Kinsey Confidential

QUESTION: I have a question. I am concerned about my penis and testicle size. I am a pretty big kid and I found out the other day that one of my friends who is a lot smaller than me has testicles considerably larger than mine. My testicles measure at 2 and 1/4 inches by 1 and 1/4 is this all around a pretty small size? My penis measures at 7 inches long. Would this be considered big small or average? How will my penis and testicle size be accepted by a normal woman? Thanks.\nAnswer: Many men (and women) are concerned about the appearance of their genitals. Size is a common concern as are shape, color, smell and taste. Most people’s genitals are within the normal range on these characteristics. Your testicular size certainly sounds within the typical range as does your penis. [The average length of an erect penis is typically about 5-6 inches erect; the average testicular size is sometimes reported to be about 1 or 2 inches by 1 or 2 inches, and one is sometimes bigger than the other, and one typically hangs lower than the other). Keep in mind that these are average sizes and many men fall below the average and many other men fall above the average. As an example, in one study related to penis size, some men had 2 inch long erect penises and others had 14 inch long erect penis though most were in the 5 or 6 inch long range.\nSome men wish that they had a longer or wider penis but, in fact, some men with very large penises find it difficult to find a sex partner who can have comfortable, regular sex with them. Bigger is certainly not always better and, in terms of sexual behavior, it might be helpful to think about size more in terms of “genital fit” (how you and a partner might fit together) more so than the size of your penis or the size of her vagina.\nFurther, your body size has very little to do with your genital size. Although myths persist that you can tell the size of a man’s penis by looking at the size of his shoes, hand, fingers or nose, it is not as clear cut as that – and thank goodness, or people might pay too much attention to genital size rather than taking the time to get to know someone as a person and then decide if they will make a good dating, romantic or sexual partner. \nWe cannot speak for all women and cannot guess how the women you might date in the future might or might not react to your genital size. But we hope that you feel reassured that the sizes you described are certainly within the normal range of men’s genitals. If you are concerned about the size of your testicles or penis, or other issues in terms of how they look or feel, please consider checking in with your healthcare provider who can provide more personalized information as part of an exam. It is also great that you are paying attention to your body; becoming familiar with your genitals can help you to learn more about what looks or feels normal for you so that, if needed, you can report any changes to your healthcare provider (and testicular exams are very important for college-aged men to perform as testicular cancer is more common among younger men). Becoming familiar with your body through touching and masturbation can also help you to learn more about what feels good and how you like to be touched – either alone or with a partner.