So, assuming that you wish to know how big your penis is - just for the sake of comparison, of course! - how do you measure it?
First, you will wish to be at your maximum size when you measure your dick. In scientific studies, there are several ways of ensuring this - drug induced erections, for example. One approach that is sometimes used is to measure the stretched flaccid length. However, stretched flaccid penile length is a very poor predictor of erect length, and the reliable way to get the erect length is to lay a measuring tape along the upper surface of the erect penis. Unfortunately, self-reporting is notoriously unreliable, and few studies based on men's own measurements really tell us much about how big the average penis actually is.
If you want to have a try and you're going to be honest with yourself here's how to do it. The length of your penis is simply from the tip to the base, along the upper surface of your penis, pressing slightly into your pubic fat. Measuring along the underside is less reliable and gives more scope for error. Penile circumference - which is the same as girth - is measured around the thickest part of the penile shaft.
Sad to say, any research which rely on men to work out the size of their own organs tend to be somewhat unreliable - and in any case, those men with smaller cocks may well be less likely to measure them accurately.
We know that studies which rely on self-measurement always show the average penis size to be longer and thicker than those where measurement is done by independent experts - i.e. not the man attached to the penis being measured! The September 1996 Journal of Urology reported that average erect length was just over five inches - 5.1 to be exact. And one in the December 2000 International Journal of Impotence Research reported that average erect penis length was a little more, at 13.6 cm (5.35 in).
A well-known study by LifeStyles Condoms during 2001 found that the average length of the white male penis was 5.9 inches. These figures compare with self-measurement surveys where averages are consistently over 6 inches. Similar trends are revealed in information about the circumference of the white adult fully erect penis. Once again, studies based on self-measurement data report thicker dimensions than those where staff have done the measuring. The LifeStyles Condoms survey showed that the average circumference was one tenth of an inch less than 12.6 cm (5.0 in).
As all men know, the flaccid length of a man's penis is not indicative of the erect length. The more diminutive organs will grow proportionately more if they develop an erection, and the increase in volume between men varies very much. A small flaccid penis can grow by as much as five times its flaccid volume, while a large flaccid penis may only become stiff on erection, with no increase in size whatsoever.
The study referred to above showed that average soft length was 8.8 cm (3.5 inches). But of course penis size depends on the temperature at which the measurement takes place. It's no surprise to hear that many men (45%, by all accounts) wish they had a bigger penis. Even men who know think their penis is average in size would like a bigger one! Clearly feeling like a powerful man seems to mean having a large penis. There is a major self-esteem issue here, for most men think a bigger penis is more masculine or desirable.
Another fascinating fact: gay men apparently have bigger penises than heterosexual men. Gay men measure in at 6.32 inches erect while straight men are 5.99 inches in length, according to 5,122 measurements of men's dicks in the Kinsey Report. The straight erect penis circumference is 4.80 inches, compared to 4.95 inches for gay men. Now - why? Do gay men really have bigger cocks?
All these measurements were self-reported so they may not be reliable. And it seems gay men's self-esteem depends on their perception of their penis size. For many gay men, their penis size represents their sense of self as a man. Of course, we all tend to think we are smaller than we are, because we don't get a true view of our penis from above: foreshortens it.
Of course, there are other studies which try to establish connections between penis size and race. There is limited evidence on this subject which suggest black men are on average about half an inch longer than white men, while Asian men seem to be cheated in the penis size department - their erections are half an inch shorter on average than whites (though it seems that this fits with the Oriental women's smaller pussy).
More important is what women think of penis size. Do women select their partners on the basis of penis size? It seems unlikely. There are a few women who are highly interested in large dicks, but most women are happy to settle for a relationship partner who is loving, has a sense of humor, and will make a reliable father. In fact, research shows penis size is only important for a small number of of women, and many hate large penises. Having said that, Women's Health magazine found that seem to prefer erect width rather than girth.
Nonetheless, if you are a man with a small penis, you won't suffer a life without sex. All the men we emailed in our research on penis size with a small penis - and that means men with an erection less than four inches long - had a partner and enjoyed sex with her, or him if they were gay. | | Author Info: The author is writer for All about the penis. You can find more information on the penis at The Penis Website. Both are excellent penis related websites. |
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