You might think you’re an expert on your own package. After all, keeping it happy and healthy is a central goal for most men. But despite how frequently you think about your penis and testicles, they contain a few mystical secrets you still haven’t uncovered.
1. Your erection can be graded.
Tumescence—you know, the stiffness of your soldier—can be measured on a four-step scale: Bigger but not yet rigid; not hard enough for penetration; firm for intercourse, but not rock-hard; and fully engorged.
The “erection hardness scale” was developed by scientists who were testing the drug Viagra during the 1990s. The primary method used at the time, the International Index of Erectile Function, asked men to rate their boner based on their self-confidence, and how often they could have sex.
2. Men are just as sensitive as women.
We’re talking about sensitivity to touch, of course. When it comes to sensation on your genitals, men and women are almost identical.
For guys, the most sensitive areas were the tip of the foreskin, and the area on the underside of the penis just below the glans called the frenulum. For the ladies, the most receptive regions were the inner labia.
3. Yes, you can break that boner
It may sound like a scene from a horror movie, but penile rupture is very real. It tends to happen mostly during vigorous sex, but overly.
4. Shrinkage is not a myth
Cold weather and cold water are a penis’ mortal enemies. Testicles need to be warm to effectively make sperm and testosterone.
5. Smoking is not just bad for your lungs
It’s no secret that smoking clogs the arteries, including those that fill the penis with blood at that critical moment. This means smokers may have a harder time rising to the occasion. Bet he quits now!
6. It has a mind of its own
Because the penis is controlled by the nervous system, erections can occur at random.
7. Our men stack up pretty well compared to other mammals
Here’s some good news to share with your sweetie: his erect organ is actually pretty large compared to other animals. Chimpanzees, for instance, have equipment that’s about half the size of the human male’s. Of course, our guys do pale in comparison to the blue whale, whose penis is 11 feet long (but who needs that!).
8. Curves are common
The vast majority of penises lean ever so slightly to the left or right when rigid (you were probably just too distracted to notice). However some bend so dramatically (or curve up or down) that having sex is almost impossible.
9. Don’t blame your father
Unlike those baby blues, penis size, thickness and shape are not genetic. Penises are actually formed in utero when those wild and crazy male hormones kick-in. So if your guy’s unhappy with what he’s got, he has no one to point the finger (or any other appendage) at but Mother Nature.
10. Men are programmed to finish quickly
The true purpose of intercourse is procreation and men have evolved to have sex just long enough to get the job done. In fact 85 per cent of guys can seal the deal in three minutes or less; however it’s the wise man who hangs in there long enough for his partner to catch up – especially if he wants her to make breakfast in the morning.