched length was measured on average to about 12.5 cm (4.9 in). In addition, they checked
for correlations in a random subset of the sample consisting of 325 men. They found a few
statistically significant Spearman's correlations: between flaccid length and height of 0.208,
−0.140 with weight, and −0.238 with BMI, flaccid circumference and height 0.156, stretched
length and height 0.221, weight −0.136, BMI −0.169. They also reported a few non-significant
correlations.[10]
Erect
Scientific studies have been performed on the erect length of the adult penis. Studies that have
relied on self-measurement, including those from Internet surveys, consistently reported a higher
average length than those that used medical or scientific methods to obtain measurements.[5][11]
The following staff-measured studies are composed of different subgroups of the human population
(in other words, specific age range or race; selection of those with sexual medical concerns or self-
selection) that could cause a sample bias.[11][12]
 In a study of 80 healthy males published in the September 1996 Journal of Urology an average
erect penis length of 12.9 cm (5.1 in) was measured.[3] 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 (5.4 in) (measured by
staff).[4] The study intended "to identify clinical and engineering parameters of the flaccid penis
for prediction of penile size during erection."[4] 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 review published in the 2007 issue of BJU International showed the average erect penis
length to be 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) and girth to be 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in). The paper compared
results of twelve studies conducted on different populations in several countries. Various
methods of measurements were included in the review.[6]
 An Indian study of 500 men ages 18 to 60 published in the International Journal of Impotence
Research found flaccid, stretched and erect length to be 8.21 cm (3.23 in), 10.88 cm (4.28 in)
and 13.01 cm (5.12 in), respectively.[8]
 A Korean study (published in 1971) of 702 men ages 21 to 31 identified the average erect penile
length to be 12.70 cm (5.00 in).[13] Another study (from 1998) of 150 Koreans found the average
erect penile length to be 13.42 cm (5.28 in).[14] A third study (published in 1999) of 279 Korean
males found the average erect penile length to be 12.66 cm (4.98 in).[15] The most recent study
(published in 2016) of 248 Korean men identified the average erect penile length to be 13.53 cm
(5.33 in).[16]
Erect circumference
Similar results exist regarding studies of the circumference of the adult fully erect penis, with the
measurement usually taken mid-shaft.[6] As with length, studies that relied on self-measurement
consistently reported a significantly higher average than those with staff measuring. In a study of
penis size where measurements were taken in a laboratory setting, the average penis circumference
when erect was 11.66 cm (4.59 inches).[1]
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 (0.94 and 2.17 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.[17]
Size with ageing
Authors of a paper reviewing research on area of penis sizes conclude that "flaccid penile length is
just under 4 cm (1.6 in) at birth and changes very little until puberty, when there is marked
growth."[2][6]
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]."[6]
Size and height
A 2015 review of the literature found two studies finding height and stretched or flaccid length to be
moderately correlated, seven studies finding weak correlation for flaccid, stretched, or erect length,
and two studies that found no correlation between flaccid length and height.[1]
Size and hands
One study investigated the relationship with digit ratio and found that men with longer ring fingers
than index fingers had slightly longer penises.[18][19] However, the common misconception that hand
size predicts penis size has been widely discredited.[20][21]
Size and race
The belief that penis size varies according to race is not supported by scientific evidence.[6][22] A 2005
study reported that "there is no scientific background to support the alleged 'oversized' penis in black
people".[23] In fact, a study of 253 men from Tanzania found that the average stretched flaccid penis
length of Tanzanian males is 11 cm (4.53 inches) long, smaller than the worldwide average,
stretched flaccid penis length of 13.24 cm (5.21 inches), and average erect penis length of 13.12 cm
(5.17 inches).[24]
A study of 115 men from Nigeria found that the average flaccid stretched penis length of Nigerian
males is 13.37 cm (5.26 inches) long, which is near identical to the worldwide average, stretched
flaccid penis length of 13.24 cm (5.21 inches) and average erect penis length of 13.12 cm (5.17
inches).[25] A 2015 systematic review found that it was not possible to draw any conclusions about
size and race from the available literature and that further research needed to be conducted.[1]

