FAQs

I’m 14 and my penis is much smaller than my mates. I find this pretty embarrassing. Is there anything I can do or will I have a small one for the rest of my life?

Answer

It's very common for young men to feel weird about the size of their penis. It's easy to find yourself comparing yourself to your mates.

Some men believe that the size of their penis reflects how 'manly' they are and the skills they may have as lovers. This just isn't true. , The sexual happiness a man enjoys has nothing to do with the size of his penis.

The age at which a boy's genitals grow varies. How you grow depends pretty much on who your parents are, so there's really not much you can do to speed up your development.

Physical changes at puberty can occur at widely different ages in normal young people and tend to occur as 'spurts' of growth with long periods of not much change in between. These growth spurts can happen anywhere from 11 to 17 or 18 years.

For most boys worried about their growth, all will be normal. Sometimes though, there can be a problem. If boys haven't started to see any development of the penis and pubic hair by the time they are 14, there may be some hormonal problems. A doctor can let you know if there's a problem that might require treatment. Other than that, there is no need to be over-concerned if your penis has not grown as much as your mate's at least until you are 17- everyone is different.

The major growth spurt in males is controlled by both testosterone and growth hormones, with virtually every muscle and bone in the body affected, as well as the genitals.
Doctors usually talk about five stages of male genital development (the ages given below are the average for the onset of each stage).

Pre-adolescence:
Penis, testes and scrotum of similar size and proportion as in early childhood.

Age 10-13 years:
Scrotum and testes enlarge; one testicle usually hangs lower than the other; the scrotum becomes baggier, slightly furrowed and reddened and sperm development (spermatogenesis) begins within the testes.

Age 11-14 years:
Testes and scrotum grow larger; penis starts to lengthen, and becomes broader; sparse pubic hair develops; facial hair appears on upper lip and cheeks; thicker body hair starts to appear on limbs and trunk.

Age 13-17 years - major growth spurt
Further enlargement of the testes and scrotum; scrotum darkens and becomes more furrowed; penis continues enlarging; pubic and body hair become even thicker and more widespread, with hair growing around the base of the penis.

Age 17-19 years - adult stage
Genitals fully matured; pubic hair extends up to the abdominal midline, facial hair extends to lower lip and chin.

The important message from all this is that everyone develops at their own pace. Those who start earlier usually stop earlier. The size of the average adult male penis - particularly the erect penis - actually doesn't vary all that much from man to man.

Further reading:
The Puberty Book