Stereotypes persisted throughout the studies (Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)
A look into preferences around penises and pubic hair has revealed that society’s standards are still very much alive and well.
In news that’ll shock absolutely no one, women find men with larger penises and trimmed pubic hair more attractive, with porn being cited as a factor in men’s insecurities about their size.
Daily Mail looked at recent US studies in academic journals on what people consider the ideal body, responding to new research that one in 15 men have sought procedures to change the size and shape of their penis.
One study from 2022, published in Sexuality & Culture, asked 106 college students (80% of whom were women) to rate 24 pictures of penises based on their length, girth, and the amount of pubic hair.
Participants ranked each on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) according various statements, from attractiveness to whether they looked like they were ‘good in bed,’ a ‘pleaser’, or a ‘pillow princess’.
The researchers said: ‘Penises which were wider, longer, and moderately hairy were perceived more positively in terms of personality and sexual appeal.’
Although many people would argue the opposite based on past experience, girth and length were judged as indicators of being both generous and highly-skilled in the bedroom.
Additionally, those with long pubic hair were seen as less agreeable, less open to new experiences, and most likely to have the smallest number of sexual partners compared to men with trimmed or no pubic hair.
Size still matters to some – but not when it comes to scrotums (Picture: Getty Images)
But bigger isn’t necessarily better, at least according to a 2023 study from the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology in which 653 men and women filled out questionnaires rating images of four scrotums.
The group, made up of 56.7% women and 42.3% men, were also asked about their partner’s genitals and whether they watched porn – 70% of whom had in the last six months – in an effort to find out why a growing number of men are having surgery to alter the appearance of their testicles.
They were then asked to rank 36 altered images using a sliding scale from -3 (very unattractive) to +3 (very attractive), with almost none of the scrotums being rated attractive aside from one.
Although women gave negative responses about all the scrotums, they were shown, men viewed scrotum 4 ‘as significantly more attractive’ than women did – especially when the photo was manipulated to make the testicles smaller.
Overall, however, the researchers concluded: ‘Ultimately, it was barely possible to identify a “beautiful” scrotum; we must instead speak of the least ugly.’ Harsh.
It’s important to remember that scientists look for averages and patterns, but there’s no such thing as a ‘bad’ body – and you don’t need to look a certain way to be considered attractive or satisfy a partner.
Not only are many people pretty clueless when it comes to penises, having a big one is often more of a curse than a blessing. As long as you’re receptive to a partner’s needs and open to learning and exploring, your size will be the last thing on any partner’s mind.
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