A new study has found that the average penis size of men around the world has increased over the past three decades.

Researchers at Stanford Medical School took data from 75 studies reporting on penis length. The researchers - using data collected between 1942 and 2021 - looked at the measurements of 55,761 men.

In their recently published findings, the researchers reported that over the past 30 years there has been a 24% increase in the average length of an erect penis. To put that into practical terms, the average has increased from 4.8 inches to 6 inches.

But it's not all good news - the report raised concerns about declining sperm quality and reduced testosterone levels.

It's not known why our bodies may be changing in these ways, but environmental factors - such as the impact of pesticides and chemicals - are potentially an important factor. It's understood that exposure to chemicals can impact hormone levels.

How well do you know your penis?

Guys think about their penis a lot. We also spend quite a bit of time thinking about the penis of other guys. We don't have any science to back this up, but it's fairly self-evident that guys think a lot about dick.

But, how well do you know your penis?

Here's some penis-related facts you might find useful in a pub quiz or if you're running out of dinner party conversation.

What are the bits that make up the penis?

There's three key parts that you need to be familiar with - Radix, Corpus, and Epithelium.

The root of the penis

This is referred to as the radix. The radix is the attached part, consisting of the bulb of penis in the middle and the crus of the penis, one on either side of the bulb. It lies within the superficial perineal pouch.

The body of the penis

This is referred to as the corpus. The corpus has two surfaces: dorsal - posterosuperior in the erect penis, and ventral or urethral - facing downwards and backwards in the flaccid penis. The ventral surface is marked by a groove in a lateral direction.

The epithelium of the penis

This consists of the shaft skin, the foreskin, and the preputial mucosa on the inside of the foreskin and covering the glans penis. The epithelium is not attached to the underlying shaft so it's free to glide to and fro.

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What's the structure of the penis?

A man's penis is made up of three columns of tissue  -  two corpora cavernosa lie next to each other on the dorsal side and one corpus spongiosum lies between them on the ventral side.

The enlarged and bulbous-shaped end of the corpus spongiosum forms the glans penis, which supports the foreskin, or prepuce, a loose fold of skin that in adults can retract to expose the glans. The area on the underside of the penis, where the foreskin is attached, is called the frenum, or frenulum. The rounded base of the glans is called the corona. The perineal raphe is the noticeable line along the underside of the penis.

The urethra, which is the last part of the urinary tract, traverses the corpus spongiosum, and its opening, known as the meatus, lies on the tip of the glans penis. It's a passage both for urine and for the ejaculation of semen.

The raphe is the visible ridge between the lateral halves of the penis, found on the ventral or underside of the penis, running from the meatus  -  the opening of the urethra  -  across the scrotum to the perineum, which is the area between the scrotum and the anus.

The human penis differs from those of most other mammals, as it has no baculum, or erectile bone, and instead relies entirely on engorgement with blood to reach its erect state. It can't be withdrawn into the groin, and it's larger than average in the animal kingdom - in proportion to body mass.

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How big should a guy's penis be?

Measurements vary, with studies that rely on self-measurement reporting a significantly higher average than those with a health professional measuring. A 2015 review of 15,521 men  -  measured by health professionals  -  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).

A recent study by Stamford Medical School concluded that the average penis length was 6 inches.

On entering puberty, the penis, scrotum and testicles will enlarge toward maturity. During the process, pubic hair grows above and around the penis. A large-scale study concluded that penile growth is typically complete not later than age 17, and possibly earlier.

Penis size difference is most likely caused by genetics, but there are some studies that suggest that environmental factors such as fertility medications, diet, or exposure to chemical pollution could have an impact.

Which country has the biggest penises in the world?

This is a question that scientists have been working hard to get to the bottom of - seriously. Sometimes the data can be misleading - we need to be looking at measurements taken by health professionals. Self-measuring and self-reporting studies - perhaps unsurprisingly - tend to over-estimate penis size.

According to Stamford Medical School, the global average penis size is 6 inches - when erect, measured from the tip of the penis to the bottom of the pubic bone.

