Scarleteen

I wasn't aware of the desire to have a longer penis before I visited pornographic websites out of curiosity. When I checked out a pornographic website, I refused to click on the actual videos. Merely watching the sexually explicit advertisements in the sidebar was enough for me to get a basic idea of what sex was about. I was already legally an adult, so I thought I could handle the intensity and know that it was fantasy without breaking the law in my jurisdiction.

In one of the advertisements that I saw, it showed a naked boy or young man, staring at the camera. His penis magically grew longer, and the advertisement created an impression that a longer penis was desirable, and the viewer should buy that product to make his penis longer. I really didn't get the reasoning behind it.

Is the desire for a longer penis caused by the commercial desire to sell a product, as that may be the case with shaved pubic area in some Western women? Are there any reproductive benefits for having a longer penis? Are men with longer penises more fecund than men with shorter penises, because a longer penis would mean having an easier time reaching the interior of the vagina? Does that mean men with shorter penises have to opt for in vitro fertilization to impregnate the women, or do they tend to use a different reproductive strategy and ejaculate on the labia minora (which may still ensure a pregnancy)? What is the rationale for not accepting what Mother Nature (or God) gives you and the consequences for having whatever-sized penis?

As a side note, Kurt Vonnegut joked about the size of the penis in his book, Breakfast of Champions. At the time of reading the book, I hadn't seen any pornographic material, and I wasn't aware of the concern of having a longer penis. But as immature as I was despite already being legally an adult, I thought just mentioning the penis part was funny. My classmates who also read the book talked about penis sizes outside of class. One female classmate talked about how the woman couldn't feel the penis, if it were too long. But the other classmates who were men still focused on the size of the penis, as if it was very important. I contributed to the discussion by saying that the character in Vonnegut's book had one that was eight inches in diameter and two inches long. All I remember afterwards was that one guy was surprised at the length and girth of the character's penis.

Hi Mellonhead,

Nope, there is no link between penis size and reproductive capacity that we know of. The cultural focus on penis size is more a social phenomenon, as having a large penis is associated with being more manly, and being a certain type of manly is valued in many places. There's also a misconception that size is the only thing that matters when it comes to pleasing a sexual partner, so some of the focus comes from that. But, all of that is going to vary from person to person. Some people will be perfectly happy and content with their penis, while others may feel insecure. You can read more about penis size here:
Shown Actual Size: A Penis Shape & Size Lowdown

Maybe this is one of those issues that highlights a difference between medicine and biology. In biology, a person may have a dysfunction when it prevents the person from successfully reproducing. In medicine, a person tells the doctor that there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. Of course, the physician will assess if the condition is really a dysfunction or just a normal variation.

Too, I wouldn't discount social factors, as those often play a large role in how people relate to their bodies and what they view as normal or desirable.

Sam W wrote:Too, I wouldn't discount social factors, as those often play a large role in how people relate to their bodies and what they view as normal or desirable.

I suppose a problem may arise when the social climate provokes severe discontent in the person, but sometimes the social circle of friends and family may make the person feel comfortable or at ease with their body, and may help the person overcome the biological disadvantages if there are any.

With a penis that's on the smaller side, there aren't really any disadvantages from a physical standpoint. It's just part of normal human variation

Also, some people actually prefer partners with a penis that's on the smaller size. And many others don't care all that much.