What if I've got a micropenis?
Micropenis is the medical term used to describe a penis that is completely normal in terms of structure but is unusually small in size, often impacting sexual performance. So can anything be done about micropenis?
© Thinkstock
A micropenis is defined according to precise measurements, and the penis must be measured and compared with the average size for the relevant age group. For an adult, the average length of a flaccid penis is 11cm and 15 cm for an erect penis.
Micropenis – real or imagined?
In general, a micropenis is a penis that is less than 7 cm when erect. Men who have a micropenis must not be confused with those suffering from dysmorphic disorders, such a psychological condition, where the man has a distorted view of his penis size.
Men with a diagnosed micropenis are more often than not incapable of achieving penetration during lovemaking due to the shortness of the penis.
There are a number of different causes of micropenis, even though sometimes the underlying triggers are not known:
- Insufficient production of androgen (male hormone);
- Androgen insensitivity syndrome;
- Malformation that may or may not be associated with chromosomal abnormalities, such as Klinefelter's syndrome.
Treating micropenis
Until adolescence, treatment for micropenis involves testosterone injections. After that hormonal treatment has no effect and surgery is the only remaining option.
With surgical treatment patients can gain 1-2 cm in length. The operation involves severing the penile suspensory ligament, removing skin from the base of the penis and sometimes performing a tummy tuck. The majority of young adults with this condition are also obese, so removing fat from around the base of the penis can also make it longer.
However, you shouldn’t expect miracles. The corpora cavernosa (responsible for erection) is a fixed length and so there’s a limit to what surgery can realistically achieve.
Copyright © 2010 Doctissimo
Posted 28.07.2010
Get more on this subject…
