Kinsey Confidential

QUESTION: I have a problem with my penis going from about 1.5 inches to 3.5 inches when flaccid. The common line, “Is this normal?” I understand that sizes vary, but why does it shrink and grow like it does? I’m 18 years old and average height and weight. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.\nANSWER: Yes, it is common for men to notice different sizes of their flaccid (soft). However, rather than thinking of one’s penis as either flaccid (soft) or erect (hard), it is probably more accurate to think of penile hardness (or softness) as lying on a continuum, which some researchers conceptualize as degrees or erectile “density” or “rigidity”. For example, you may have had erections that you thought were quite hard. Alternatively, you may have had erections that seemed only somewhat hard and that perhaps required more stimulation (either physically or through fantasy) in order to ejaculate or experience orgasm.\nLet’s look at the science behind erections and then consider how this relates to your experience. Penises become more erect or rigid when more blood flows into the penis than the amount that flows out. As blood flow builds inside the chambers of the penis, pressure also builds, and this pressure is what is often translates into a penis being described as “hard”. \nThe process by which the body allows more blood to flow into the penis than out is complex. A man may experience physical stimulation or mental stimulation (as through feelings of sexual arousal, excitement or fantasy). This stimulation can activate various nerves in the body and the release of certain neurotransmitters. These physical changes are responsible for the relaxation of smooth muscle in the penis (this smooth muscle is under “involuntary” control, meaning you can’t make yourself relax or contract these muscles). The relaxation of this smooth muscle allows for more blood to fill the penis - and quite quickly. \nMen can voluntarily contract other muscles that are at the base of their penis (the muscles that make a penis appear to “bounce” or “dance”, as some call it). By contracting these muscles, men may be able to make their erections even more rigid (or “hard”) as the contraction may compress the base of certain blood-filled chambers in the penis and thus increase pressure or rigidity.\nVariations in blood flow or muscular contraction (or relaxation) can therefore affect the size of a penis. Different degrees of stimulation may allow different amounts of blood to flow into the penis, and we’re not just referring to sexual stimulation. Sometimes men find that non-sexual physical stimulation (such as the friction of one’s penis against the bed while sleeping, or against loose-fitting clothes like boxers) might be enough to cause a slight increase in penile size. Men also often describe changes in their flaccid penis size based on outside temperatures (usually, that their flaccid penis seems smaller in water that is cooler than their body temperature, such as after a shower or a swim). Then again, they may find it easier to become erect in warmer water, such as in a hot tub.\nDifferent levels of relaxation or anxiety can also cause your muscles to relax or contract, so it may even be that your level of stress about school, family, friends, the weather or sports could affect your penis.\nThe bottom line is that these changes that you have noticed are indeed very common and typical of men of all ages. Not only that, but the size of a man’s flaccid penis is not a good predictor of a man’s erect penis size. In other words, small flaccid penises can grow into an erect penis that is below average, average or above average in terms of length or circumference and the same is true for larger flaccid penis sizes.\nIt is also worth mentioning that penis size – either flaccid or erect – is not necessarily associated with a man’s sexual skill or abilities as a lover. It may be worth considering why the fact that you’ve noticed different flaccid sizes feels like a problem to you, when it is unlikely to affect your sexual abilities or physical health. \nTo learn more about men’s sexuality, flaccid and erect penis and orgasm, consider reading The Science of Orgasm or The New Male Sexuality. Another book that is written for mainstream audiences and explores men’s relationship to the penis is A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis.