SEX IN THE ‘DESH: Does Size Matter?
By Bushra Mollick
@bushramollick
@bdsexeducation
“Amar nunu ki beshi soto?”, which translates to “Is my penis too small?”
As soon as I began BD Sex Education, my inbox was quickly flooded with size-related questions as my following grew.
“Ami ki kheye boro korte parbo?”
“What can I eat to make my penis bigger?”
After receiving a plethora of penis-related questions, I quickly created a FAQ page on the BD Sex Education site. My answer to this question? That your penis is “Q” as is and there is nothing you can technically do, to make it any bigger.
Public opinion around penis size has varied throughout history. In ancient Greece, smaller penises were created on sculptures to suggest a “civilized” man. According to the Kama Sutra, penis size varied and could be referred to as a hare, the bull, or the horse.
According to Bed Bible, the average penis size is between 5.1 and 5.5 inches long, although this does not clarify the average for which country. The average penis size varies per country and it is typically proportional to the person’s height.
One factor that certainly adds to the obsession over size is pornography. Like women, men also face societal pressures to look a certain way and that includes having male appendages similar to porn stars. As more Bangladeshis have access to smartphones and the internet, many find ways to surpass blocked websites through VPNs.
Pornography creates unrealistic expectations toward sex. I shouldn’t be the first person to tell you this, but no woman likes to be jackhammered unless she explicitly asks you to. These unrealistic expectations cannot only create intimacy issues for Bangladeshis back home who are uncertain about consummating relationships, but they also create self-esteem issues towards one’s “size.” There is no one-size-fits-all penis and your linga is fine the way it is.
Many Bangladeshis are also susceptible to misinformation, particularly in the form of “road doctors” selling herbs and “holistic” medicine with the promise of pregnancy, curing diseases, and yes, sex enhancements. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder, if our parents are so keen on us becoming doctors, shouldn’t they be less gullible of scam artists?
As I answered the messages in my inbox, I couldn’t help but think back to how my own peers felt. Penis size cannot measure your “manhood,” the person you are, or how successful you will be. But where does the insecurity stem from? Pornography.
According to Web Root, pornography is a $16.8 billion business in the United States alone. With more viewers every day, the images and acts depicted, have a direct correlation to personal relationships and self-esteem. Fight the New Drug, an American organization dedicated to sharing awareness surrounding the effects of porn, suggests that viewing pornography excessively can lead to lower self-esteem and poorer mental health.
I am not here to tell you whether or not you should watch porn, but excessive viewing of porn can certainly have negative effects on the way you view your body and others’. As humans, we can’t help but compare ourselves to the people we see on screen or in the media from time to time. From comparing penis size to comparing breast size, and even genitalia color, porn negatively affects the way we look at our bodies.
As your favorite Bengali sex educator, I encourage you all, regardless of your gender identity, to love your bodies as they are. Whether your nunu is choto, or boro, lomba, or kato, it is fine as is.
Stay encouraged, friends.
Source:
June, K. et. al. (updated, 2022) “Penis Size Statistics – What is the average penis size (length and width) around the world?”. Accessed at https://bedbible.com/penis-size-statistics/