Biochemistry
Androgens like testosterone are responsible for penis enlargement and elongation during
puberty.[26] Penis size is positively correlated with increasing testosterone levels during
puberty.[27] However, after puberty, administration of testosterone is not capable of affecting penis
size, and androgen deficiency in adult men only results in a small decrease in size.[27] Growth
hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are also involved in penis size, with deficiency
(such as that observed in growth hormone deficiency or Laron syndrome) at critical developmental
stages having the potential to result in micropenis.[28]

Variance
Genetics
There are certain genes, like homeobox (Hox a and d) genes, which may have a role in regulating
penis size. In humans, the AR gene located on the X chromosome at Xq11-12 which may determine
the penis size. The SRY gene located on the Y chromosome may have a role to play. Variance in
size can often be attributed to de novo mutations. Deficiency of pituitary growth
hormone or gonadotropins or mild degrees of androgen insensitivity can cause small penis size in
males and can be addressed with growth hormone or testosterone treatment in early childhood.
Conditions
Main article: Micropenis
An adult penis with an erect length of less than 7 cm or 2.76 inches but otherwise formed normally is
referred to in a medical context as having the micropenis condition.[29] The condition affects 0.6% of
men.[7] Some of the identifiable causes are deficiency of pituitary growth hormone or gonadotropins,
mild degrees of androgen insensitivity, a variety of genetic syndromes and variations in
certain homeobox genes. Some types of micropenis can be addressed with growth hormone
or testosterone treatment in early childhood. Operations are also available to increase penis size in
cases of micropenis in adults.[30]
Measuring erect micropenis

Environmental influence
It has been suggested that differences in penis size between individuals are caused not only
by genetics, but also by environmental factors such as culture, diet and chemical or pollution
exposure.[31][32][33][34] Endocrine disruption resulting from chemical exposure has been linked to genital
deformation in both sexes (among many other problems). Chemicals from both synthetic (e.g.,
pesticides, anti-bacterial triclosan, plasticizers for plastics) and natural (e.g., chemicals found in tea
tree oil and lavender oil)[35][36] sources have been linked to various degrees of endocrine disruption.
Both PCBs and the plasticizer DEHP have been associated with smaller penis size.[37] DEHP
metabolites measured from the urine of pregnant women have been significantly associated with the
decreased penis width, shorter anogenital distance and the incomplete descent of testicles of their
newborn sons, replicating effects identified in animals.[38] Approximately 25% of US women
have phthalate levels similar to those in the study.[38]
A 2007 study by the University of Ankara, Faculty of Medicine found that penile size may decrease
as a result of some hormonal therapy combined with external beam radiation therapy.[39] In addition,
some estrogen-based fertility drugs like diethylstilbestrol (DES) have been linked to genital
abnormalities or a smaller than normal penis (microphallus).[40]

Historical perceptions
Prehistory and early civilizations
Perceptions of penis size are culture-specific.[41] Some prehistoric sculptures and petroglyphs depict
male figures with exaggerated erect penises.[42] Ancient Egyptian cultural and artistic conventions
generally prevented large penises from being shown in art, as they were considered obscene,[43] but
the scruffy, balding male figures in the Turin Erotic Papyrus are shown with exaggeratedly large
genitals.[43][44] The Egyptian god Geb is sometimes shown with a massive erect penis and the
god Min is almost always shown with an erection.[42]
Antiquity
Ancient Greek kouros sculpture from Anavyssos dating to c. 530 BC, showing an idealized young man with a
small penis

Ancient Roman fresco from the House of the Vettii in Pompeii, dating to the first century AD, showing the
god Priapus weighing his massive, permanently erect penis against a bag of gold[45][42]

