Revealing the Average Penis Size Alleviates Penis Anxiety
Revealing the Average Penis Size Alleviates Penis Anxiety
There are a lot of myths out there about sex, especially when it comes to sizing up. Anxiety about performance and fears about being ridiculed are more common than you think and can often be big problems. For men, this anxiety often relates to the question of penis size.
A new study has seen scientists measure more than 15,000 men’s penises in an effort to find out what size, if any, is “normal”. If this is something you have ever wondered about it but have been too afraid to discuss with your GP or friends, we can show you the facts and demonstrate that there is no way of defining ‘normal’ when it comes to size.
Researchers at King’s College London said they hoped the review would help address “the concern that some men have about their penis size” and reassure those for whom this may cause anxiety and depression.
A study on penis size revealed that:
- The average flaccid penis is 3.6ins (9.16cm) long, or 5.2ins (13.24cm) when stretched, and 3.7ins (9.31cm) in circumference
- Erect penises are 5.1ins (13.12cm) long on average and 4.5ins (11.66cm) in girth
- Interestingly the study found there is a “small” positive correlation between erect length and a man’s height
Figure 1: A graph showing the distribution of different penis lengths in the study
The research, published today in the British Journal of Urology International, covered measurements across all ages and many races.
It used 17 studies, including up to 15,521 penis measurements carried out by health professionals using a “standard procedure”.
Lead author Dr David Veale, a CBT therapist and ex-president of the BABCP, said:
“We believe these graphs will help doctors reassure the large majority of men that the size of their penis is in the normal range. We will also use the graphs to examine the discrepancy between what a man believes to be their position on the graph and their actual position, or what they think they should be.”
Figure 2: A graph showing the distribution of different penis girths in the study
These findings are specifically used to help men who are in a therapy treatment programme because of Worries about their penis size; Sexual Problems, or who suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a serious anxiety disorder relating to image perception.
Dr Martin Baggaley, Medical Director at SLAM said:
“BDD causes a person to have a distorted view of how they look and they can spend an obsessive amount of time worrying about their appearance. This can include worries over their weight, specific parts of their body and, for men, the size of their penis. This can take over someone’s life and cause a great deal of distress.”
“Hopefully this new study will help reassure those many men who feel concerned about their penis size and assist clinicians dealing with BDD.”
If you are experiencing anxiety on this issue and would like to talk to a CBT therapist UK about managing your anxiety, please get in touch.
