Science has spoken guys: penis size matters – at least to women who are deciding if they want to have sex with you.
Using data from a large study of Italian men, researchers created 343 computer-generated male figures varying in (flaccid) penis size, as well as in height and shoulder-to-hip ratio.
Qualities such as facial attractiveness and hair were deliberately omitted from the graphics and a group of 105 young Australian women were asked to rate each image on sexual attractiveness.
Not-so-surprising: Penis size matters (to women)
While narrow hips and broad shoulders were rated as attractive, larger penis sizes were strongly linked to high attractiveness scores.
Published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Science (PNAS) journal, the study was led by University of Ottowa researcher Brian Mautz.
Dr Mautz concluded: “We found that flaccid penis size had a significant influence on male attractiveness.
“Males with a larger penis were rated relatively more attractive.”
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The study was inspired by Dr Mautz’s observation that the human penis is significantly longer than it needs to be to perform its primary biological role, i.e. to reproduce.
As The Independent puts it, the evolution in the size of penises “is in fact the result of many generations of prehistoric women choosing well-endowed men.”
Women were shown computer generated images of men whose heights, body shape and penis size varied
Dr Mautz told the newspaper: “Our results show that present-day females rate larger penises as more attractive, but it is hard to infer anything much beyond that. Part of the reason is because of clothing - it does complicate the situation.”
Strangely, the study found attractiveness increased quickly until flaccid penises reached 7.6cm (approximately 3 inches), slowing down thereafter.
Penis size isn't the only thing that matters. It interacts with other traits, and its effect depends on whether those other traits are already attractive to begin with. If one of the model men was tall and had a masculine, V-shaped torso with broad shoulders and narrower hips, for example, he was considered more attractive than his shorter, stockier counterparts, regardless of penis size.
The not-so-surprising findings come after an earlier study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, which concluded larger penises are better equipped to provide vaginal orgasms through penetrative sex (as opposed to clitoral orgasms).
Overall the women who reported the highest number of vaginal orgasms said they preferred longer penises. However researchers concluded penis size was not related to the frequency of clitoral orgasms.
British men typically have bigger penises than their French counterparts
And just in case you were interested, Republic of Congo men are among those with the largest penises, with an average of 7.1in.
British men rank 78th out of 113 nationalities in the table of average penis lengths, according to the study.
In Europe, Icelanders are the best endowed at 6.5in and the Irish are the second smallest at 5.03in - behind Romanians at 5.01in.
British men come in just under the Germans, who are in line with the European average of 5.7in.