Ah, the big questions. Where do we come from? Why are we here? Does size matter?
While the first two remain mysteries of the universe, the last one is somewhat easier to answer. Apparently, size does matter. At least if you’re a “cashed-up West Aussie tradie” or FIFO worker, who are apparently behind a “boom” in penis augmentation surgeries in Perth, according to reports.
We probably don’t have to tell you that men, and society in general (who run the world?), are just plain obsessed with penises. Research papers on the male sexual organ vastly outweigh that of the female and scientists have spent an inordinate amount of hours trying to determine the ideal length, girth, and all the psychological factors around these measurements.
We’re still unclear on a lot of things to do with the vagina, by the way, but science sure has its priorities.
According to one study from the UK, 45% of men are unsatisfied with the size of their tackle. This was a meta-analysis of 50 different studies conducted since 1942, bringing together a collective 11,531 penis measurements. Another study found that 68% of men are dissatisfied.
Lead researcher in this study, Dr Kevan Wylie, went so far as to say that “mild concern” about the size of one’s member is so prevalent that it is a foundational part of the “normal experience” of being a man.
A further study from California found that this concern does not change over time. Men young and old appear to just exist with an ongoing background of concern about what they’re working with.
According to that study, 45% of men want to be bigger, while, hilariously, only 0.2% want to be smaller.
Media representations (looking at you, Sex/Life), pornography, masculinity, and perceived cultural expectations all play a role in men being insecure about their size and lying about it to feel better. Yet another study found that men typically over-state their size by 1.26 inches in scientific, self-reporting studies.
This all leads men down the dark path of penile enhancement surgery, something considered risky and unreliable at best. Let’s take a look at what that is, why men get it, and why they probably shouldn’t bother.
What is the average penis size?
The average penis length when erect is 5.1 inches across the globe. That’s around where most men sit, with those packing 6.3 inches or above sitting in the 95 percentile.
That means that out of 100 men, only five would have a penis longer than 6.3 inches.
Similarly, an erect penis of 3.94 inches is in the 5th percentile, meaning that only five men out of 100 would have a penis shorter than 3.94 inches.
These measurements are taken from the tip, along the top, and to the pubic bone.
What is penis enhancement?
There are a number of ‘treatment’ options available for men who decide that they simply have to increase their arsenal.
Many of these operations are surgical and fairly risky. One procedure is done to the ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone inside the body to allow it to extend beyond its normal range.
Other kinds involve skin grafts to add girth. Some men opt for liposuction around the pubic bone area to give their guy more definition and prominence.
There is also the option for inflatable prosthetics to be used, surgically inserted into the penis to assist with erectile dysfunction and to add length.
Men also have the option of less surgical dermal filler-type enhancements that are injected under the skin. This is the type that Dr Jayson Oates, medical director of Academy Face and Body in Subiaco, WA says are the most popular.
The demand for the so-called “Calibre” procedure has “doubled” during the pandemic, Oates said. No, No national data is routinely collected in Australia about cosmetic surgery trends but other surgeons note that there appears to have been an increase.
“I’d say I’d probably see three, four, five men a week for this procedure,” Oats said.
The cost for these surgeries varies. Procedures can start out at around $3000 and max out at around $30,000.
Why get penis surgery?
“For guys, it’s very much an internal thing, and for a lot of them it reflects on their confidence and how confident they feel,” Oates said.
The American Urological Association considers penis enhancement surgery to be risky and unnecessary for most men. A study in the Journal of Urology recommended that only men with an erect length of less than 3 inches should be considered as candidates for penile-lengthening treatment.
They also suggest that seeing a counsellor for a psychological evaluation should be done before speaking to a doctor. Questions like “Do you have an unusually small penis, or is it really about average?” and “Do you have an unrealistic perception of your penis or unrealistic ideas about what an average-sized penis is?”
Most men believe that they are smaller than average and that the average is much larger than it actually is. This is due to scientists going off of self-reported data, rather than actual measurements.
Research has found a strong link between perceived size and self-confidence and men appear to be getting these surgeries to increase their own confidence above all else.
One man who has had the Calibre procedure described above says that men have just as much right as women to get cosmetic surgery and admits that he gave into societal pressure to get it done.
“I think we should be more like women — if we want Botox, penis enlargements, hair transplants, we should go and do it like women do,” he said.
“We get pressured to have the body beautiful too — from billboards to social media”.
Size does matter, but more so to the individual than to anyone else. The important thing is to be happy within yourself before seeking external solutions to problems that are more than likely internal.
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