Help!My manhood bends downwards when erect

Dear Eve,

My penis usually bends downwards when I am ready for sex instead of being straight. What could be the problem?

Dear Reader,

Thank you for asking this question. It is difficult to know how to answer your question in specific terms as I don’t have much information, e.g. any pain associated with the curving, or even when you first noticed this problem. All the same, I will discuss some common reasons for penile curvature.

I know we often talk about penises in terms of variance in size i.e. length and width, and whether or not that matters or how much it matters. However, penises do vary in curvature as well. In other words, the shape it takes while flaccid i.e. not erect and the shape it takes while erect vary from man to man.

Not necessarily bad

Believe it or not, there are men – and women – who wax lyrical about advantages of a curved penis and it’s positive impact on their sex lives. Curvature can mean the penis strategically hits certain pleasurable spots during intercourse, e.g. the sometimes elusive G-spot. It can also mean certain positions are more enjoyable.

Be kind to your penis

That being said, there can be other reasons for the curvature of a penis. One is too much masturbation, especially if you don’t use lubricant or are too rough, both of which can cause injuries that heal themselves by producing scar tissue. If you’re masturbating too much, remember this: be kind to your penis! There’s no reason to treat it so roughly especially if you expect it to keep serving your needs into old age. Yet another reason for a curved penis is Peyronie’s disease. I would like to spend a little more time discussing this as it can be scary yet it can also be easy to ignore or make fun of.

Trauma or injury

Curvature as a result of Peyronie’s disease is caused by the presence of scar tissue/plaque in the penis which affects how the penis curves when erect. It is usually as a result of trauma to the penis e.g. sexual misadventures or accidents especially those that directly hit the pelvic region which can include sporting injuries and car accidents. Sometimes the cause of the trauma or injury isn’t known to the man until they begin to notice a different curve to the penis.

Part of aging

Although it generally occurs in men 40 years and older, a population that experiences erections that are not as strong as they were in their youth — younger men can get it. Please note that it is not a normal part of aging. Symptoms vary from man to man; for some men, only a visualised curved penis acts as their main symptom while for others, pain when they have an erection is their most common symptom.

Normal sex life

As it pertains to sex, many men with Peyronie’s disease are able to have normal sexual intercourse. Many men are also able to father children and basically live a normal sex life. Peyronie’s disease does cause some difficulty for some men in terms of penetration. This is because it can be difficult to have sex if erections are painful for you. In addition, Peyronie’s can affect the length and strength of a man’s erection, making sexual intercourse

difficult.

Finally, continued sexual intercourse can continue to cause more tears in the penis, which heal by forming yet more scar tissue thus making the problem worse over time. It is therefore important to see a doctor if you suspect that some injury, trauma or other activity has caused your curved penis.

See a doctor

The doctor (usually a GP or Urologist) has many possible interventions for men who are diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease; these can range from giving it time to resolve on it’s own for milder cases – usually 6-24 months – to prescribing medications or surgical interventions. I know all this can sound scary but the solution is often better than the problem so find your courage and see your doctor as soon as you can so that you can get the proper care.

See the bright side

No matter our sexual anatomy, we can only have a vibrant sex life if we make the best of what the good Lord gave us so use go ahead and use your curved penis for the pleasure of both you and your partner. If you do have a curved penis as a result of simple biology, then stop worrying about it and instead, take advantage of your God-given sexual anatomy.

If you do see a doctor and get a clean bill of health but are still worried e.g. if you feel that it’s affecting your sex life, then e-mail me so we can make an appointment for you to come in and see me. This way, we’ll take a complete sexual history and develop appropriate interventions for you because you deserve a happy, healthy sex life.

Maggie Gitu holds an MA in Marriage & Family Therapy. She practices as a Marriage, Family & Sex Therapist and can be reached at

[email protected] or via her

Facebook page: Maggie Gitu