Anatomy of the male genitals

Outer appearance - pubic hair

Apart from shape and size of the penis and scrotum (see the following article), the appearance of the male genitals is influenced by pubic hair. There's some variation, too: some men have very thick, bushy pubic hair, others have very little of it. Independently of the colour of scalp hair, the majority of men have dark pubic hair. But there are some aberreations, especially in red-haired men, their pubic hair is often red as well. And in many men, pubic hair does not turn gray at the same time as scalp hair, or not at all.

In some cultures, it is customary to shave pubic hair, in others, it is not. Over the last few decades, it has become more and more common in the western culture (US/Europe), and especially in porn you find predominantly shaven actors. This is culturally shaped for sure, and so is perception of that aspect. I suppose a majority of people with a liberal stance towards sexuality, a cleanly shaven pubic area (in males and females) is percevied as more erotic and aesthetic. But tastes differ... (and so they should)

Further reading: article on Pubic Shaving, and my journal posts The discovery of pubic shaving and Pubic shaving and wanking

Anatomy of the male genitals

We all think we know our body, and - as men - even more so our most intimate parts. But then again, we often don't know certain details that could be interesting or helpful. Be it only to have a common terminology to talk about it. So I will use some terms in other articles that are central to masturbation, and that you might not be familiar with.

So, in case you are interested in a more detailed anatomy, I have compiled some useful illustrations.

Anatomy of the male reproductive system, outer and inner view

 A few things to point out:

• Here you can see that the penis not only consists of the part that is visible (the shaft), but extends deep into the body almost up to the anus. Depending on your size, almost half of the penis lies inside the body. And it can be stimulated, too, for instance by applying pressure on the perineum (see below).
• In the right part of the image, you can see where the prostate gland is located. For some men, stimulation of the prostate is extremely lustful and can lead to orgasm as well - some say to an orgasm that feels different from the normal "penile" orgasm. But to access the prostate, you must go through the anus.
• Both illustrations show the penis in its "natural" state, i.e. with the foreskin covering the glans. In some cultures, the foreskin is amputated in the helpless infant, for religious or "hygienic" reasons. Which is a cruel thing to do to a helpless child who is unable to consent. And those men often suffer lifelong because the foreskin has an important function: protecting the glans which is very sensitive. Circumcised men's glans is often desensitized, that is less able to produce lustful sensations.

Anatomy of the erected penis

Beautiful, isn't it? Well, there's not much more to say about this illustration. Read more about the erection on the following page.

Male genital anatomy viewed from below

• Apart from the penis in a nice bottom-up view, you can see the perineum, which is the small region between the scrotal sack and the anus. More about that below.
• The "raphe" are those fine lines that look like a fissure or "seam", visible on the underside of the penis and scrotum and extending to the perineum. They stem from embryonal development of the genitals.

Anatomy of the perineal region

The perineum is an erogenous zone as well.

• As mentioned above, the "inner" part of the penis runs under the surface of the perineum. Stimulation of that area can be very pleasurable, and pressure helps the erection.
• For many men, the anus is a very sensitive area, too, that leads to lustful sensations when stimulated. Even more so when the prostate is stimulated through the anus.

>> Continue with The penis