Men's Experiences and Psychological Outcomes of Nonsurgical Medical Penile Girth Augmentation: A Preliminary Prospective Study

Abstract

Background: The popularity of penile augmentation procedures is increasing, but investigation into men's experiences with these procedures and their impact on psychological well-being is lacking. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate men's experiences with nonsurgical medical penile girth augmentation and assess, based on valid psychological measures, the impacts these procedures have on psychological well-being. Methods: Men seeking to undergo a girth augmentation (n = 19) completed an online questionnaire prior to their procedure and 6 months later that contained standardized measures assessing impacts of the procedure, penile size self-discrepancy, body dysmorphic disorder, psychological distress, self-esteem, and body image-related quality of life. Girth size was also measured preprocedure and 6 months postprocedure for a subsample of men. Results: Almost half of the men reported positive impacts of "increased self-confidence"and "increased sexual pleasure"after their procedure. Despite an average girth increase of 3.29 cm, the men still perceived that their penile girth and length was less than what they should be or less than the ideal size after their augmentation procedure. However, this perceived discrepancy was significantly smaller than before their procedures. Prior to the procedure, the men who met diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphic disorder according to self-reported questionnaire (11%, n = 2/19) and clinical interview (7%, n = 1/15) lost this diagnosis at 6 months. There were no changes in psychological distress, self-esteem, or body image-related quality of life from pre-to postprocedure. Conclusions: Men report positive impacts on their lives after penile girth augmentation, but impacts on broader psychological well-being are mixed. Level of Evidence: 4: