Human penis size: Encyclopedia II - Human penis size - Race and penis size

Human penis size - Race and penis size

While it is commonly accepted that physical differences between races do exist (such as eye color, hair texture, noses, height, and hip width), the subject of penis size variation between different races has been a taboo since it could imply one race is "superior" or "inferior" to another. The question of race and penis size is therefore very controversial, and has not been definitively established. Although there is a stereotype that Africans are larger on average compared to Caucasians, and East Asians are smaller— there are no reliable data backing these perceptions. There have been many studies with claims of varying rigor—for example, the LifeStyles condoms study—but they are generally flawed by selection bias. Frantz Fanon covers this subject in some detail in Black Skin, White Masks (1952), where he tends towards the view that the supposed positive correlation between large penises and African ancestry is a myth, a conclusion that he backs up with statistics. On the other hand, J. Philippe Rushton has published statistics claiming otherwise (Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective, 1995).

Some diseases can affect and even increase penis size. For example sickle cell anemia frequently lead to priapism which, while it can damage the penis, has been known to trigger megalopenis conditions due to anoxic damage to the tunica albuginea.

Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule propose that warm-blooded animals (which includes mammals) in warmer climates tend to have a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio, to aid in heat dissipation. The size and thickness of appendages contribute to this ratio.

The cultural issues involved with the question of race and penis size are complex. For example, in American history, African-American slaves were often perceived as hyper-sexual animals, as illustrated by the main character in Ralph Ellison's novel "Invisible Man".

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Race and penis size", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki