Most people think the penis is one of the least mysterious parts of the human body. Generally speaking, the penis is seen as being pretty straight-forward (pardon the pun) and few of us give it much thought beyond how well it performs. But there are some interesting facts about the penis which may give you a deeper appreciation for this unsung hero. Here we’ve brought together some of the most fascinating facts about the penis which may prompt you to rethink the way you see ‘The Old Chap’.
1. You Could Be Born With More Than One
Diphaillia is a rare condition where men are born with two penises or penes, for those of you who thought the plural might be peni. The condition is exceedingly rare, affecting 1 in 5.5 million men in the United States. The condition was first reported in 1609 by Johannes Jacob Wecker, a noted Swiss physician who primarily worked in the field of alchemy. Medical literature is scarce about the condition and treatment options remain somewhat limited. Case histories of the condition are rare and public knowledge of the condition is limited. In February of 2014, a man with the condition posted to the popular social media site Reddit with an Ask Me Anything (AMA) thread where he then fielded responses from over 12,000 posts.
2. The Human Penis Used to Have a Spine
Ask any Star Trek fan who’s willing to be honest and they’ll admit to having wondered about what a Klingon hard on looks like. Turns out it might have looked a lot like the human penis back in our Neanderthal days. Research has discovered that long before Neanderthals and modern humans parted ways, the male penis had spines, much like the ones found on the penis of cats today. They suck out of the penis all along the shaft, grating along the walls of the vagina throughout intercourse. Scientists believe the spines of a human penis aided in insemination as well as being an effective way to “scoop out” any semen left behind by other men.
3. The Human Penis Remains Malleable
The human body is a work of art, but it’s never truly finished. We all work to improve muscle tone, lose fat, grow or colour or hair and a million other small – and not so small – body modifications. Some things, such as foot and hand size, are fairly settled once you reach adulthood and while their appearance can change, their size cannot. The same cannot be said about the human penis. Men have been using a variety of methods to achieve penis enlargement for centuries. Throughout the ancient world, men developed methods for penis enlargement that included weights, exercises and stretching. Today, penis enlargement has gone high tech with traction devices backed by clinical research.
4. The Zombie Apocalypse Doesn’t Mean the End of Porn
While your girlfriend may say she loves you for your mind, she may be relieved to hear your brain isn’t necessary for climax. The signals which tell the reproductive organs to go into fireworks mode originate and travel through the nervous system via the spinal cord. That means that even a penis attached to one of the undead on the search for brains could still manage to have a bit of fun if he stumbles into the right Zombie Girl.
5. The Amazing Shrinking Penis (Not Really)
Koror is another fairly rare medical condition where people think their penis will eventually retract into their bodies. Women can suffer from this belief as well, though their fear focus on the vulva or their nipples. The history of Koro and beliefs like it can be found in nearly every major culture and treatment typically involves mainstream therapy as a well as traditional “cures” for the condition based on the culture of the patient. The condition continues to be rare but has become slightly more well-known thanks to an interest in sexual history and fetishism of the East.