This graphic spells out the average sizes per country. The colour coding isn't particularly helpful - we don't want to be reinforcing any negative perceptions about penis size. Whatever you've got is cool, it's just interesting to see the variation.

There's also lots of variation of size within a country. Just because we live in the country - the UK, for example - that doesn't mean that we've all got the same genetic make-up.

With all those caveats, the data indicates that the Democratic Republic of Congo boasts the men with the biggest penises - they're clocking in at an average of 7.1 inches.

The guys in the UK? It's 5.5 inches - which is average. Very average.

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Can I make my penis bigger?

The short answer is no - you're pretty much stuck with what you've got.

Researchers from King's College hospital in London, publishing their findings in the journal Sexual Medicine Reviews, have concluded that procedures to make penises larger do not work, are ineffective and risky, and leave many men physically or psychologically scarred. According to the researchers, there is scant evidence that the range of procedures men undergo in a bid to enlarge their penis actually produce that result. The treatments carry a high risk of complications, including permanent numbness, and most men who undergo penile extension are dissatisfied with the results afterwards.

Penis pumps

Penis pumps are a popular option. These work by drawing blood into the penis, making it swell. Pumping will make your penis look bigger, but the effect is only temporary. Use of pumps can damage the elastic tissue of your penis, making your erections less firm.

Erectile dysfunction medication

Pills such as Viagra or Cialis will most likely give you a firmer erection, so this might boost your confidence and help give the perception that your penis is larger.

Penis fillers

Hyaluronic acid can be injected into the soft tissue of the penis shaft to increase the girth of the penis. The increased girth generally lasts for around 18 months. Fillers don’t add any length to the erect penis, but the some guys like the extra girth it gives and the additional weight and bulk of the filler can make your penis look bigger when flaccid.

Extenders

A number of sex-toy manufacturers offer an extender product. Generally made of silicone, the extender is worn on the erect penis. These products create additional length and girth and also deliver additional pleasure for the wearer.

Shaving

It sounds simple, but if you trim the pubic hair around your cock and balls, your cock will be more visible and will appear larger.

Does it matter how big my penis is?

The more sexual encounters you have, and the more penises that you get to experience, the more you realise that there's really not much correlation between size and pleasure. No matter what size you are, and no matter what size the other guy is, what matters is the sexual connection between you and not how big you are.

If you want to give your sexual partners and yourself some different experiences, try a sheath extension. There's a number of different products out there, but essentially the sheath goes over the erect penis and adds length and girth.

How do erections work?

An erection is the stiffening and rising of the penis, which occurs during sexual arousal, though it can also happen in non-sexual situations. Spontaneous erections frequently occur during adolescence due to friction with clothing, a full bladder or large intestine, hormone fluctuations, nervousness, and undressing in a non-sexual situation. It's also normal for erections to occur during sleep and upon waking.

The primary physiological mechanism that brings about erection is the autonomic dilation of arteries supplying blood to the penis, which allows more blood to fill the three spongy erectile tissue chambers in the penis, causing it to lengthen and stiffen. The now-engorged erectile tissue presses against and constricts the veins that carry blood away from the penis. More blood enters than leaves the penis until an equilibrium is reached where an equal volume of blood flows into the dilated arteries and out of the constricted veins; a constant erectile size is achieved at this equilibrium. The scrotum will usually tighten during erection.

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How does an ejaculation work?

Ejaculation is the ejecting of semen from the penis, and is usually accompanied by orgasm. A series of muscular contractions delivers semen, containing male gametes known as sperm cells or spermatozoa, from the penis. It's usually the result of sexual stimulation, which may include prostate stimulation. Ejaculation may occur spontaneously during sleep  -  this is known as a nocturnal emission or wet dream.

Ejaculation has two phases  -  emission, and ejaculation proper. The emission phase of the ejaculatory reflex is under control of the sympathetic nervous system, while the ejaculatory phase is under control of a spinal reflex at the level of the spinal nerves. A refractory period succeeds the ejaculation, and sexual stimulation precedes it.

How can I increase the volume of my semen?

