Hypospadias is a congenital condition in males in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis, instead of at the tip. In a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers investigated how women perceive penile appearances, especially those that have surgically repaired or corrected Hypospadias.

Participants had to rate the importance of eight penile aspects and to indicate how normal they found the appearance of the penis through standardized photos. Results showed that women considered the position and shape of the meatus (the passage or opening leading to the interior of the body through the urethra) as the least important penile aspect. Women who scored higher in positive perception were more likely to find the general cosmetic penile appearance to be more important than penile length or position.

The Penile aspects investigated, chosen based on the Penile Perception Score, were:

• length
• girth
• position and shape of meatus
• shape of glans
• appearance of scrotum
• shape of penile skin
• appearance of pubic hair
• general cosmetic appearance

Out of a list of eight aspects in this cross-sectional study, the length of a penis was actually rated as sixth out of eight. The general cosmetic appearance rated first, appearance of pubic hair came second, girth and appearance of the skin tied for third, the shape of the glans finished fifth, appearance of the scrotum finished seventh and position and shape of the meatus finished last.

The research suggests a massive disconnect between what men think is important about their penis and what women actually think.

 

 

Journal Source:

Ruppen-Greeff NK, Webber DM, Gobet R, et al. What is a Good Looking Penis? How Women Rate the Penile Appearance of Men with Surgically Corrected Hypospadias. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Published online July 20 2015