Background: Early recognition of phallic size abnormalities is essential to identify underlying endocrine and genetic disorders. Parents are concerned regarding their son’s penis length, especially obese and short-stature boys. This study aimed to investigate the factors of penile length in prepubertal boys aged 9-11 in Surabaya.
Methods: A cross-sectional analytic observational study was conducted between October and November 2021 during the community services program of the Andrology Study Program, Universitas Airlangga. One hundred forty-eight healthy boys aged 9-11 years were enrolled in this study. Penile parameters and anthropometric measures were recorded. Data were analyzed with Spearman Rho’s formula to correlate the variables studied.
Results: The average penile lengths and penile circumference of the penis were 6.3±1.4 and 5.2±1.0 cm, respectively. This study found two boys with micropenis (1.35%) with normal and overweight body mass index (BMI). The penile length was positively correlated with height but not with BMI.
Conclusion: Androgen and growth hormones significantly influence penile length. Children with abnormal BMI tend to have smaller penile sizes, associated with increasing androgen aromatization.
Keywords
Body mass index, micropenis, penile circumference, phallic size, short stature
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