One of the fun things about a guy having an orgasm is that it's very visual - we get a money-shot, he shoots a load of cum.

As a general rule, guys that are into guys are really into cum. We want the cum on our face, in our mouth, on our body, in our ass. We want as much cum as possible, the more the merrier.

But why do some guys shoot more cum than others? Is there a way to increase the amount of cum we produce?

There's quite a few factors at work that influence how much cum we shoot.

For starters, most guys don't shoot a lot. The average is around 1 teaspoon per load.

Also, our bodies change as we grow and age. The peak period for cum production is around 30-35, after that it tends to decline. Bottom line, we shoot less cum as we get older.

If you want to make sure that you're producing and shooting as much cum as possible, the starting point is to try and be as healthy as possible. The healthier your body is, the more effectively it functions. Healthy bodies produce healthy loads of cum - no surprises there.

If you want another reason to stop smoking or reduce the amount of alcohol that you're drinking then add cum to the list. Remember, healthy body means healthy cum.

In terms of specific steps you can take, a good starting point is to try and get a bit leaner. If you're overweight, that seems to have a direct correlation to a lower sperm count and less cum.

Antioxidants is something you often hear suggested as important for increasing the volume of your cum. That's not rocket science - eat fresh healthy food, and minimise processed food and your body will thank you. If you need an excuse to up your intake of blueberries, then let's just tell everyone that you're trying to pump up the volume of your cum.

Exercise is obviously part of keeping healthy, but what's interesting is that you overdo the exercise then that could negatively impact how much cum you produce. High intensity training that puts the body under stress can lead to your body producing less sperm - less sperm leads to less cum.

Approach hot tubs with caution. Sure, they're fun and quite frequently end with you shooting a load of cum, but if you overheat your body - and particularly your genitals - then this can negatively impact your sperm.

Think about your underwear choices. It's the same issue as with hot tubs - your balls need room to breathe and they need to self-regulate their temperature to optimise sperm-production conditions. Sure, tight underwear that maximises your bulge is sexy, but mix it up a bit - remember to give your balls a break.

Your body needs time to recover. Producing cum is a physical process - if you want to impress the boys with a big load, give your body a chance to fill up the tank. You probably want to give it at least 24 hours, maybe even a bit longer if you want a massive money-shot.

Avoid any quick-fix supplements that promise to boost your sperm or the size of your load. So far, nothing has been proven to be an effective quick fix. Fertility hormones can be prescribed if you're trying to conceive a baby, but they're not an option if you're just wanting to bust a bigger nut.

How can I make my semen taste better?

The science on this is a bit hazy. There is a general rule that what you put into your body will have an effect on what you produce, but whether or not eating or drinking specific things can change the taste of your cum seems up for debate.

Sperm is naturally alkaline, so everyone's cum has a slightly bitter taste.

Everyone will tell you that drinking pineapple juice will supposedly make your cum taste sweeter. It's a nice idea, and there's no harm in downing some pineapple juice every day, but the impact on the flavour of your cum will be marginal, at best.

If having better tasting cum is a motivator for you, use that as your reason to eat antioxidants such as blueberries, and pumping up the amount of fresh vegetables in your diet.

Your body will thank you, and so will whoever is getting to taste your cum.

What can go wrong with my penis?

As many as one in 10 men suffer from Peyronie’s disease.

Peyronie’s is an often painful scarring or bending of the penis that can make sex uncomfortable or impossible. It involves the growth of fibrous plaque, or harder tissue, in the walls of the penis. A ring of plaque can create an hourglass shape in an erection. A growth on one side can bring on a bend. In severe cases, the bend can be 90 degrees or more.

The condition, which is named after the 18th-century French surgeon who first studied it, tends to affect men in their 40s or older. It is thought to be a response to injury, perhaps during sport or vigorous sex. The trauma, which can go unnoticed at the time, causes the scar tissue to build up. Peyronie’s may also be genetic in some men, while studies have in some cases linked it to low testosterone.

Peyronie’s can cause significant shortening of the penis. Doctors say diagnoses have risen significantly in recent years as men become more comfortable seeking help. Treatment can be complex and uncomfortable – and can require invasive surgery.

Does a big nose indicate a big penis?

It's long been accepted that if a guy has big feet then it's a pretty solid indicator that he will have a big penis, but what about his nose?

A study from Japan suggests that nose size does have a clear correlation to penis size - the bigger the nose, the bigger the penis.

Big nose means big hose. Big feet? Let's meet.

Which animal has the biggest penis?

Obviously, humans aren't the only species on the planet where the males are equipped with a penis. Not that we're size-queens in any way, or that it's any sort of competition, but if we were going to line them up - front to back - which animal is the big swinging dick?

There's a couple of different ways to judge this sword fight.

In absolute terms, the Blue Whale wins the biggest dick prize hands down - his penis is about 10 feet long.

But if you look at it in terms of scale - in terms of body size compared to penis size - then the whale is no longer the champion.

When we judge penis-size by scale, it's actually the barnacle that takes the title.

Barnacles aren't big guys - they're crustaceans that live wherever seawater meets hard surfaces. You'll find them on boats and moorings.

Barnacles are stationary - they don't move about - which is why they need a big penis. When it's time to mate, the barnacle's massive penis emerges, reaches across into the shell of neighbouring barnacles, and deposits a load of sperm. Luckily, barnacles don't have to be too specific about where they spray their sperm - they're hermaphrodites so each barnacle can both fertilise its neighbours and be fertilised by its neighbours. They've even been known to just fertilise themselves.

A barnacle's penis can be up to eight times its own body-length. Imagine if your penis was eight times longer than your height. That's a big dick. That's why barnacles are the big swinging dicks of this world.

How do you say Penis?

There's lots of ways to talk about your penis. Cock and Dick are probably the most popular options, but we've put together a list of some of the alternatives.

• Member
• Phallus
• Pecker
• Peter
• Prick
• Putz
• Shaft
• Tool
• Johnson
• Manhood
• Schlong
• Willy
• Wood
• Dong
• Heat-seeking missile
• Meat
• Fuck-stick
• Wiener
• Cum gun
• Danger noodle
• Boner
• Pocket Rocket
• One-eyed monster
• Prick
• Sausage
• Peen
• Joystick
• Rod
• Junk
• Disco Stick
• Tallywhacker
• Trouser snake
• Whang
• Todger
• Knob
• One-eyed Jack
• Hotdog with veins
• Jimmy
• Sword
• Light saber
• Cherry-popper
• Hose
• Man-hose
• Cum-wand
• Hot-beef-injector
• Ass-smasher
• Love-stick
• Tube-steak
• One-eyed wonder worm
• Blue veined custard pumper
• Goober
• Hole Pounder
• Wedding Tackle
• One-eyed trouser snake
• Percy
• Meat and two veg
• Nightstick
• Thor’s sledgehammer
• Truncheon
• Tallywacker
• Flesh flute
• Piss pipe
• Dip Stick
• Spunk spear
• One-eyed junket pumper
• Cock-snot dispenser
• Big Jim and the twins
• Trouser trout
• Banana
• Ramrod
• Pipe cleaner
• Butt plunger
• Magic wand
• Love lance
• Kielbasa
• Ding-a-ling
• Salami
• Weapon of ass destruction

How do you say penis? What's your favourite way to talk about it? Slide into our DMs and tell us about every inch. Dick Pics encouraged.

What happens when I cum?

To talk about your ‘cum’ or to say that you’re ‘cumming’ is an informal way to refer to ejaculation and semen.

Ejaculation is the discharge of semen from your penis — it’s usually accompanied by an orgasm, although you can also ejaculate during your sleep, this is generally referred to as a wet dream.

There are two key phases to ejaculation.

The first is stimulation — your penis becomes hard and you are stimulated sexually, either my masturbating or through intercourse with another person. While your penis is being stimulated, it will start to produce pre-cum — this is pre-ejaculatory fluid that doesn’t contain sperm.

