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Penis Size Bibliography

Q. What do you think is the length of the average man's erect penis?
A. 5-7 inches

The Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex (St. Martin's Press, 1990), p. 18.

[Circumference of the average man's erect penis is 4-6 inches. (Gebhard and Johnson, 1979, p. 120).]

This is a selected bibliography of research resources related to penis size compiled in response to frequent questions received by the Institute. The vast majority of men measure within the average genital size range and have a penis size that is more than adequate for sexual functioning. In general, at erection smaller flaccid pensises lengthen by a greater percentage than do larger flaccid penises.


Alter, G.J.  (1995).  Augmentation phalloplasty. Urologic Clinics of

North America, 22(4), 887-902. 



Alter, G.J. (1998).  Penile enlargement surgery.  Techniques in Urology, 

4(2), 10-76.



Alter, G.J. (1997).  Reconstruction of deformities resulting from penile 

enlargement surgery. Journal of Urology, 158(6), 2153-7.



Bogaert, A.F., and Hershberger, S.  (1999)  The relation between sexual 

orienation and penile size.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 28(3), 213-221.



da Ros, C., et al. (1994).   Caucasian penis:  What is the normal size?  

Journal of  Urology, part 2, 151: 323A, abstract 381.



Fisher, William A., Branscombe, Nyla R., and Lemery, Charles R.  (1983).  

The bigger the better? Arousal and attributional responses to erotic 

stimuli that depict different size penises. Journal of Sex Research, 

19(4), 377-396.



Furr, Karl D.  (1991).  Penis size and magnitude of erectile change as 

spurious factors in estimating sexual arousal.  Annals of Sex Research 

4(3/4), 265-279.



Gebhard, Paul, and Johnson, Alan.  (1979/1998).  The Kinsey Data: Marginal 

Tabulations of the 1938-1963 Interviews Conducted by the Institute for Sex Research (reprint 

edition).  Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Gilbaugh, James H. (1989). A Doctor's Guide to Men's Private Parts. New York : Crown Publishers. Jamison, P.L., and Gebhard, P.G. (1988). Penis size increase between flaccid and erect states: An analysis of the Kinsey data. Journal of Sex Research, 24, 177-183. Johnston, J. H. (1974). Lengthening of the congenital or acquired short penis. British Journal of Urology, 46(6), 685-8. Jung-Ho Han, Sang-Hwa Park, Bong-Sam Lee and San-Un Choi(1999). Erect penile size of Korean men. Venereology 12(4), 135-139. Lee, P. A., Mazur, T., Danish, R., Amrhein, J., Blizzard, R. M., Money, J. and Migeon, C. J. (1980). Micropenis. I. Criteria, etiologies and classification. Johns Hopkins Medical Journal, 146:156. Lee, Peter A. (1996). Survey report: Concept of penis size. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 22(2), 131-135. Long DC. [Elongation of the penis]. [Chinese]. (1990). Chung-Hua Cheng Hsing Shao Shang Wai Ko Tsa Chih - Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery & Burns, 6(1),17-9, 74. Masters, W. H., and Johnson, V. E. (1966). Human Sexual Response. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Money, John, et al. (1984). Micropenis: Adult follow-up and comparison of size against new norms. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 10(2), 105-114. Phillip, M., et al. (1996). Clitoral and penile sizes of full term newborns in two different ethnic groups. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, 9(2), 175-9. Pietropinto, Anthony. (1986). Misconceptions about male sexuality. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality, 20(11), 80-85. Reilly, J.M., and Woodhouse, C.R. (1989). Small penis and the male sexual role. Journal of Urology, 142(2 Pt 2), 569-71, discussion 572. Schonfeld, W. A. (1943). Primary and secondary sexual characteristics: Study of their development in males from birth through maturity, with biometric study of penis and testes. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 65, 535. Schonfeld, W. A. and Beebe, G. W. (1942). Normal growth and variation in the male genitalia from birth to maturity. Journal of Urology, 48, 759. Siminoski, Kerry. (1993). The relationship among height, penile length, and foot size. Annals of Sex Research, 6(3), 231-235. Smith, D.P., Rickman C., and Jerkins, G.R. (1995). Ultrasound evaluation of normal penile (corporeal) length in children. Journal of Urology, 154(2 Pt 2), 822-4. Sparling, Joseph. (1997). Penile erections: Shape, angle, and length. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 23(3), 195-207. Stock, J.A., Packer, M.G., and Kaplan, G.W. (1995). Pediatric urology facts and figures. Data useful in the management of pediatric urologic patients. Urologic Clinics of North America, 22(1),205-19. Tenzer, Lawrence R. (1990). A Completely New Look at Interracial Sexuality : Public opinion and Select Commentaries. Manahawkin, N.J. : Scholars' Pub. House, 1990. Wessells, H., Lue T.F., and McAninch, J.W. (1996). Complications of penile lengthening and augmentation seen at 1 referral center. Journal of Urology, 155(5), 1617-20. Wessells, H., Lue, T.F., and McAninch, J.W. (1996). Penile length in the flaccid and erect states: Guidelines for penile augmentation. Journal of Urology, 156(3), 995-7. [Data from 80 subjects; mean flaccid length was 8.85 cm. and mean erect length was 12.89 cm. The difference between these 2 dimensions was considered the erectile increase (mean 4.04 cm.).] Winter, Harold C. (1989). An examination of the relationships between penis size and body image, genital image, and perception of sexual competency in the male. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50(5-A), 1225.

Revised: 8/99


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