The average length of the erect penis has increased by 24% during the past 30 years, according to studies of males from all around the world. Although it seems like excellent news, some specialists on male fertility are concerned.
“The million-dollar question is why this would occur,” said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a urologist and male fertility specialist at Stanford Medicine, who led the research, published Tuesday in The World’s Journal of Men’s Health.
According to an additional study, both testosterone levels and sperm counts are decreasing.
According to Eisenberg, penile length may not directly affect fertility, but anything that affects the reproductive system is vital to human survival and “something we should pay attention to and try to understand why,” Eisenberg added.
What the research revealed
Eisenberg noted that measurements of penile length go back at least 80 years. He and his team compiled information from 75 research on roughly 56,000 men that were carried out between 1942 and 2021. They discovered the typical erect penis length increased by 24% over the last 29 years.
He claimed that different parts of the world could see the trend. “This wasn’t exclusive to a certain population.” According to the study, the average erect penis length was roughly 5.5 inches across all geographical areas and historical periods.
The University of Utah Health’s Dr. James Hotaling, a urologist, and expert on men’s infertility commended the study but expressed his doubts about the claim that penises are lengthening.
There is no proof that the measurement method has changed over the past 30 years, but it is the simplest explanation, he claimed.
Why research this?
Because testosterone levels and male sperm counts are falling, Eisenberg became interested in the subject. He believed that studies would demonstrate that when these levels drop and men become more obese, penises are shrinking.
Instead, he found that they were growing and at a pretty fast clip. “It certainly was very surprising,” he said.
Although Hotaling acknowledged that the finding went against his expectations, he stated it was unknown what the clinical implications of this discovery would be. This contradicts the idea of the sperm apocalypse.
What could justify it?
Eisenberg believes that earlier puberty may be the cause of the length change. Both girls and boys are starting puberty earlier these days. He speculated that it may be allowing their bodies more time to develop generally.
Hotaling requests additional proof. He noted that early puberty can occasionally impede growth and that it is unclear if puberty lasts longer if it occurs earlier. He asserted that while there is no proof, it is likely that chemical exposures could impact penis length.
“If the findings were the opposite,” and penises were shrinking, he said, “everybody would be freaking out.”
Those with infertility tend to have slightly shorter penises on average than men without infertility, according to a research Hotaling released in 2021.
At the time, he believed that lower length and infertility might be caused by the same biological reason, which is scientifically referred to as testicular dysgenesis syndrome. However, this study appears to refute that theory.
“I don’t have a great explanation for it,” he said of the new finding. “I think it merits further investigation.”
Hotaling stated that he believes the research will inspire men who are concerned to speak with their doctor, regardless of whether it is ultimately validated.
“Anything that gets men thinking about their health is good,” he said.