The second stage is the orgasm — once you have been sufficiently stimulated that your body reaches orgasm, you begin to ejaculate semen. Your semen contains sperm. Your semen is ejected through your urethra with rhythmic contractions — these rhythmic contractions are part of your orgasm. Once you begin to ejaculate, you can’t stop it. Your orgasm will probably have around 15 contractions, and most of your semen will be ejaculated on the second contraction. Your semen is ejaculated from your body at a speed of around 18 kilometres per hour. The volume of semen produced, and the distance that your ejaculation travels from your body varies between men — there’s no good or bad, everyone is just a bit different and you may get different results each time you cum. The volume of semen that you produce will generally range from somewhere around a teaspoon to a tablespoon. The number of sperm carried by your semen will be influenced by a range of factors, including the time since the last ejaculation, age, stress levels, and testosterone.

The third stage is the refractory period. During the refractory period you won’t be able to sustain an erection and you won’t be able to ejaculate. During the refractory period you’ll experience a deep sense of relaxation. The length of the refractory period varies between men, but generally the younger you are then the shorter your refractory period. Your penis is likely to be hypersensitive immediately after you orgasm.

What’s the deal with semen?

Sperm and semen are two different things

Semen is what’s produced by the penis during ejaculation. Sperm, which are included in semen, are the tadpole-like cells that can be used to fertilise an egg from a female. Sperm carry half the number of regular human chromosomes, while eggs carry the other half required to form human life.

Semen only contains around five to 10 calories per ejaculation

Semen is mostly water. It’s also composed of sugars like fructose, prostate-produced proteins called prostaglandins, and enzymes.

There’s a crazy amount of sperm in each ejaculation

The average ejaculation is about a tablespoon of semen, and ejaculation contains about 15 million sperm. However, sperm makes up a very small portion of semen by volume.

There isn’t usually sperm in pre-ejaculate

Pre-cum is that clear, sticky pre-ejaculatory fluid — it’s made of prostatic secretions which come from the prostate. Sperm is only found in semen.

Sperm can survive for quite some time after ejaculation

As long as they’ve been deposited in a warm and wet environment, sperm can survive for up to five days. However, outside of the human body, they can only survive for a matter of minutes.

Certain everyday things can damage men’s sperm

Some of the top culprits that could damage your sperm include regular smoking, excessive heat, and being overweight. Having lots of hot-tub sessions is likely to be bad for your sperm. There’s some suggestion that constant use of laptops could also be bad for your sperm.

Sperm goes from creation to ejaculation in about three months

It takes around 64 days for your body to produce sperm, then around 24 to 28 more days for it to be transported and ejaculated.

The pineapple myth

So far, there doesn’t seem to be any scientific evidence that demonstrates that you can change the taste or smell of your semen. If you’re healthy, it shouldn’t bad. There is some suggestion that smoking can make your semen taste a bit toxic. There’s nothing to confirm that drinking pineapple is going to improve the flavour, but it’s worth a try.

The consistency can change from day to day.

Hydration is one major factor in why you emissions can be a very slippery liquid one day and thick and gloopy the next — the more water you drink, the thinner it will be. There’s also some biology involved — some of the semen is in a gelatinous phase until it meets up with prostate enzymes. When those combine, everything liquefies to a smoother consistency, but sometimes the process doesn’t finish before you ejaculate. That’s why you may notice a gel-like consistency in your semen.

If you freeze your semen then your sperm will die

Fertility clinics freeze sperm in liquid nitrogen. Any DIY attempts to freeze your semen will kill your sperm.

It’s extremely unlikely to be allergic to semen, but it’s possible.

If you were allergic to the stuff, you’d know it. Symptoms would include itching, swelling, and redness wherever the semen comes into contact with your body. An allergy to semen is very rare.

Men produce a crazy amount of sperm in a lifetime.

If you’re producing normal levels of sperm, then your body will create around two trillion sperm throughout your lifetime. Sperm production slows as you get older. Not all of those sperm make it to ejaculation, most guys ejaculate about 700 billion sperm — that equates to around 7.5 litres of sperm.

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