From Corn Flakes' role to the controversial correlation about feet size.
You may feel that the penis––that male sex organ––hold few secrets. For time immemorial, we’ve been carving said objects out of stone and marble (think: all of Greek antiquity), and scientists of yore have given plenty of airtime to phallic pleasure. But, while perhaps at first blush is less complicated to navigate than, say, the inner workings of a vagina, there are some facts about the human penis that just might surprise you.
So, to imbue the storied wiener with a little mystery, we’ve gone ahead and sussed out nine facts about the penis and its antics that you likely didn’t know––whether or not you’ve got one between your legs. Go ahead and peruse these penis facts below––then share your newfound knowledge eagerly with dinner party guests...or simply sit and revel in your increased biological wisdom.
There is absolutely no correlation between shoe size and penis size
Sure, this myth has been floating around for as long as folks have been speculating about size. But, according to a recent study documented in BJU International (among several other resources), there is no cohesive relationship at all between the size of your feet, and the size of your sex organ.
Bigger isn’t always better
Does size matter? Kind of—according to science. Research published in 2013 found that in heterosexual couplings, women viewed height as equally important when judging attractiveness. But once you reach a certain point, there are diminishing returns (aka, penises much larger than average size are considered less attractive at a certain point). If you’re stressed out by your size, don’t worry: Research also shows that 85% of women in heterosexual relationships are satisfied with their partner’s penis size, while only 55% of men are satisfied with their penis size.
The average speed of ejaculation is 28 miles per hour
Which is, fortunately, under most local speed limits.
Corn Flakes were actually designed to help prevent masturbation
As most can attest, the consumption of cornflakes does not harbor any influence over self-pleasure. But Dr. John Harvey Kellogg—the king of breakfast cereals—invented this particular product under the belief plain foods would lead consumers away from the “sin” of masturbation.
Over time, smoking can shorten the penis by as much as 1 centimeter
For smokers, calcified blood vessels reduce erectile circulation––which can lead to real, legitimate shrinkage.
The penis is not a muscle
It’s actually made up of erectile tissue. The reason you can “flex” it when you’re erect is because you’re actually flexing the muscles in your pelvic floor.
Fetuses can get erections
Not only do ultrasound scans often depict fetuses with fully erect penises, but it’s also relatively common for babies to be born into this world, fully erect. Quite the entrance.
...And so can dying men
Yes, the deathbed erection is a thing. Typically called the “terminal erection,” it’s not uncommon for men to stiffen up, right after death (this is uniquely common amongst men who die from hanging, but that’s neither here nor there).
You can, in fact, break your penis
Or, more accurately, you can fracture your phallus. When the tunica albuginea –– the sheath that gives an erect penis its rigidity––encounters blunt force, it's susceptible to breakage. And likely, this will come with a loud, unnerving popping noise.
People can with a rare condition can have two penises
Diphallus, a medical condition in which a person is born with two penises, happens in about every 5 to 6 million live births. This condition can show up differently in different people; it presents pretty irregularly and typically, requires some kind of phalloplasty.
Any given penis is likely twice as long as you think
Surprisingly enough, a substantial length of a man’s penis is tucked up inside the pelvis and attached to the pubic bone––about half to be specific. However inaccessible, it is, in fact, there.
Scientists believe that penises were once...barbed
So, the human penis is fairly smooth. But, on the contrary, chimp penises have small barbs––which are designed to irritate female chimp’s vaginas upon removal, making it so she avoids mating with other chimps after procreating (not chill, we know). Plenty of scientists believe that, like so many of our primate cousins, the original male penis was barbed as well. Let’s all take a moment to feel some gratitude for penile evolution.
A penis can become erect 3-4 times each night
And those erections happen during REM sleep; so, if you ever woke up with a hard-on, it’s probably because you woke up during REM sleep. It’s a natural effect of the nervous system (and it doesn’t mean that you’re having horny dreams). The science isn’t 100% clear why this happens, only that it’s normal—and if you stop experiencing nocturnal erections, that might be a sign of erectile dysfunction.
Your thoughts don’t control when you ejaculate
Okay, they sort of can—but it has more to do with your spine. More specifically, the “spinal ejaculation generator,” which triggers the action. This is why you can’t just ejaculate on command—which would admittedly be pretty disconcerting. Your brain does play a role in this response; thinking about particularly un-sexy scenes can help delay it.
Foreskin has another use
Circumcised foreskins have an unlikely use in the world of healthcare: They can be used to grow skin grafts for burn victims. The ethics around this, of course, are still up for debate.
Circumcision isn’t that common
Globally, that is. Research estimates that 38.7% of men around the world are circumcised, with especially high rates among people of Jewish and Muslim faith. The U.S. also stands out for its exceptionally high rate of circumcision. According to the World Health Organization, somewhere between 76 to 92% of men in the U.S. are circumcised—compared to just 20% in many western European nations, the Washington Post reported.
Aside from religious reasons, circumcision is popular in the U.S. because it can reduce STI transmissions and the development of penile cancer; in the 21st century, rates of circumcision have declined in the U.S., which has ignited some concern amid medical professionals who recommend the practice. Though the procedure has a very low risk of complications (a rate of about 1.5%), there is some debate about the ethics of circumcision among those whose faiths don’t require it, despite its potential medical benefits.
