While most talk of body image issues in modern culture has to do with women, it’s important for men to be aware of how concerns about male organ size may be affecting them. It’s extremely common for men to fret about the length of their members, and this worry can cause significant self-esteem and performance issues, meaning it can have a negative impact on male organ health and mental well-being. A man’s rod is treated by society as a symbol of virility, masculinity and power; this gives men a skewed sense of how long their organs should be. Many of men’s concerns in this department are based on both misconceptions and an unhealthy way of thinking about their bodies. Below, men can learn facts about male organ size and function that should help to put groundless fears to rest.

1. What’s Average?

Any large sample of men will yield a wide array of measurements. Generally, people measure the male organ when it is stiff.

The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) analyzed over 50 studies into male organ size conducted since 1942 and involving more than 11,000 organs. They found the average hard male organ length to be between 5.5 and 6.3 inches. Interestingly, a 2013 study found that tumescent length was partly dependent on the stimulus; men who received mouth play or intimate time with a partner had larger stiff organs than those who relied on fantasy to get hard.

2. Growers and Show-ers

The length of the soft male organ is not an indicator of the length of the organ when it’s stiff. Most men are “growers,” meaning their rods lengthen significantly when they are stimulated. Fewer men are “show-ers,” with long soft male organs that tend to grow less significantly when hard.

3. Female Organ Facts

A woman who has not given birth has an average canal length of 3 inches, meaning even a short tumescent member can fill it. When stimulated, the female organ lengthens to about 4 inches; it can further lengthen to accommodate a larger male organ, but such a member is not necessary for pleasure. The famous G-spot is located about 3 inches in on the front wall of the female organ; men of just about any length can experiment with positions to provide a female partner with a tantalizing experience.

4. Partner Perceptions

In an article written for NetDoctor.co.uk, Dr. David Delvin and psychotherapist Christine Webber report a very interesting fact about partner perceptions of male organ size: Many men who prefer male partners wish they had larger organs, although they don't want partners with particularly large members. The authors also say that many women are turned off or frightened by unusually large male organs. It is likely that men are far more concerned about the size of their members than their partners are.

5. Enhancement Products

Part of the reason men may feel inadequate downstairs is the barrage of male organ enhancement advertisements they are subjected to. Rather than serving a valid need, these products play off men’s fears and self-consciousness. Much like the plethora of beauty products marketed to women can leave them feeling inadequate, male organ products can do the same for men. Also, they almost certainly don’t work to make the package bigger. Remember: Someone is just trying to make money off men’s fears, not provide a needed service.

6. Smoking Shortens the Male Organ

While there isn’t much that can be done to lengthen the male organ (aside from a dangerous surgical procedure), there is something men can do to shorten their members, and that’s cigarette smoking. Smoking interferes with blood flow to the organ, leading to length loss of up to 0.4 inches.

7. No Ideal Length

Just as there is no ideal body type, size or dimension for women, there is no ideal male organ length. This is a hard thing for men to accept, given the messages they are surrounded by from childhood on. But the length of the member does not embody a man’s personality, character, strength or sensual prowess. These things are, for the most part, matters of attitude and approach. By adopting a different perspective on his tool, a man can overcome an unnecessary obsession with its size.

There are, however, worthwhile things a man can do to improve the form and function of his member, such as using a high-quality male organ health cream (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil). Such products contain natural moisturizers (like Shea butter and vitamin E) to soften the male skin, as well as nutrients (like vitamin C and L-arginine) to support ample blood flow to the member. Men can show their male organs some love – whatever their size – with a daily application of nourishing cream.