How Does The Penis Change

By Andrew Kline MD Medical Consultant
June 11, 2017

Erectile Dysfunction

By Andrew Kline MD Medical Consultant
February 28, 2012

It is a proven fact that a man's libido decreases as he gets older. His testosterone levels lessen, and it requires more effort for arousal. At that point, a man will achieve an erection and an orgasm but it takes quite a bit longer especially if he wants to become aroused again soon thereafter. As a man gets older the quality and amount of his semen starts to go down. Erectile dysfunction (ED), also referred to as impotence, is a result of older age; after the age of forty, studies have proven that there are roughly 30% of all men who are potent as compared to 60% for the under forty year old group.

Older men also find that it is much harder to urinate. Because older men often have enlarged prostates, the pressure put on the urethra causes a greatly weakened stream of urine.

How the Penis Ages:

Also, independent research has proven a man's penis is likely to change in size and appearance starting at approximately age thirty and continuing through old age.

These changes include:

1. Appearance: The head of the penis (glans) starts to pale in color, because of a reduction of the flow of blood. And some of the pubic hair starts to fall out. "As testosterone wanes, the penis gradually reverts to its prepubertal, mostly hairless, state," a quote from Irwin Goldstein, MD, director of sexual medicine at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

2. Penis Size: Weight gain often happens as a person gets older. As the torso starts to thicken, the apparent size of the penis changes. "A large prepubic fat pad makes the penile shaft look shorter," says Ira Sharlip, MD, clinical professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco. "In some cases, abdominal fat all but buries the penis," says Ronald Tamler, MD, PhD, co-director of the Men's Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "One way I motivate my overweight patients is by telling them that they can appear to gain up to an inch in size simply by losing weight."

   Aside from the penis appearing to be smaller in size, there is also an actual reduction in size. The decrease in length and girth normally is not all that large but apparent to the naked eye. "If a man's erect penis is 6 inches long when he is in his 30s, it might be 5 or 5-and-a-half inches when he reaches his 60s or 70s," says Goldstein.

   What is the cause of penile shrinkage? The build up of fatty deposits (plaques) inside the arteries of the penis, which blocks the flow of blood. This is called atherosclerosis, and it contributes to blockages inside the coronary arteries -- a major cause of heart attacks. Goldstein explains that there is another mechanism that involves the gradual buildup of relatively inelastic collagen (scar tissue) within the stretchy fibrous sheath that surrounds the erection chambers. Erections occur when these chambers fill with blood. Blockages within the penile arteries -- and increasingly inelastic chambers -- mean smaller erections.

   As a man's penis gets smaller, so does his testicles. "Starting around age 40, the testicles definitely begin to shrink," says Goldstein. The testicles of a 30-year-old man might measure 3 centimeters in diameter, he says; those of a 60-year-old, perhaps only 2 centimeters.

   Curvature. In the event of an uneven accumulation of scar tissue, the penis can experience a distinct curvature. This is Peyronie's disease, which normally occurs after the age of forty. This can result in painful erections and it causes sex to be difficult if not impossible. Surgery of the groin area may be necessary.

3. Sensitivity: It is a proven fact that, in time, the penis experiences less sensitivity. This can be a major obstacle to having a normal sex life. It is possible at this point for orgasms to be less than satisfactory.

   But take heart: these changes won't necessarily ruin your libido. Recent studies have shown major declines in erections and ejaculation-- but much smaller decreases in satisfying sex. "Older men may be less likely to perceive these declines as a problem and be dissatisfied," concluded the study's authors.

   To quote Goldstein, "The most important ingredient for a satisfying sex life is the ability to satisfy your partner, and that doesn't require peak sexual performance or a big penis. As long as a man's partner enjoys sexual intercourse, he feels like a god."