Jelqing: the latest in a long history of attempts to enlarge the male member

By Adam Taylor, Lancaster University

Advice about a penis-enlargement method called jelqing (also “jelquing”) is being widely shared online. Posts advise that stretching a semi-erect penis could add up to an inch in length and girth by exploiting the body’s repair mechanisms.

Jelqing is just the latest in a long line of dubious penis enlargement techniques stretching (sorry) back millennia.

The ancient Greek method of lengthening the foreskin with a kynodesme (dog leash) seems positively mild compared with ancient Indian methods. A Sanskrit text on medicine and surgery, called the Sushruta Samhita, advises rubbing the penis with bristled insects, then oils and then more bristled insects, which probably caused short-term enlargement due to infection or inflammation.

Then there are the men of the Brazilian Topinamá tribe who, in the 16th century, allowed poisonous snakes to bite their penises to increase size.

These days, pills are more likely to be proffered as a method of penis enlargement. They are far less painful than bristled insects and poisonous snakes, but equally as ineffective.

Most penis-enlargement pills are probably nothing more than vitamins. Although there are drugs, such as Viagra, that enhance the stiffness of the penis, they treat erectile dysfunction.

Penis pumps are also used for erectile dysfunction, but unlike some online claims, they don’t lengthen the penis. And persistent or incorrect use of these devices can lead to bruising, bleeding or penile tissue death.

Penis stretching devices require significant daily time investment over prolonged periods. There are small studies that show some improvement, but these are over ten years old and haven’t led to larger studies or a revolution in treatments.

Surgical interventions

Penoplasty or phalloplasty surgeries are most effective for lengthening the penis. They are typically used for men with a decreased penis length following prostatectomy (removal of the prostate gland) or other conditions where the length of the penis is affected by structural factors, such as being buried by skin.

Fillers are increasing in popularity, particularly hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. HA is popular because it is doesn’t generate an immune response.

Read Full Story https://theconversation.com/jelqing-the-latest-in-a-long-history-of-attempts-to-enlarge-the-male-member-222634