Patient's question:
Please let me know that I am currently 22 years old, but my penis is only a little over 1 decimeter long. As a man, I feel a bit, and I want to know how to make it grow and become thicker as soon as possible.Doctor's answer:
What is the standard length of the penis?Many young men are curious and often secretly compare the size of their penises with others in places like public baths. Once they realize their penis is smaller than others', they may develop feelings of shame, inferiority, and frustration, even avoiding public baths or swimming pools altogether. Is the issue really that serious? To answer such questions, we must first define what constitutes an abnormal penis. Next, we need to determine whether the abnormality is due to underdevelopment or simply individual variation within the normal range. Finally, and most importantly, many people are concerned about whether a slightly smaller penis will affect normal sexual life, specifically whether it can provide pleasure to a partner.
Like height, weight, and facial features, human penises vary greatly in size and thickness. Shi Chengli measured the penis sizes of 1,412 healthy Chinese young men and the erect lengths of 126 healthy men. The results showed that in a normal state, the longest penis was 14.5 cm, the shortest 4 cm, with an average of 8.375 cm. The circumference ranged from a maximum of 12 cm to a minimum of 4.5 cm, with an average of 8.3 cm. During erection, the longest penis was 16 cm, the shortest 9 cm, with an average of 12 cm. The erect circumference ranged from a maximum of 14 cm to a minimum of 8 cm, with an average of 10.75 cm. Liu Guozhen et al. surveyed 1,000 normal adult men and found that the penis length in a non-erect state ranged from 4.9 to 8.6 cm, with an average of 6.55 cm, the longest being 10.6 cm and the shortest 3.7 cm. Wu Weicheng et al. measured 2,547 male college students aged 16-40 and found an average penis length of 7.43 cm and an average circumference of 8.17 cm. The average penile stretch was 13.34 cm, similar to the calculated erect length of 13.08 cm, suggesting that penile stretch can represent the length after erection.
It is evident that different authors' measurements vary, and the results are also influenced by factors such as region and ethnicity. Additionally, a person's penis length in a normal state is not constant; it may shorten under stress, cold, or severe fatigue. Moreover, the methods of measurement differ significantly, making it difficult to determine whether a penis is normal solely based on length. Therefore, these figures should only serve as a reference and should not be used to rigidly compare one's own size. Clinicians also avoid judging normality based on penis length. As long as sexual intercourse is normal and the ability to reproduce is maintained, the penis is considered normal. Otherwise, this family line would have been eliminated long ago.
To further explain the factors or causes of a larger or smaller penis, let us revisit the process of penis development. For convenience, we can divide it into four stages:
(1) Weeks 10-12 of pregnancy: The penis has just begun to differentiate, measuring only 3.5 mm in length. At this stage, the hormone hCG secreted by the placenta stimulates testosterone production.
(2) Middle and late stages of pregnancy (6 months): The penis grows rapidly, reaching 2.5-3.5 cm at birth. During this period, the fetal pituitary begins to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).
(3) From birth to pre-puberty (around age 7): Penis growth is slow due to the slower development of the hypothalamus and pituitary, as well as lower testosterone levels.
(4) After puberty: The pituitary and testes secrete hormones in abundance, causing the penis to grow rapidly. In about 5 years, it reaches adult size and thickness.
In old age, when hormone levels significantly decline or after surgical castration, the penis may undergo secondary atrophy. If secondary erectile dysfunction persists for many years without sexual activity, pathological atrophy may occur. This is not the typical "use it or lose it" phenomenon but rather the result of degenerative changes in smooth muscle fibers.
In summary, the differentiation and development of the penis rely entirely on testosterone levels. If testosterone secretion is insufficient during weeks 6-9 of pregnancy, the penis will develop more slowly, resulting in a smaller penis at birth.
What constitutes a truly small penis? A penis shorter than 2.5 cm before puberty and shorter than 5 cm after puberty, with abnormal development, no erectile function, poor secondary sexual characteristics, sexual dysfunction, infertility, and no sperm is considered abnormal. Causes of true micropenis include:
(1) High gonadotropin hypogonadism originating in the testes: In this case, the hypothalamus and pituitary are normal and can issue strong commands, but the testes are diseased and cannot execute the commands to produce hormones and sperm.
(2) Low gonadotropin hypogonadism: This occurs when the hypothalamus and pituitary are damaged and cannot issue instructions to secrete testosterone. These conditions have already been described in this book.
(3) Partial androgen insensitivity syndrome: The penis is insensitive to androgens. The patient's testosterone levels are normal, but secondary sexual characteristics are abnormal, and even hypospadias may occur.
(4) Idiopathic micropenis: The cause remains unknown.
Let us return to the woman mentioned earlier. Since she became pregnant about 9 months after marriage and gave birth to a healthy son, it indicates that her husband's sexual function is normal, ruling out any endocrine issues. His penis clearly falls within the normal range. Such normal physiological differences should not cause undue concern. As for female sexual satisfaction and mutual harmony, these are primarily due to a lack of sexual knowledge and skills, not the size of the penis.
Incidentally, the method of measuring penis length is important. It should be measured in both a flaccid state and during erection. The measurement room should have a temperature of around 25°C, and the person should be calm and rested. The penis should be held flat, and one end of a ruler should be pressed firmly against the pubic symphysis, compressing the subcutaneous fat layer as much as possible. The other end should be aligned with the meatus of the glans penis, and the reading is the normal flaccid length. A tape measure can then be used to measure the circumference of the penis shaft, 1 cm away from the corona. Since patients may not be able to erect in a clinical setting due to nervousness or discomfort, the stretched length of the penis is often used as a substitute for the erect length.