Jelqing, Another Dangerous Online Male Sexuality Myth

Image by Darko Djurin from Pixabay

Jelqing is a technique of manual stimulation, which is alleged to increase the length and thickness of penises. The origins of jelqing are uncertain, but it’s claimed that it is a millennia-old technique from Muslim cultures, passed down from father to son. Today, this method is spread in online discussion groups such as Reddit.

“I’m seeing it mostly in young white dudes now, both in the office and in the questions I get asked online and from people in my personal life,” Justin Dubin, M.D., told me.

Dubin is a Florida urologist who specializes in men’s sexual health issues.

“Guys, in general, are reluctant to seek help on sexual health issues and are afraid of being outed if they do. I’ve done research that showed that anonymity and privacy were the main factors for men to seek help on sexual health issues. This is one main reason why men are more likely to seek online advice on these issues rather than going to a credible medical professional. Online, it’s a judgment-free space.”

Searches for jelqing reveal thousands of posts and comments referencing the technique, praising it, explaining it, teaching different methods, and often, asking whether it’s dangerous. Instructional videos for jelqing on YouTube (not linked, because these videos are often not safe for work (NSFW.) have millions upon millions of views. It’s not difficult to understand why this topic would be so attractive to men.

“Research finds that about 85 percent of women are satisfied with the size of their partner’s penis, but only 55 percent of men are satisfied with their own penis,” described Dubin. So, there are large groups of men who are concerned about the size of their penises, even though most of these men have average-sized genitalia.

Due to gender stereotypes and norms, men are taught to believe that a larger penis makes them more manly and more virile. Dubin says,

“Even in those men who are happy with their penis size, many of them would probably make it bigger if they were given the opportunity. So, jelqing has potential interest for much larger groups of men, compared to other online male sexual groups, such as semen retention, incels, or anti-masturbation groups, that really cater to smaller groups of more insecure and anxious men.”

Image by Taco Fleur from Pixabay

Urologists like Dubin strongly recommend against jelqing. The technique is believed to cause micro-tears in penile tissue, which allegedly lead to the penis healing and growing larger, the same way that weight-lifting causes muscles to tear and heal back stronger. Unfortunately, the analogy is not medicine; the tissues that make up the penis are not muscles and neither function nor heal in the same ways that muscle tissue does.

Urologists have previously complained that men who buy into online myths about how porn impacts their erections can be very challenging patients due to their resistance to medical advice that contradicts what they hear online. Increasingly, urologists are concerned about the men who buy into online myths about jelqing.

“We believe that micro-tears in penile tissue are a potential cause of Peyronie’s Disease (a syndrome of curvature, sometimes extreme, which dramatically affects male sexual function),” shared Dubin. “I have men come to me, in my office, and elsewhere, with bruising, pain, and damage to their penises. I’ve not seen men break their penis with jelqing. Still, jelqing may increase the risk of developing Peyronie’s in the future, which can shrink their penis, ultimately making their genital insecurity even worse.”

There’s no scientific evidence that jelqing works. Like most online sexual myths, such as semen retention or porn-induced erectile dysfunction, jelqing is largely promoted by anecdotal claims made by self-proclaimed fans of jelqing. Many fans claim, “Men wouldn’t have been doing this for a thousand years if it didn’t work.”

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But, there’s a major flaw in their logic; the men for whom jelqing didn’t work, or worse, was harmful, aren’t likely to admit it publicly. Doing so would be a confession that they had a small penis and still do. So, such men keep quiet.

Many online discussion groups on male sexual issues have significant themes of White supremacy, violence, conspiracy theories, misogyny, and homophobia. Often, these online groups are encouraged and promoted by self-proclaimed gurus who monetize these myths and sell coaching to other gullible men. Currently, neither of these dynamics appear to be significant in the online discussions of jelqing. However, it’s unclear if it’s because jelqing appeals to different groups of men or because online mainstream discussion of jelqing is relatively new.

“If I had a way to increase men’s penis, I’d be a billionaire,” said Dubin. “They don’t work. It’s not a conspiracy to suppress these methods because they’re forms of traditional medicine rejected by modern science, as some men claim. They just don’t work.”

Not only are these methods of penis enlargement ineffective, but they are often dangerous and harmful. A few years ago, a billionaire died in Paris during a penis enlargement surgery.

Image by SKYRADAR from Pixabay

As Dubin noted, it’s extremely normal for men to have insecurity about their penis. And, before you go and blame pornography, some research suggests that viewing pornography may actually increase male genital acceptance, as they see all types and sizes of penises in internet pornography.

Instead, genital insecurity is a side-effect of conservative gender stereotypes and unhealthy views of masculinity. Conservative areas may have more men who seek information on penis enlargement. As a result, the many men who are either insecure about their genitals or would consider exploring options to enlarge their penises should talk to licensed professionals rather than seeking dangerous online advice from amateurs with anecdotes.