Quote:
Originally Posted by ShannonH  I think the highest average ever found (in a 3rd-party measured study) was the lifestyle's study, and that was 5.9". The median however was 5.6", and I suspect that the disparity was mostly due to the group being self-selected, meaning smaller guys would be less inclined to participate in the study. 5.5" seems pretty bang-on for the US, and it doesn't vary that much from what's been recorded internationally. When it does vary by a lot, compare their methodology - 5.5" is at full erection or maximal stretch (bpel, so the ruler/caliper is pushed in to their gut.) A few put it at about 0.5" lower (Ponchietti et al. at 4.9", Wessels et al. at 5.0") and those don't look like they bone-press.
Don't believe any study performed where people measure themselves, and especially nothing where people click a radio button on an internet poll. I can do a made-up study right now: I've surveyed myself, and I've lied and said I have a 15" dick. According to the study Shannon et al. 2012, the average penis length is 15". |
I believe that the Ponchietti study used non bone-pressed stretched flaccid length to estimate non bone-pressed erect length. I don't have the full article form their huge study on 3300 Italian males but this link is to a full text article from the same group that references that study:
Penile length is normal in most men seeking penile lengthening procedures
"Penile length was defined as the linear distance along the dorsal side of the penis extending from the pubopenile skin junction to the tip of the glans in the flaccid and fully stretched but still flaccid state, while the penile circumference was measured at the middle of the shaft. Measurements were acquired by means of a tape measure to the nearest 0.5 cm immediately after the men undressed to minimize the effects of temperature. In order to reduce errors of measurements, two measurements were performed, and their median was recorded."
Sounds like a non bone-pressed stretched flaccid measurement.
The Wessels study measured not only non bone-pressed erect length, which they called "erect length", but also fat pad thickness and bone-pressed erect length, which they called "functional penis length".
Per this table:
UCSF Penis Size Study Table 1 Data - Measurection - Discussing Man at Length - Small Penis Forum - Powered by FusionBB
they recorded an average NBPEL of 5.1" and an average BPEL of 6.3".
If an average NBPEL of 4.9" is assumed from the Ponchietti et. al. study, it correlates pretty well with the average NBPEL of 5.1" obtained in the Wessels study.
The results of the LifeSyles condom Cancun study was informally reported by the Ansell Corporation but was never published in any medical journal so their methodology was never spelled out:
ansell - education
The average penis length of 5.88" they reported would be way above the averages obtained by Wessels et. al. and Ponchietti et. al. if it is assumed to be a NBPEL but would be consistent with the other 2 studies if it represents a BPEL. On the other hand, a drop out rate of over 25% of those who volunteered to be measured in this group of college-aged men (allegedly because they could not manage to achieve an erection) sounds a bit fishy to me. I think it is possible that Ansell was measuring NBPEL but the guys who felt they were under-endowed either did not volunteer to participate in the first place, or opted out of being measured by claiming they couldn't get it up once they already had been encouraged to volunteer due to peer pressure.
