THE average length of a penis has grown by 25 per cent in the past 30 years, researchers have revealed.
From 1992 to 2021, the average erect member jumped from 4.8inches to 6inches, analysis from US experts found.
The average erect penis length has changed over the past 30 years
However, while you might think this could only be a good thing for men, medics are concerned at the findings.
Writing in the World Journal of Men’s Health, the team at Stanford University said the increase in size could be down to poor diets, sedentary lifestyles and chemicals.
They said these factors could also have a negative impact on fertility.
Professor of Urology at Stanford Medicine, Dr Michael Eisenberg said any overall change in development is concerning.
“Our reproductive system is one of the most important pieces of human biology.
“If we’re seeing this fast of a change, it means that something powerful is happening to our bodies.
“We should try to confirm these findings and if confirmed, we must determine the cause of these changes.”
Medics looked at data on the size of 55,761 men’s penises between 1942 and 2021.
Of the 75 studies analysed, each looked at flaccid members, stretched while flaccid or erect.
On embarking on their research, the medics thought the average length would have decreased over the 30 year period.
However, they found that fully erect penises had grown over time.
On average, over the entire study, they discovered that the average penis was 3.4inches when flaccid.
But when stretched, the average extended to 5.1inches.
During the 80-year time period of the study, the average length was 5.4inches when fully erect.
However, the rate rose rapidly from 1992 to 2021, reaching 6inches.
In the UK, it’s thought the average penis ranges from 3.5-5.8 inches.
Dr Eisenberg added that chemical exposure, pesticides, and hygiene products could all be making a difference.
These endocrine-disrupting chemicals could be affecting men’s hormones, he explained.
‘”As we change our body’s constitution, that also affects our hormonal milieu. Chemical exposure has also been posited as a cause for boys and girls going into puberty earlier, which can affect genital development,” he added.
The study only focused on length and did not fully explore the impact size can have on fertility, but the researchers highlighted that this could be damaging for those with longer penises.
That’s because the length of the penis, is mainly linked to reproductive hormones.
Experts previously found that the society we live in could be having a harmful impact on fertility.
In January 2022, researchers claimed that mobile phones could be making men infertile.
The devices are being blamed for reduced sperm count and quality.
Lead researcher Dr Yun Hak Kim from Pusan National University said: “Male cell-phone users should strive to reduce mobile phone use to protect their sperm quality.
“Additional studies will be needed to determine the effect of exposure to electromagnetic waves emitted from new mobile phone models in the present digital environment.”
Another paper, penned in February 2022, found that thousands of men were at risk of having weak sperm, with the city they live in being a main factor.
Researchers in China discovered that men who live in heavily polluted areas may experience poor sperm motility.
Motility is how well a sperm swims. The stronger it is, the easier the sperm can swim in a forwards direction in search of the egg.
But male fertility relies on a number of sperm parameters – inluding sperm count, which is the concentration of sperm per ejaculation.
It’s not the first time a link between toxic air and men’s swimmers has been made.
Prior research has shown that sperm counts for men living in North America, Australia and Europe have been declining since the 1970s.
While there could be a number of reasons why, scientists theorise air pollution is a key culprit.