A urologist has written a book about the penis… and it says things you should know

They come to the consultation and have a hard time explaining what is happening to them. Heck, some even have trouble finding a name for their penis! “They say ‘the thing’, ‘down there’… I’ve heard it all,” says Blanca Madurga Patuel, a urologist with more than thirty years of experience and author of ‘Everything you need to know about the penis and never dared to know.’ ask’ (ed. Planeta). According to her, it is necessary to shed a little light on this body, subject like no other to false myths that, furthermore, survive because people do not find the courage to ask. “I have seen that the tremendous ignorance that exists around this issue is the cause of enormous concerns that greatly affect the quality of life,” says Madurga. Here is a decalogue of curiosities and doubts seen and heard in her consultation.

No joke, many people – even those who have their own penis – believe that it is a muscle (oh, if that were true, a lot of men would be in the gym to develop it). Others, seeing that it is something hard (sometimes), think it has bone… “I can assure you that there are people who believe this,” confirms the urologist. There’s certainly nothing bony there. Muscles, yes, some, “but they are not the basis of its structure, they simply hold it to the body.” So what is it made of? Of structures of corpora cavernosa, corpora spongiosum, nerves and blood vessels.

It is not a muscle, we have already said it. But, if we work on the sphincters (anal and urethral) and strengthen the pelvic floor (yes, men have them too!), the rigidity of the penis increases and orgasms become better.

When erect and on its ventral side, that is, “on the part that faces the abdomen.” The doctor tells us that the averages are these: 10 to 15 centimeters long when erect – eight if it is soft – and ten in circumference, according to an international study carried out in 2022. This research also revealed that, in the last 30 years, has increased in size (two factors may be precocious puberty and increased protein intake).

“They can be produced by the effect of too passionate sucking during fellatio,” says Madurga.

Madurga uses studies and science to make his overwhelmed patients come to their senses: “You only need a six-centimeter erect penis to achieve satisfactory penetration,” he clarifies. A curiosity: the desired size has not always been XXL. In ancient Greece, very large phalluses were considered a sign of lasciviousness and little intellectual development.

Well no, it’s not on the penis, smartasses and smartasses. «It starts in the brain. It can also be caused by touching appropriate areas of your body that awakens that initial desire, but, generally, a thought is enough,” she says. “The penis has nerves that originate in the brain.”

Good news! “With age, the quantity of erections may decrease, but never the quality,” says the doctor. The entry of blood into the penis during arousal – which makes it hard – is very rapid in youth, a matter of seconds, and in older men it is slower because the blood vessels dilate less due to natural aging. But, once it fills with blood, it is a normal erection, which develops like this: first it increases in length, then in thickness and, finally, in rigidity.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the penis can break. «It is not frequent, but it happens. It occurs with the member in maximum erection during sexual intercourse, almost always when what is called ‘false step’ is taken, that is, instead of hitting the hole intended for penetration, the penis collides forcefully against the penis. perineum,” explains the urologist.

The penis always has a slight curve, about 20 degrees when it reaches maximum rigidity (if it is more pronounced, there may be problems with penetration). It may be from birth, but if it ‘appears’ suddenly it may also be an ailment: Peyronie’s disease, “which in Spain affects between 5 and 9% of men between 40 and 60 years old.”

«Do you consume cannabis? Your penis knows it. Seriously,” says the urologist. Its continued consumption affects the production of testosterone, which worsens relationships in the medium and long term. Madurga maintains that “almost 70% of cannabis smokers have erectile dysfunction, double that of non-smokers.”