Blokes with a micropenis suffer in silence here's how to check if you have one

Hundreds of thousands of British men suffer in silence with what is cruelly called a "micropenis". The medical condition is often the butt of jokes on playgrounds and in group chats up and down the country but having a tiny todger is not a laughing matter as it impacts confidence, relationships and even using the toilet.

To be diagnosed with a 'micropenis', a man's appendage must measure less than 2.9in (7.5 cm) long when erect. The average Brit's manhood is 5.25in (13.3cm). The condition is said to affect 0.5% of men in the UK, meaning about 170,000 blokes.

Small penis activist Michael Phillips has bravely been speaking out about the condition and says he has the smallest willy in the world. Earlier this year, the North Carolina resident opened up to This Morning's Cat Deeley and Ben Sheppard about his struggles.

He said: "I was probably in high school, and dealing with girlfriends and stuff like that, I thought I was a late bloomer, maybe one day it would be normal size. But it never happened."

When Ben enquired whether it was ever something he could discuss with his family, Michael, who also disclosed that he was adopted, confirmed that, regrettably, his condition was something he felt he could never mention.

He continued: "I kept it to myself, when I was in my teens and twenties, I was always single even though I had friends. They wondered why I wasn't dating and I didn't want to go through that."

Whilst it wasn't particularly problematic during his teenage years because he refused to tackle the subject, Michael explained that it's certainly something that has affected his romantic life as an adult and disclosed some of the unexpected obstacles he encounters daily. He stated: "I kept it secret, I didn't get picked on because nobody new.

"I can't go out and have a one night stand but it also affects my ability to use a restroom, my confidence. Even sitting down can be tricky with the clean up and everything. I've tried everything possible. You can be upfront, you can try to talk to somebody, sometimes you don't say nothing at all."

How to grow your micropenis and causes

Medical treatment for blokes suffering with a "micropenis" is surprisingly simple if diagnosed during a boy's infant years. Sadly, the condition often goes unnoticed until their teenage years when treatment is a lot more complex.

At birth, baby boys have their penile length measured but a 2022 study in the Journal of the Endocrine Society warned it is often done incorrectly. Meaning, many boys with a micropenis miss being diagnoses at birth and easily treated in infancy.

Hormone therapy can be used to effectively treat the condition in infants by telling the testicles to start producing testosterone and kick-start penis growth. The same 2022 review found that testosterone injected into muscle once a month for three months led to increased penis length by more than 100% in some boys typically under the age of three.

Dr Shafi Wardak, a consultant urologist and andrologist at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, told the Daily Mail: "This can lead to a noticeable increase in penile length in many cases."

Sadly, the penis only has two windows for growth in the womb up to the first few months after birth and through childhood and into puberty. After these periods, the hormone receptors shut down.

Meaning, adult men only have one medical treatment available to them surgery. For most cases of micropenis, the procedure is simple.

Professor Don Lee, a consultant urological surgeon at University College London, said: "In most men, up to a third of the penis is actually hidden beneath the skin and anchored to the pubic bone. If there is enough tissue, we can sometimes free some of that length [by freeing the tissues anchoring it] to give the man just enough size to have sex."

However, for the most severe cases of micropenis, the road is a lot longer and more complicated. A new penis is made from skin, fat, blood vessels and nerves taken from the forearm or thigh.

Sensation is maintained by putting the head of the old penis on the underside of the new. Prof Lee explained: "One part of the tissue removed is rolled into a tube to create the urethra, so the man can pass urine. The rest is wrapped around it to form the body of the penis."

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