A Curved Penis – When to Be Concerned

Most men think their equipment should be straight as an arrow, but the fact of the matter is that the majority of men have a slightly curved penis – both while flaccid and erect.  It is normal for men to get anxious about something they feel is abnormal – particularly when it is below the belt – but a curved member is no reason for embarrassment, hiding, or insisting the lights go off before the pants do.  With some exceptions, men with a curving penis were probably just born that way, and should try to embrace the uniqueness and focus more on maintaining a healthy penis.  After all, it is more important to have a working penis than a picture perfect shaft.  

What causes a curved penis?

While a bending male organ may seem like a cause for concern, the bottom line is that a curve to the left, right, up or down is likely just the way it came.  The curve has likely been there since birth, but it didn’t rear it’s ugly little head (literally and figuratively) until sexual activity became more frequent or important in life.  There are rumors flying around that too frequent masturbation may have caused the curve, or that switching to the other hand for self-pleasure could reverse the curve.  Those ideas are both false.  However, while too frequent masturbation is not the cause for a leftward lean, too rough or physical masturbation or sex can lead to a curvature of the penis.  More on that later.

Will this make sex more difficult or painful?

For the majority of men, a slight curve in the penis will not be noticed or felt during sexual intercourse.  A woman’s vagina does not have the same ability for touch and sensation as the hands or fingers, so unless it has a severe curve – say a 45 degree angle or more – she is unlikely to feel the difference during intercourse.  In cases of severe penis curvature, getting an erection, ejaculating, and intercourse can all become more difficult, and in some cases painful for the man and his partner.  Such an extreme condition is known as Peyronie’s disease and is an advanced type of penis curvature caused by injury to the penis, and is not present at birth.

Is a curved penis ever a problem?

Short version: yes, it can be. Peyronie’s disease occurs when scar tissue and plaque builds up on the shaft of the penis, essentially shortening one side of the penis and causing it to curve.  Peyronie’s generally evolves slowly, as the plaque deposits increase over time. However, it is possible for the condition to occur virtually overnight, in the case of a severe trauma to the penis typically brought on during rough or particularly creative sex gone wrong.

Is there a way to cure a curved penis?

In the case of the gentle, non-painful curving of the penis, there is no need for medical treatment.  Even in men with Peyronie’s disease, medical treatment typically does not happen until the curve has made sex impossible.  The most common form of treatment is surgery to remove the plaque area and possibly implant a device to help keep the penis straight. 

Prevention is most certainly the best option to avoid extreme curvature of the penis.  Avoiding extremely rough masturbation or sex, which can break down the tissue and cause scarring of the penis, is one way to avoid direct injury to the penis.  Using athletic padding, and especially wearing an athletic cup when engaging in high contact sports, could stave off injury as well.

A high-quality penis health formula (most professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) can help keep the penis – gentle curve and all – healthy by increasing blood flow to the area and moisturizing the delicate skin of the penis.  Specially formulated with vitamins and minerals, a penis crème may also help improve or reduce the presence of scar tissue that can result in Peyronie’s disease.