Inflation crisis? Even (the size of) penises are going up
Surprise! The length of erect dicks has increased by 24%
Surprise! The length of erect dicks has increased by 24%
Every day, the cost of something seems to be going up: milk, eggs, my latest eyelash lift. That's inflation, I guess! But now, news has come in to suggest that something else has been on the rise: erect dicks.
Yep, according to a new paper in the World Journal of Men's Health, the average erect penis length has increased by 24%: from 4.8 inches, to 6 inches between 1992 and 2021. In order to determine this, the authors didn't get out the ruler themselves.
Rather, researchers from Stanford University and Emory University in the US and Italian universities in Milan and Rome analysed 75 different academic papers published between 1942 and 2021 which listed the erect penis lengths of 55,761 different men. They made sure to not rely on instances where men self-reported the length of their dick: anyone who has sexted guys or been sent a dick pic knows that they are prone to exaggeration (and misleading angles) on this front. Instead, they focussed on cases where experts did the measuring for them. Fair play!
The changes could be seen across multiple countries and demographics, but scientists can't think of a definitive reason why this has happened. And while this change is good news for people who like dicks (it's more bang for your buck, to continue the economics metaphor), for people who also have dicks it might not be so positive.
Specifically, in the discussion area of the paper, the authors suggest that the change could be to do with men going through puberty at a younger age due to sedentary life changes and exposure to "hormone-disrupting substances" in the environment or in the womb. They also comment that these same exposures could also be linked to a decline in sperm count and lower testosterone levels, as well as higher rates of testicular tumours. So, all-in-all, it doesn't paint a great picture.
Another welcome reminder that, size isn't everything and that we all need to start talking more about penile and testicular health - not just the way they look.
However, I can't help but wonder if dildo length will also increase...
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