The psychology behind penis size anxiety

According to Dr. Stephen Snyder, penis insecurity and anxiety is incredibly common. In a study from 2008 in the Journal of Health Psychology, fretting over the size of their penis was listed among the top body concerns for men, along with height and weight.

Mankind's fascination

A lot of this anxiety around size is thought to come from mankind’s fascination with the penis. According to The Guardian, penises and phallic symbols are found everywhere, even including caves from tens of thousands of years ago. Nowadays, penises have stayed popular, and are often associated with power and manliness, although unfortunately they can also be a source of embarrassment and shame. A study from the beginning of this year looked into average penis size around the world, in a bid to reassure men who are concerned that they don’t fit into what is classed as ‘normal’. The study, which assessed the size of more than 15,000 penises from across the globe, found that the average size is 13.12cm (5.16in) in length when erect, and 11.66cm (4.6in) around. When flaccid, the average length is 9.16cm (3.6in) with a girth of 9.31cm (3.7in).

Measuring up

The team gathered information from studies where people aged between 17 and 91 had their penises measured by professionals. The aim of this information gathering was to create a chart which doctors and counsellors could use when dealing with men who suffer from small penis anxiety. The researchers, who have been published in the BJU International Journal of Urology, did however admit that this information could be slightly skewed - as it may be that only people who felt confident about their size offered to be measured.

Dr David Veale, from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, is the lead author of the study, and hopes that this information will be comforting to people who are anxious. Veale hopes the study will at least be a starting point when it comes to information in this area, but does admit that knowing what’s above or below average when it comes to size isn’t going to stop the measuring competition. In fact, it’s possible that people who had previously thought that they were ‘normal’ will now find out that they’re not, which could have a negative effect.

No correlation

Research has confirmed however that anxiety about penis size doesn't correlate to what's actually in your pants. Although penis anxiety can be a common issue, in reality only 2.28% of men actually have what would class as an abnormally small penis. In fact, the same small percentage have an unusually large one. Dr. Snyder says that this anxiety about penis size comes from the ‘big brain’ in a man’s head, rather than the ‘little brain’ between his legs. This is why it’s not uncommon to see people who harbour insecurities yet actually have what would class as a normal sized penis. As with a lot of body dissatisfaction issues, penis size anxiety is rarely linked to reality.“The more obsessively a man worries about his penis, the more likely he'll develop a sexual dysfunction. If a man finds himself obsessing about his penis or any aspect of his sexual function, he should get help before he causes himself psychological or physical harm.” says Dr. Snyder.If you’re looking for a way to boost your self-confidence and make yourself feel happier in your own skin then check out our range of men’s health products, including medically-certified penis enlargement pumps.