– but it curves down a great deal, like a banana and sometimes more. At first I thought it was because I wasn't fully hard. But I did some reading, and I'm starting to think it's because I wear briefs, not boxers. Something on the Internet explained that when you have a erection and it can't expand (as when you wear briefs), the muscle gets damaged. You're the experts – is this shape natural, or should I look toward switching to boxers?
- age 17, Pennsylvania
It is almost certainly natural and has nothing to do with your underwear type. Check out our Science Corner article on Penis Anatomy & Erection – you'll see that most of the penis is made of 3 erectile structures called the corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum. (There's no muscle in the shaft part of the penis, so that right there casts a bad light on the Internet source you were reading.) These 3 structures, like most parts of the genitals, grow a great deal during puberty. If all 3 grow to exactly the same size, the penis will be perfectly straight when erect – but if any one grows more than the others, the erect penis will have a curve. This curve is made more noticable due to the fact that when the structures fill with blood, any size differences among them get exaggerated. In your case, the corpus spongiosum is probably a little shorter than the others, causing the penis to curve downward; if one of the corpora cavernosa is smaller than the others, the penis will curve to that side. In any case, there's nothing "damaged" about your penis – and unless the curve is severe (like, 90 degrees of curve), it should not be a problem when you have sex.
Do you find yourself masturbating more often during some seasons than others? Why?
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