Author: Jay Patterson
Jay Patterson
Jay Patterson is a passionate Men's Wellness Advocate with a mission to normalize open and informed conversations about the most personal aspects of men's health. He brings a compassionate, holistic perspective, understanding that true wellness weaves together physical, mental, and intimate well-being. With a background in health communication, Jay specializes in creating a safe, judgment-free space for men to find reliable information. He is dedicated to providing clear, respectful, and evidence-based guidance on the topics that matter most to your quality of life, from the bedroom to the boardroom.
Q. I have a burrow-like opening on the shaft of my penis, and inside is a seed-like object. What is this? A. Of course I can’t be sure what you have without examining you personally. You should certainly see a doctor to find out exactly what you have. From your description, however, a possible explanation is that you have an epidermal cyst. This is the most common type of cyst (fluid-filled growth) found on the body. These cysts are commonly found on the scrotum and, less frequently, on the shaft of the penis.
Q. What is the best way to clean the penis if you are not circumcised? A. The best way to clean an adult uncircumsised penis is to retract the foreskin and wash the glans with soap and water daily. When a man is not circumcised, the foreskin can secrete a cheesy substance called smegma. This should be washed off daily.
Q. My boyfriend has a very small penis. It’s the size of my little finger. This is something we do not talk about. Someone told me this is called a micropenis. Is this right? Is there anything that can be done with it to increase its size? Why didn’t it develop properly? How common is this? I’m at a loss about this situation. A. A micropenis is usually diagnosed at birth. The penis of a newborn boy is, on average, 1.9cm (about three-fourths of an inch) in length. When a newborn’s penis measures 2.5 standard deviations below average, it is…
Q. I read your article on Peyronie’s disease, in which you discuss treating the plaque by injecting it with medication. Do these treatments make sense when the trauma took place 13 years ago? I was 11 at the time. Or is it too late now for me to be treated? A. Peyronie’s disease is scarring along the shaft of the penis. The scarring is a result of trauma to the penis. In most instances, the trauma may have occurred as much as 20 years earlier. In fact, most men can’t remember the event.
Q. I have noticed a rigid line that runs from my pelvic area down my penis ending below the head with a bump or small knot. It has a dull pain most of the time. Should I be concerned? A. Yes, you should be concerned. In fact, from the information you have provided, it sounds as if you may have thrombophlebitis in a vein on the penis. Thrombophlebitis is a term used to describe a vein with a blood clot in it. The clot can be a sign of infection in the vessel, which may make it red and cause…
Q. Recently I have seen lot of ads on increasing penis size. I have read about pumps as well as surgical lengthening. While the surgical method seems to be believable, I question whether the pump method is viable. I feel that I need more length, as I am only about five and a half inches. Will any of these methods yield results? A. You are right, there are a lot of ads and promotional materials relating to penile enlargement. Let me caution you, though, that I don’t know of any methods that work. Moreover, you may want to be aware…
Q. I’m 22 and my sex organ is too small for my age and height. I’m five feet seven inches tall and weigh about 158 pounds. What should I do to attain a normal size sex organ? A. To start with, the penis in healthy human males varies greatly in size, so much so that it’s hard to establish what’s “normal.” It is accepted that the penis needs to be long enough to enable the man to stand up to urinate, to allow penetration during sexual intercourse, and to avoid embarrassment when seen by others. Beyond this, medical literature does…
Q. I’m 18, and I’ve been having a problem for about two months. For two weeks of vacation, I spent almost eight or nine hours a day having sex with my girlfriend. The last day of vacation, I noticed my penis was cut-up and red. For the last two months I have done nothing with it other then shower. Then I masturbated, and the same thing happened again. It hurts unbearably, and I don’t know what to do. The part of the penis that is cut up is lighter in color then the rest of it. A. First, you should…
Q. I’m 29. About three months ago, I was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection. I took antibiotics and it cleared up. Then I started having pain where the penis joins the body. The doctor diagnosed it as a pulled groin muscle. I took an anti-inflammatory medicine for a week and the pain subsided. However, now, two weeks later, the pain has come back. It is a dull pain that spreads into the groin and hurts the most after the penis has been erect for awhile. Some days are very painful. Could this be related to the infection, or is…
Q. My husband has two tender tears on his foreskin. Could this be from rough sex? A. Normally it is quite difficult to tear the foreskin during sex. It is common, though, for the foreskin to have a problem that causes it to stretch and tear during the retraction of the skin over the head of the penis. Such problems of the foreskin include inflammation, improper care of the foreskin and (rarely) penile cancer.