The ancient Greeks believed that small penises were ideal.[41] Scholars believe that most ancient
Greeks probably had roughly the same size penises as most other Europeans,[41] but Greek artistic
portrayals of handsome youths show them with inordinately small, uncircumcised penises with
disproportionately large foreskins,[41] indicating that these were seen as ideal.[41] Large penises
in Greek art are reserved exclusively for comically grotesque figures,[41][42] such as satyrs, a class of
hideous, horse-like woodland spirits, who are shown in Greek art with absurdly massive
penises.[41] Actors portraying male characters in ancient Greek comedy wore enormous, fake, red
penises, which dangled underneath their costumes;[46] these were intended as ridiculous and were
meant to be laughed at.[46]
In Aristophanes's comedy The Clouds, "Mr. Good Reason" gives the character Pheidippides a
description of the ideal youth: "A glistening chest and glowing skin,/Broad shoulders, a small
tongue,/A mighty bottom and a tiny prong."[47] In Greek mythology, Priapus, the god of fertility, had an
impossibly large penis that was always permanently erect.[48][42] Priapus was widely seen as hideous
and unattractive.[48] A scholion on Apollonius of Rhodes's Argonautica states that, when Priapus's
mother Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, gave birth to him, she was so horrified by the
size of his penis, his massive potbelly, and his huge tongue that she abandoned him to die in the
wilderness.[48] A herdsman found him and raised him as his son,[48] later discovering that Priapus
could use his massive penis to aid in the growth of plants.[48]
Nonetheless, there are indications that the Greeks had an open mind about large penises.[42] A
statue of the god Hermes with an exaggerated penis stood outside the main gate of Athens[42] and
in Alexandria in 275 BC, a procession in honor of Dionysus hauled a 180-foot phallus through the
city and people venerated it by singing hymns and reciting poems.[42] The Romans, in contrast to the
Greeks, seem to have admired large penises[42][45] and large numbers of large phalli have been
recovered from the ruins of Pompeii.[42] Depictions of Priapus were very popular in Roman erotic art
and literature.[42][45] Over eighty obscene poems dedicated to him have survived.[42]
Penis size is alluded to in the Bible:[42]
When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from
18

her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister.19Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the
days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt20and lusted after her lovers there,
whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. Ezekiel
23:18–20, English Standard Version.
Ancient Chinese legend holds that a man named Lao Ai had the largest penis in history and that he
had an affair with Queen Dowager Zhao (c. 280–228 BC), the mother of Qin Shi Huang, by
pretending to be a eunuch.[42] Ancient Koreans admired large penises and King Jijeung (437–514
AD) of the Silla Dynasty is said to have had a forty-five-centimeter penis that was so large his
subordinates had to search for a woman that fit him.[42] Traditional Japanese erotic paintings usually
show genitals as exaggeratedly large.[42] The oldest known painting of this type, found in the Hōryū-ji
Temple in Ikaruga, dates to the eighth century AD and depicts a fairly large penis.[42]
The ancient Indian sexual treatise Kama Sutra, originally written in Sanskrit, probably between the
second and fourth centuries AD, divides men into three classes based on penis size: "hare" size (5–
7 cm when erect), "bull" size (10–15 cm), and "horse" size (18–20 cm).[42] The treatise also divide
women's vaginas into three sizes ("deer", "mare", and "elephant")[42] and advises that a man match
the size of the vagina of the woman he is having sex with to the size of his own penis.[42] It also gives
medically dubious advice on how to enlarge one's penis using wasp stings.[42]
Middle Ages and Renaissance
Portrait of Lodovico Caponi (painted c. 1550–1555) by Angelo Bronzino shows a codpiece peeking from
underneath the young man's jacket.[42] Larger codpieces were regarded as more fashionable.[42]

