Condition in Which a Penis Continues to Grow
Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
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As males grow and develop through childhood and adolescence, so do their genitalia. Some boys experience penis growth earlier or later than their peers, but most do develop within a common age range. Male puberty starts at younger ages today than it did a few decades ago, research has shown. Studies also have examined the average size of an adult male penis, with findings that may surprise some men.
Penis growth during puberty
Male puberty can start from ages 9 through 15 and lasts about four years. Some boys finish by age 13, while others not until 19. The majority experience puberty from ages 9 through 16, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Puberty starts earlier in life today than in decades past, researchers have found. A 2012 study of 4,100 U.S. boys by the American Academy of Pediatrics determined that male puberty was starting six months to two years earlier than in the 1970s and 1980s. On average, boys were beginning puberty a little before age 10, rather than at age 11 in the 1970s. When broken out by race, African American boys started around age 9, while Caucasian and Hispanic boys began at age 10. The causes for this are unknown, though researchers suspect obesity, better nutrition, and hormones in food as possible factors.
During puberty, a male gets taller, his voice gets deeper, he grows pubic hair and his genitalia enlarge. Usually, the first genital change occurs with his testicles, which start getting bigger. Within about a year, his penis starts lengthening. Penis girth (or thickness) increases next. For most boys, the greatest increase in penis length occurs from ages 11 through 15, when penises grow an average of a half inch per year.
For most youths, by the time they have stopped growing, so have their penises. Typically, this occurs at the end of puberty, which often is around age 16.
How big a male's penis gets depends on genetics, though some researchers suggest environmental factors may also play a role. Bulgarian scientists studied penis growth in about 6,000 males in a 2010 study and found that boys from rural areas had slightly longer penises (by about one-fifth of an inch) than those from urban areas. They suspected environmental and genetic factors as being behind the difference.
More recently, young Italian males living in a region of Italy considered to be heavily polluted with PFCs (perfluoroalkyl compounds) were found to have shorter penises and lower testicular volume, as well as reduced semen quality, compared to males of the same age who had not been exposed to the chemicals, according to a study published in late 2018. PFCs are used in many common household products.
What is the average penis length for an adult?
A variety of studies over the years have attempted to determine the average penis length. Some relied on self-reporting measures, where men measured their own penises; in these studies, male penises were reported to be about an inch or two longer than in studies in which researchers measure the penises.
A 2015 study by London researchers combined the results from 20 previous studies that had collectively measured the penises of 15,521 men from Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States, ages 17 to 91. Researchers only included studies in which the males had been measured by health professionals—no self-reporting allowed.
The study found the average penis length for men, when flaccid (soft), was 3.6 inches (with a girth of 3.7 inches). The average erect penis length was 5.16 inches and girth was 4.6 inches.
About 90% of men have penises that are between 4 to 6 inches while erect, the research showed. A very small fraction of men are abnormally small, with what's called micropenis, defined as genitals no longer than 3 to 3.35 inches when erect. At the other end of the spectrum, the top 5% of penises ranged from 6.3 inches to 8.25 inches, erect—meaning 95% of the men had penises smaller than that range.
Men who watch pornography may have a vastly different idea of what's normal. Male porn actors are unusual in terms of length and girth. A male viewer using these actors as a yardstick may feel that there is something wrong with his penis, when in fact he is within the normal size range.
Almost half (45%) of men reported being unhappy with their penis size in one study. Yet their partners are less concerned. The vast majority of women (84%) say they are satisfied with their husband's penises, for example. Men who find themselves unable to stop thinking negatively about their penis size may have a mental health disorder called body dysmorphia, and should consult with their physician.
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Source: https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/mens-health/penis-growth-when-does-it-start-and-stop
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