Penis: 5 facts to know about male genitalia

Thought you knew everything there was to know about the human penis? Guess again. The following might very well surprise you!

Penis: 5 facts to know about male genitalia
© unsplash/Charles Deluvio
Penis: 5 facts to know about male genitalia

Men have been asking this question for years. The first study dates back to 1899! And we finally have the answer. The average size of an erect penis is between 12 and 16 cm with a circumference of 12 cm. While, in its flaccid state, it is between 7 and 10 cm on average.

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This is a question that is so ingrained in the minds of guys that almost half (45%, source: British Journal of Urology International) think they have a small willy.

Men are used to seeing their sex... from above, which makes it look smaller. But from the side, from a distance, or even from underneath, it's a completely different matter. It's all about perspective, gentlemen.

2. Why do we get a hard-on in the morning?

Morning wood is a mechanical erection. There's no sudden excitement or desire as soon as the alarm goes off. It's just a logical continuation of what happens during at night.

While we sleep, men have several nocturnal erections. This is due to REM sleep, which we can experience numerous times a night.

But that's not the only reason. Apparently, if you have an erection in the morning, it's also the body's way of avoiding urination while not fully conscious.

3. You can break your penis.

Yes, but 'I was told that there are no bones in the penis! How is this possible?' you might be asking yourself?

Though the penis is not a bone nor is it a muscle, it doesn't actually break in the literal sense. Rather, it is the rigid envelope that surrounds the penis that breaks. And that gives the impression of a fracture.

4. There are 2 types of penises

Yes, gentlemen, you either have a "grower" or a "shower.'

With a grower, the size is rather small/modest when flaccid. But it can double or even almost triple (length and girth) in size when it is fully erect.

With a shower, it is rather large when soft (though it can gain a few inches when fully erect) and looks more or less the same in length and girth, except it is more rigid and hard when it is erect.

5. The penis shrinks with age (especially if you don't use it).

Dr. Edward Zimmerman, aka "DickDoc on TikTok" says:

Penises shrink with age, you will first lose girth, and, due to microfractures, or lack of use of the penis, you will also lose length.

As the penis has elastic tissues, the more it is used, the more it stays it can retain its original shape and size.

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