In medieval Arabic literature, a longer penis was preferred, as described in an Arabian Nights tale
called "Ali with the Large Member". As a witty satire of this fantasy, the 9th-century Afro-
Arab author Al-Jahiz wrote: "If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would
belong to the Quraysh" (the tribe to which Muhammad belonged and from which he descended).[49][42]
The medieval Norsemen considered the size of a man's penis as the measure of his
manliness,[50] and a thirteenth-century Norse magic talisman from Bergen, a wooden stave inscribed
with writing in runic script, promises its wearer: "You will fuck Rannveig the Red. It will be bigger than
a man's prick and smaller than a horse's prick."[50] A late fourteenth century account of the life
of Saint Óláfr from the Flateyjarbók describes a pagan ritual, which centered around a preserved
horse's penis used as a cult artifact,[50] which members of the cult would pass around in a
circle,[50] making up verses in praise of it,[50] encouraging it and the other members of the group to
behave in sexually suggestive ways.[50]
During the Renaissance, some men in Europe began to wear codpieces, which accentuated their
genitals.[42] There is no direct evidence that it was necessarily worn to enhance the apparent size of
the wearer's penis,[42] but larger codpieces were seen as more fashionable.[42]

Contemporary perceptions
Sign in South Africa advertising penis enlargement

Male self-perception
Males may quite easily underestimate the size of their own penis relative to those of others. A survey
by sexologists showed that many men who believed that their penis was of inadequate size had
average-sized penises.[51] Another study found sex education of standard penile measurements to be
helpful and relieving for patients concerned about small penis size, most of whom had incorrect
beliefs of what is considered medically normal.[52] The perception of having a large penis is often
linked to higher self-esteem.[53] Fears of shrinking of the penis in folklore have led to a type of mass
hysteria called penis panic, though the penis legitimately can shrink in size due to scar tissue
formation in the penis from a medical condition called Peyronie's disease.[54][55] Marketers of penis
enlargement products exploit fears of inadequacy, but there is no consensus in the scientific
community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases either the thickness or length
of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range.
Shrinking and enlarging
Widespread private concerns related to penis size have led to a number of folklore sayings
and popular culture reflections related to penis size. Penis panic is a form of mass hysteria involving
the believed removal or shrinking of the penis, known as genital retraction syndrome. The penis can
significantly shrink due to scar tissue formation from a condition called Peyronie's disease which
affects up to 10% of men.[56] Products such as penis pumps, pills, and other dubious means of penis
enlargement are some of the most marketed products in email spam. At present there is no
consensus in the scientific community of any non-surgical technique that permanently increases
either the thickness or length of the erect penis that already falls into the normal range (4.5" to 7").[57]
Among male homosexuals
A study undertaken at Utrecht University found that the majority of homosexual men in the study
regarded a large penis as ideal, and having one was linked to self-esteem.[58] One study analysing
the self-reported Kinsey data set found that the average penis of a homosexual man was larger than
the average penis of their heterosexual counterparts (6.32 inches [16.05 cm] in length amongst gay
men versus 5.99 in [15.21 cm] in heterosexuals, and 4.95 inches [12.57 cm] circumference amongst
gay men versus 4.80 in [12.19 cm] in heterosexual men).[59][60]
Size of other body parts
A statistically significant correlation between penis size and the size of other body parts has not
been found in research. One study, Siminoski and Bain (1988), found a weak correlation between
the size of the stretched penis and foot size and height; however, it was too weak to be used as a
practical estimator.[61] Another investigation, Shah and Christopher (2002), which cited Siminoski and
Bain (1988), failed to find any evidence for a link between shoe size and stretched penis size, stating
"the supposed association of penile length and shoe size has no scientific basis".[62][63]
There may be a link between the malformation of the genitalia and the human limbs. The
development of the penis in an embryo is controlled by some of the same Hox genes (in
particular HOXA13 and HOXD13)[64] as those that control the development of the limbs. Mutations of
some Hox genes that control the growth of limbs cause malformed genitalia (hand-foot-genital
syndrome).[65]
v