In my last post here on The Better Sex Blog, I talked about some of the reasons why myths and misconceptions about the penis abound. I also mentioned the penis mystique.

What is the Penis Mystique?

The penis mystique is that curious realm where the hard data of biology meets the unpredictable and mysterious realm of the mind and emotions.

Today’s doctors should be able to competently answer these questions for their patients:

What makes the penis work and what makes it not work?

Why does the penis seem to have a mind of its own?

Why does the penis get hard sometimes and not others?

Why are some sexual experiences more satisfying than others, even though the exact same reflex action occurs with every orgasm?

What is normal and what is not?

Men wonder about all of these things, but they are usually too embarrassed to inquire about them. And if they do ask their doctors, they usually get inadequate answers.

The truth is, we do not know enough about these issues scientifically. Unfortunately, the psychic realm of the penis is being ignored in medical education, except in psychiatry classes, where the discussion is confined to abnormalities. This is a major problem. If men cannot turn to doctors for this vital information, whom can they ask?

Unfortunately, most men get their most influential penis education from the street corner, locker room banter, pornography, racy novels, magazines, and the images broadcast on the screens of the mass media.

This is not education. Knowledge of the penis is so central to a man’s being—so natural, so normal, and so vital—that we must bring it out of the closet and into the light of day. If we do not, the damaging trend I have observed—the epidemic of self-doubt and insecurity—will continue to grow.