Penis Enlargement
Many men are concerned with their
penis size. Because of this, there are countless pages on the Internet
and elsewhere that advertise various ways of enlarging a man's penis.
These methods include surgery, drugs, supplements, pumps, and exercises.
It is difficult to find solid scientific data concerning the validity
of these claims, and the possible side-effects. This is partly because
much of the science is so new that long term studies have not yet
produced clear results. Another reason is that many of the scientists
who are publishing results are hired by the companies that are selling
these products. Of course, these results may well be biased.
Perhaps the most authoritative source
on the subject is the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has
not approved any method for the penis enlargement. Some web sites
try and get around this fact by advertising their products as "FDA
approved" when in fact they are only FDA approved for other
applications. For example, there are pumps on the market that are
FDA approved for the treatment of impotence. The companies selling
them also market the pumps as capable of enlarging one's penis.
Web sites use tricky wording such as "We offer an FDA approved
Product to assist with impotence and reportedly gain up to 3 inches
or more!" to get around the fact that their products are not
FDA approved for penis enlargement. Web sites offering pills and
creams tend to not address the FDA approval issue, which should
be evidence enough that they are in no way FDA approved.
Exercises that are supposed to naturally
enlarge the penis, sometimes know as "jelqing," (yes,
this is the correct spelling) are also not approved. Companies that
offer training programs in these exercises often liken penis exercise
to bodybuilding. They claim that since exercise can increase muscle
size, why shouldn't it increase penis size? This comparison is not
valid, however, because the penis is not a muscle (for more information,
please see our male
internal anatomy page). However, this method holds more promise
than either pills or pumps. It is possible that the exercise techniques
increase the capacity of the corpora cavernosa, which would allow
more blood to be held in the penis, and possibly result in a stronger,
harder erection. Although the penis itself would not really have
increased in size, a stronger erection might accomplish the same
goals. Again, these results have not been proven, but there is some
evidence, based on testimonials, that this method might work. Another
important question is the permanence of the results. It is possible
that the exercises simply cause a temporary increase in the amount
of blood in the penis during the exercises, which customers misinterpret
as a permanently larger penis.
The only method of penis enlargement
that is widely considered effective in the medical community is
surgery. However, penis enlargement surgery mostly just adds length
and girth to the flaccid penis, which is, of course, not very useful.
The corresponding increase in size to the penis while erect is either
not as dramatic, or is nonexistent, depending on whom you ask. In
addition, the possible side effects are serious enough make surgery
too risky for any male except those with an exceptionally small
penis. Many doctors who offer this service will not perform the
surgery unless a man's penis is so small that it can be considered
a medical condition. This is because it is widely accepted that
the dangers are too great to warrant the possible beneficial effects
for most patients.
Deleterious side-effects of surgery include disfigurement of the
penis and loss of ability to achieve erection. This is the case
for the type of surgery that involves cutting the connective tissue
that anchors the penis to the pubic bone. Another type of surgery
injects fat into the penis. While this is much simpler and safer,
the results are generally temporary, since the fat is gradually
reabsorbed by the body.
The possible negative effects of
enlargement options besides surgery are less clear. There are reports
of exercises that were done improperly, resulting in injuries to
the penis. Pumps have also been reported to cause injuries when
used incorrectly. Natural pills and creams have not been known to
cause serious damage, but it is too soon too say for sure that they
are safe. Also, some of the ingredients in these products have been
known to increase blood pressure.
Penis enlargement is a budding industry,
so it is difficult to determine the actual results and possible
side-effects at this point. For now, it is probably wise to remain
skeptical of claimed results, and wary of the possible unknown side
effects.