14 DAY TRIAL // Power is of many types, but the sexual one is extremely important.
A large penis makes men feel secure, that's why most of them admitted they experience anxiety on the issue, even when well endowed and even when they have a good body image. Women, instead, appear more interested in a man's personality and looks than his penis size and don't regard bigger as better.
The team formed by Dr Kevan Wylie from the Porterbrook Clinic and Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield and Mr Ian Eardley from St James' Hospital in Leeds, has made a review of over 50 international studies into penile size and small penis syndrome published since 1942.
The synthesis of the 12 studies that measured the penises of 11,531 men revealed an average erect penis size of 14-16cm (5.5 to 6.2 inches) in length and 12-13 cm (4.7 to 5.1 inches) in girth. The team also focused on the bizarre practices employed by men across the globe to increase their penis size, like the Brazilian Topinama, who encourage the use of snake venom to enlarge penises for six months(!) or the Indian Sadhus men who use weights to enlarge their penises, while Dayak men in Borneo pierce the glands of their penis to insert various items into the holes aimed to increase sexual stimulation in their partner.
A survey made on about 50,000 heterosexual men and women revealed that 66 % of men perceive their penis as average sized, 22 % as large and 12 % as small while 85 % of women comply with their partner's penile size. Instead, 55 % of men claimed to be unsatisfied by their penis size.
Two researches found that 90 % of women prefer a rather wide penis than a long one. Small penis syndrome was found especially spread amongst men with normal sized penises than those with a real micropenis (less than 7cm (2.7 inches) in a flaccid state).
One investigation showed that 63 % of men unpleased with their penis size started to have anxieties on the matter due to comparisons in childhood and 37 % put it on erotic images seen during their teenage years. None of the subjects actually had a micropenis.
One approach found that, on average, homosexual men possessed larger penises than heterosexual men and the researchers linked this to different sex hormones exposure while in the womb as a possible explanation.
The issue of racial differences remained unclear, even if a Korean study signalled smaller than average penis sizes. Physical efficiency of vacuum devices, penile extenders and traction devices appeared to be rather limited, but they may affect patients' psyche in a positive way. Also the surgeries are poorly documented and seem to be rather risky.
"It is very common for men to worry about the size of their penis and it is important that these concerns aren't dismissed as this can heighten concerns and anxieties. It is helpful to normalize the situation and provide as much accurate information as possible, as many men either lack any information or have been misinformed." said Wylie.
The authors warn that surgery should be rather avoided in the case of small penis syndrome.
"The initial approach should be a thorough urological, psychosexual, psychological and psychiatric assessment, possibly with more than one clinician involved. Conservative approaches to therapy, based on education and self-awareness, as well as short-term structured psychotherapies, are often successful."
"There is poorly documented evidence to support the use of penile extenders, and while information is starting to emerge on the success of some surgical techniques, this is not backed up by data on patients' satisfaction with such procedures" stresses Wylie.