Most people have a pretty good idea how the heart works, where the lungs and kidneys are located, and what happens to food as it works its way through the digestive system. But nearly half of the human bodies in the world have this odd-looking appendage dangling between their legs, and most people know nothing about it. Take this quiz to test your knowledge about the anatomy and functioning of man’s favorite organ.

 

1. True or false: The penis undergoes virtually no change in size or appearance as a man ages.

☐  True

☐  False

 

2. Which of the following does NOT affect a man’s penis power?

☐  A.  vasectomy

☐  B.  anxiety

☐  C.  nicotine

☐  D.  high blood pressure

 

3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 20 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur each year in the United States. Which of these is the most common?

☐  A.  genital herpes

☐  B.  syphilis

☐  C.  chlamydia

☐  D.  gonorrhea

 

4. According to the National Institutes of Health, how many men in the United States suffer from some form of erectile dysfunction?

☐  A.  3 to 5 million men

☐  B.  15 to 30 million men

☐  C.  fewer than 1 million men

☐  D.  more than 100 million men

 

5. True or false: Phalloplasty is an effective surgical technical for lengthening the penis.

☐  True

☐  False

 

Check your selections against the correct answers below.

____________________

 

ANSWERS

 

  1. True. While your other organs degenerate, your skin wrinkles, your waistline expands, your hair gets gray, and your scalp starts to show through, your aging penis continues to look nearly the same as it always did. What does change with age is how the penis behaves.

 

  1. A. Vasectomy is a safe, effective method of birth control for men. Basically, vasectomy stops only the passage of sperm so that none of it is included in the semen a man ejaculates. There is no reduction in sensation, no lowering of desire, no less circulating testosterone, and no loss of ability to get or keep an erection.

 

  1. C. Chlamydia remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States. It is estimated there are more than 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia each year. The good news is that virtually all of the common sexually transmitted infections, with the notable exception of AIDS, can be completely cured or are self-limited.

 

  1. B. Erectile dysfunction affects as many as 30 million men in this country, half of whom are under the age of 60. ED is increasingly prevalent with age: about 40% of men are affected at age 40 and almost 70% of men are affected at age 70.

 

  1. False. Phalloplasty and lengthening procedures are the inventions of hucksters, charlatans, and fakes. Not only are they ineffective, they are also highly risky. There is no medically or surgically effective way to lengthen the penis safely.

 

 

Image by Animated Heaven (public domain)