Enough About Penis Length — Let’s Talk About Girth

When we talk about penis size, we usually focus on length — but that leaves out another very important measurement: girth. By that, we generally mean the circumference at its widest section. Just like with length, there’s a wide variation in what “normal” girth looks like — and in what individual people prefer. 

According to a 2014 British Journal of Urology International study that synthesized data from over 15,000 penis measurements (now that's commitment to science), the average circumference of an erect penis is 4.59 inches; for a flaccid penis, it's 3.67 inches. (As for length, the average is 5.16 inches while erect, and 3.61 inches when flaccid.) However, the graph of the data shows that there’s a wide range of sizes.

A 2001 BMC Women’s Health study found that a large majority of cis women surveyed — 45 out of the 50, or 90% — believed that width was more important than length. Although the researchers stated a need for further study, they concluded, “Penis width needs to be given more consideration, and taken into account when one discusses penis size.”

A quick search through Reddit shows there’s plenty of people who prefer a short, girthy penis to a long, skinny one. “Dudes are always talking about how long their penis is when mentioning penis size, and although penis size overall doesn't matter that much for enjoyable sex, how long a penis is especially doesn't matter. The only thing that matters much, insofar as penis size matters, is girth,” one Redditor wrote in a comment on a post about the length vs. girth debate.

“Girth matters way more than length, although length can look impressive. However, neither are a dealbreaker in any way. It's more like, 'Oh, that's a nice surprise!' I've never really thought, 'Oh, that's kind of disappointing' though,” another added.

Another British Journal of Urology International (yes, them again) backs this up. A 2007 study found that 85% of women were happy with the size and shape of their partner’s penis, while 45% of men surveyed thought their penis was too small. 

Notice that even people who love penis girth so much they’re ready to fight about it on Reddit make sure to say that size isn’t a dealbreaker. If they’re into someone, they’ll still be into them if they learn that that person has a not-so-girthy penis. As they say, it’s not the size — or width — of the boat, it’s the motion of the ocean, after all.