Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health 
Why this matters:
The male penis as depicted in paintings over the past seven centuries has steadily increased in size, especially since the onset of the 21st century (Murat, 2022).
Wylie and Eardley (2007) found men to link penis size to strength, dominance, power, and the capacity to love and be loved. Sadly, perceived failure to meet such standards by men has been associated with depression, impaired social relationships, and low self-esteem (Olivardia et al., 2004). Unsurprisingly, over two-thirds of men feel concern and anxiety over the size of their penis (Tiggermann, Martina, & Churchett, 2008).
Given how many cultures subconsciously instill the idea of the penis as a reflection of a man's manhood, masculinity, and fertility (which, by the way, I think is total bullsh*t; Wylie & Eardly, 2007), I thought it time to shed some statistical light on the subject!
Does penis size really matter during sex as much as men think it does?
Here are the facts:
In 2002, Francken et al. surveyed 170 women and found no correlation between a woman's reported sexual satisfaction with her partner and the girth of her partner's penis. In addition, they found that penis length was "unimportant" or "totally unimportant" to sexual satisfaction in the vast majority (78%) of the women.
In 2006, Lever et al. surveyed over 52,000 heterosexual men and women online and found that men were over three times more likely to find unnecessary fault with their penis compared to their female partners. Statistically, only 14% of women found faults versus nearly half (46%) of men.
In 2014, Johnston and McLellan surveyed 110 heterosexual men and women in their 20s and found women's ideal penis length to be over an inch shorter than the lengths men believed them to prefer. (For example, many men believed that women saw the ideal penis as being seven+ inches long.)
In 2020, Shaeer et al. surveyed 303 sexually active women in steady relationships and found 89% to be satisfied with the size of their partner's penis. Fewer than half reported penis size to be important for sexual satisfaction and over half reported that a bigger penis did not matter for sexual satisfaction.
In 2021, Bhat and Shastry surveyed 230 sexually active females in steady relationships. Only 9% stated that they did not like the look of their partner's penis, and only 22% considered a man's erect penis size to be an important factor to their sexual enjoyment. In addition, when asked how long a penis should be, 61% of women did not specify a size, and of those who did provide a length, only 8% desired a penis larger than six inches.
In 2021, Veale et al. conducted a study restricting a man's penetration depth in his female partner by an inch (2.5 cm), 1.5 inches (2.75 cm), and 2 inches (5 cm) using penile rings. The average erect penile length among male participants prior to using the rings was about six inches. Results showed that two out of three women reported sex to be just as pleasurable or even more pleasurable despite the reduced penetration depth, and in those who reported less pleasure, it was minimal at only 18% less pleasure.
My conclusion: Men tend to overestimate a woman's size expectations and dissatisfaction with their penis.
Therefore, don't worry so much! :)
_________________________
Citations
Bhat, G. S., & Shastry, A. (2021). Does Size Matter? Perceptions of Indian Women About the Size of the Penis. Journal of Psychosexual Health, 3(4), 348-353.
Francken, A.B, et al. “What Importance Do Women Attribute to the Size of the Penis?” European Urology, vol. 42, no. 5, 2002, pp. 426–431., https://doi.org/10.1016/s0302-2838(02)00396-2.
Johnston, L., McLellan, T., & McKinlay, A. (2014). (Perceived) size really does matter: Male dissatisfaction with penis size. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 15(2), 225.
Lever J, Frederick DA, Peplau LA. Does size matter? Men’s and women’s views on penis size across the lifespan. Psychol Men Masc 2006; 7: 129–43
Murat G. “Depictions of Penises in Historical Paintings Reflect Changing Perceptions of the Ideal Penis Size.” BJU International, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.15926.
Olivardia, Roberto, et al. “Biceps and Body Image: The Relationship between Muscularity and Self-Esteem, Depression, and Eating Disorder Symptoms.” Psychology of Men & Masculinity, vol. 5, no. 2, 2004, pp. 112–120., https://doi.org/10.1037/1524-9220.5.2.112.
Shaeer, O, et al. “Female Orgasm and Overall Sexual Function and Habits: A Descriptive Study of a Cohort of U.S. Women.” The Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol. 17, no. 6, 2020, pp. 1133–1143., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.01.029.
Tiggemann, Marika, et al. “Beyond Muscles.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 13, no. 8, 2008, pp. 1163–1172., https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105308095971.
Veale, D, et al. "A preliminary investigation of a novel method to manipulate penis length to measure female sexual satisfaction: a single‐case experimental design." BJU international 128.3 (2021): 374-385.
Wylie, Kevan R., and Ian Eardley. “Penile Size and the ‘Small Penis Syndrome.’” BJU International, vol. 99, no. 6, 2007, pp. 1449–1455., https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410x.2007.06806.x.
What Girls & Guys Said
12 31Very good read. Many men wrongfully think that women care about it. Really any size can and will work for the most part unless you're super long super short in size. Surprisingly I think a reasonable percentage of women tend to have some concern about girth as they like to be stretched.
Okay, but let's look at the statistical spread of penis sizes.
Whether it's 8%, 9%, 11%, or 14%, whatever that number is, those are actual real women who are with a man whose penis is too small for them.
So consider the percentage of men with a penis under a certain size.
Do the numbers match up?
Then maybe there's a correlation there. Maybe there's a reason.
Take the pieces of the puzzle and fit them together. (No pun intended.)
Yes, I do agree with you! But I feel that overall, men worry too much about whether their penis will be able to pleasure a woman, and for men’s psychological health, really, they probably have nothing to worry about.
@lynnn Thanks. However, I respectfully disagree. I think that a lot of women minimize this issue and disregard men's concerns about their own size. Because they see the statistics that say that six inches is average and that most women are satisfied by 6 inches (both of which are true.). But they fail to realize the mathematical fact that if 6" is the AVERAGE, then that means that there are a lot of penises BELOW that number. And these are the men who are concerned. They (the women) think, "he has 6 inches. He's fine. Why is he worried? He's insecure. He needs to stop worrying.". And in that case they would be correct (mostly.). However, they're forgetting about the guys who actually have SMALL penises.
there are also other factors involved. if someone claims that penis size matters does the one being asked have DD's or is a member of the itty bitty titty committee. usually male or female who are insecure of themselves tend to find flaws in others but with nobody being perfect if someone is confident and not cocky would not be so quick to judge and look at the entire picture with an open mind.
I’m not trying to marginalize men’s feelings at all. So many apologizes if it sounds that way. Supposedly only the study by Veale (2021) had males with penis sizes of a reported mean of 6-6.5 inches which the authors themselves noted was above average. The rest of the women reporting on the penises of their partners had penises within average range. so if you fell into a range of 3in to 4.5 in then yeah that might be the 15% of guys with something to worry about
@lynnn No, no. I wasn't saying YOU were. 😇
@Alex8736 Do you think that's really a real thing? Are there actually women who judge a man's body harshly because they are insecure about their own? My initial gut reaction was to say that you're just being mean to girls with small boobs. But I want to give you the benefit of the doubt if that was actually a serious opinion and not a snarky one. Maybe it's possible that you are right in some cases. I really don't know.
And @Lynnn Yes; I am in the 15%. Mine is 4 inches.
oh ok, i am relieved. 🙇🏻♀️ my whole goal on this site is to try to pull people up and ultimately be inspired to make changes to have more mental peace and happiness. male mental health is definitely a topic that deserves more attention. and as a second goal, i also hope to encourage people to self reflect and become deeper thinkers in life.
@lynnn Those are great goals. :)
@lynnn it's a gray area where there is no direct answer. i honestly call things down the middle which if things came off misconstrued I really don't know the answer where everyone is different 🐶
i also think it’s worth noting that research i’ve read explains that women who judge a penis for being small more often than not do so not from prior negative experience with a penis of that size but because of society throwing the notion out there and that women who actually have partners with penises that are under five inches still have sexual pleasure.
@lynnn That's an interesting point. And it's encouraging to hear. ... Still, it doesn't help someone like me who is waiting until marriage lol. They will just reject me before they even have the chance to try and find out! 😂. "Omg, Sarah. My boyfriend just told me his penis is only 4 inches. I don't think I want to marry this guy. Isn't that, like, really small? Yeah, I don't think that will work. He's a nice guy and all, but..." But that's okay, I guess. 😇
Well the girl would would say about you is the same type of girl who would happily marry a stereotypically “hot” guy then dump a him a year later when she finds someone better or discovers he’s been diagnosed with macular degeneration or some other chronic condition. In other words: shallow. And as someone with a small chest who has been made to feel inadequate by every ex I’ve had, I can relate to how you feel. But what I know is that if a guy can’t love me because of the person I am, then I don’t want him. And we only need one person in this life, not a flock. And some people don’t even need any. I knew a girl in college who confided in me that she was asexual and felt no sexual attraction at all.
@lynnn Well, I kinda feel like I don't want someone who is asexual, either. Because then she won't want to have sex with me. Lol. I don't want to have a sexless marriage. 😂😭 I need someone who likes sex but just isn't too particular about the male body, I guess. Haha
by the way, I think your boobs are probably just fine (and beautiful and amazing). :) F any guy who says otherwise!
that asexual girl didn’t want a relationship with anyone, i should have clarified ! but yes i see your point
@lynnn Cool. :)
by the way, I wish everything wasn't so binary. It seems like these days, either you're sexually active or you're asexual. Like, if you're horny, then you're required to have sex. Lol. Like wtf. I suppose I could tell people I was asexual, if that would possibly make things easier to understand. (I wonder if some people actually do that? Hmm...). But that wouldn't be the truth. And I don't want to lie to anyone. But apparently some people just have a really hard time understanding that concept. That someone can want to NOT have sex now but WANT to have sex later. Like, what is so difficult to understand about that? It's like a store or a restaurant. When they're closed, they're closed. When they open, they will be open. It's that simple. Lol
I would use the restaurant metaphor sometimes in the past myself. it’s very true. people feel pressured to be hypersexual like that’s what everyone wants but really the range of normal is huge
@lynnn Nice. So you're abstinent, too?
Size matters so little that you had to write an entire article about how it doesn't matter. I'm sure you will never laugh and gossip with your friends about that little shrimp one of your hook ups or exes had. And you will never see a huge one and then say "OMG! WHAT A MONSTER COCK! SHOVE IT ALL INSIDE ME!"
Women are such poor liars.
lolㅤ
One partner said mine is huge, although it’s just average. I don’t care much for size, unless it’s the size of compassion.
And yet vaginas are rarely painted. Only boobs, which are B sized at best. I should know, I cupped many Bernini statues…
i have never received any complaints in that area but if someone tried claiming I was i would tell them "I'm giving you anal... let me know when it's in". 😂😇
Relationship is based on many other factors. I think my size is good enough to satisfy a woman. I am happy about my looks and size.
The problems facing a man with an 8 or 9" inch penis are not that much different from those faced by a woman with a D or DD cup boobs.
yeah well said
Thanks!
Who cares what women think? Women are stupid as fuck
Remember gentlemen never pay attention or listen to what women say. A woman's words are dogshit. Always listen to the actions because that's the ultimate truth
Penis size is important but more important thing is how long does it stay inside of you, if doesn't stay inside you more longer doesn't matter big or small...
Size is only marginally important. What’s mostly important is getting it erect and having confidence.
Anything sexual is a bit like our taste buds. Just cos you like it that way doesn’t make it so and different women would have different wants or needs as well as likes and loves.
Mine is bigger sized longer and very much thicker than average.
girlfriend, she was married to a guy that is 5” , we chatted for a few weeks, then met up had a couple of dates then one fine day we met up after she had a tiff with her now ex husband, the fight was over money and time he spent with her. He was her first and she was a virgin on her wedding night.
Our first time, it started with a long foreplay, something she enjoyed very much though she was quite nervous as well as worried but she wanted it to happen and I chose a deep insert and brought her to orgasm.
What she enjoyed on that first time with me?
1) The foreplay.
2) The virginal feel, that extra stretch and being filled up as I moved it deep inside her.
3) The deep penetration and me pressing against her cervix, she said it made her feel wanted and desired.
4) The 2 strong orgasms.
5) The cuddle after it was over.
What she didn’t like?
1) The pain especially where I moved from 2” to 7” inside her and the soreness after it was over as it triggered that guilt feeling.
2) The guilt feeling that she had cheated and enjoyed it entirely.
3) That I had cum in her and that essentially changed her life when she wasn’t necessarily ready.
I've only ever been with one guy. I've nothing to compare him with.
Big dicks aren't better, they just feel better.
Self-reported studies are unreliable. You want men to be more confident in their size? Then convince women to stop using size to attack men's confidence. #1 female insult to males is always something about him having a small dick.
So if size doesn't matter, then why do women focus on it so hard?
Speak for yourself.
The worst sex I have never had has been with men with big dicks, so there's that.