Masturbation / Question
Published: May 23, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I've heard that masturbation in males will slow my development and reduce my penis size because of testosterone imbalance or something. Is this true? I'm 17 and rather small (4) is there anything I can do?
Signed: Masturbation Slows Puberty?
Dear Masturbation Slows Puberty?,
There are many false myths about how masturbation can cause health problems. As a matter of fact, masturbation causes no medical problems and it is a healthy sexual activity. Although some people look at masturbation negatively, it is a healthy activity that most people, including teenagers, do to release their sexual impulses and to pleasure themselves.
Masturbation will not have any effect on when puberty starts or its course. See TeenHealthFX's answer (masturbation & penis size link). This has all been predetermined by genetics and cannot be altered by manual stimulation. Puberty lasts for a few years and everyone's body changes at a different pace. The penis initially grows in length and then the width increases.
Your penis size sounds completely normal and you may even experience a little more penis growth throughout the rest of your teen years. There have been many studies on the average penis size. The average adult male penis size is about 6 inches with an erection. For a teenager whose body is still growing, the average erect penis size is between 2 - 5 inches. This is an average, some males will be larger and some males will be smaller, and this will depend on the person's stage of physical development.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding at the time of the crash and 24% had been drinking.
