Penis size is the leading cause for seeking sexual counseling service

Penis size and aesthetics were the leading causes of concern for more than 2,000 men who sought free sexual counseling service, Among women, most consultations were about lack of orgasm, according to a survey reported last Wednesday in São Paulo.

According to sexologist Alfredo Romero, director of the Brazilian Institute for Sexual Health (Ibrasexo), which offers such service, penis size is a constant preoccupation among men. "Even those who are normal-sized, or even above average, are worried, as they thing size is significant in sexual pleasure", he said.

Of the 2,202 men who sought the service by phone, fax, letter or e-mail, 28% inquired about penile aesthetics (penis size and shape), 16.71% asked questions about premature ejaculation and 9.83% about erectile dysfunction. Romero mentioned a study by the American Academy of Phalloplasty that also showed that penis size was the top concern among men. "They asked men which body part they wish they could improve and 85% of them answered the penis", he explained.

This worry does not always correspond to reality. According to the specialist, a survey conducted by the institute he directs showed that among 900 men surveyed, the average length was 14cm (in erection). "The normal length is between 12 and 16 cm", he said. In the case of women, who represented 16.4% of the people who sought the service, the greatest concern was with lack of orgasm (4.64%) and alteration in desire (4.29%).

According to the doctor, some of women's worries sometimes result from problems associated to men. "Because of lack of information about human sexuality, women don't know that they do not have orgasm because their partners have premature ejaculation", he said. Questions about sexually transmitted diseases (STD) generally represented 4.03%. Of these questions, 30% were about Aids. Information and clarification about contraceptive methods totaled 2.41% of all questions submitted to the service.

Romero believes that the lower incidence of questions about diseases connected to sexual life is due to a greater dissemination of information about these subjects, such as Aids prevention campaign, which encourage the use of condoms. The service received 2,897 questions related to human sexuality between August 2001 and July 2002. Men were the ones who asked most questions: more than 80%. Only 16% were women.

Reuters