If we listen to popular culture, the size of the penis is one of the great obsessions of any man. However, a group of researchers considers that we have not paid enough attention to it from a scientific point of view. Or at least to a key variable: the evolution of its size over the years.
Almost three centimeters. The results of a recent study on the evolution of penis length have shown a curious result: the average size of the penis has grown by 24% in 29 years, between 1992 and 2021. If almost three decades ago the average length was at 12.27 centimeters, the latest studies in this field show an average of 15.23 cm.
The work observed different geographical trends. Thus, while the trend in Europe and Asia was increasing, the studies carried out in North America and Africa showed downward trends.
A study of studies. The study was carried out by urologists from various universities based on various investigations carried out in recent decades. The meta-analysis involved not only the review of these studies but also the statistical analysis of their results in order to obtain the observed trend.
To reach their conclusions, the authors took 75 studies carried out between 1942 and 2021 that accumulated observations on the size of the penis of 55,761 participants in the studies (18,000 if we take into account the 29 years between 1992 and 2021 to which the result refers).
And no, the study did not include measures reported by the participants but only the studies where the researchers carried out the analysis. The work was recently published in the form of an article in the journal World Journal of Men’s Health.
It’s not the testosterone’s fault. Michael Eisenberg, one of the authors of the work, pointed out in an interview that the results obtained were not as expected. Several recent studies have indicated that some variables linked to the male sex, such as testosterone levels or sperm counts, had seen downward trends.
“What we found was quite different from trends in other areas of male fertility and health,” continued Eisenberg, who was concerned even by this result.
“A general change in development is concerning, because our reproductive system is one of the most important pieces of human biology. If we are observing such a rapid change, it means that something powerful is happening in our bodies.”
Theories for all tastes. But what exactly is happening? No one knows but various theories have already been put forward. Eisenberg himself pointed out that there could be environmental factors, such as some type of chemical exposure such as pesticides or even hygiene products, that can interact with certain hormones.
Food could be a separate factor. This would explain the growth in Asia and Europe, where diets have improved in recent decades, and the decline in North America, where overweight problems in the US could be linked not only to bad habits in nutrition, but also to a growing sedentary lifestyle. .
Perhaps the most curious theory is the one proposed by Larry Lipshultz and it is in porn. According to this urologist, a greater exposure to stimuli can make erections more frequent, which would help to “stretch” the tissues of the penis more frequently, allowing it to reach larger sizes.
A serious matter. Finding out the causes of this increase can help us prevent problems that could be associated with these changes, whether they are related to our fertility or our general health. Of course, more studies will be necessary to resolve the paradoxical situation. The size of our penis continues to obsess us and despite this we know very little about it.
Image | charlesdeluvio
