Curved Penis (Penile Curvature) – how much curve is too much?

Curved Penis (Penile curvature) refers to the ‘bend’ of the penis when erect. In most men (or people with a penis), the penis is not straight when erect. It will be either bending up a little or down or sideways etc. But, if the ‘bend’ is too sharp and is not letting you have intercourse, that’s when you should be concerned and see a good sexologist near you. For your quick reference, we have given here different shapes of penis and if you have any such shape when your penis is erect, you are most likely fine and got nothing to worry about.

What is penile curvature?

Penile curvature is described as the curvature of the penis when erect. Some men have it from the time they are born, called congenital curvature while others develop during their adolescence or adulthood due to the development of scar tissue that bends the penis in a very unusual way.  Less than 1% of men are born with a curved penis. At Metromale Clinic & Fertility Center, our sexologists have been treating curved penis issue since 30 years. In here, you can be confident that your penis will be back to normal shape and you can have a happy sex life after undergoing treatment for your curved penis.

Symptoms of penile curvature

The only and main symptom of penile curvature is that your penis is unusually bent, say like a water tap and it can be up or down or to a side. Men born with the problem won’t know that they have an issue until they grow up into teens or reach puberty. Penile curvature issue is different from Peyronie’s disease where in the curvature of the penis is caused by the development/growth of a scar tissue that bends the shaft of the penis unusually.

If you see that your penis is bent in a way that is not described in the above picture and if you are having difficulty masturbating or having sex, we recommend you to see a good sex specialist.

Diagnosis and treatment of penile curvature

Your doctor will do a physical examination of your penis when it is erect. Erection at doctor’s clinic can be achieved with self stimulation or you may be given a vasocative drug injection. Physical examination would be mostly good enough for your doctor to determine if your penile curvature problem is congenital or if there is any scar tissue present.

Treatment of a curved penis depends on the amount of bend your penis shaft has. Slight bend can be ignored as long as it doesn’t affect your sex life but if you are not able to have sex due to the curvature, a surgical correction may be necessary to bring it to the right shape.

What is Peyronie’s disease?

Peyronie’s disease is a condition when a scar tissue develops on the shaft of the penis as a result of which the penis bent up or down or to a side. The scar tissue may be felt when you touch the shaft of your penis. The area may hurt as the scar tissue continues to grow. In some men, the scar tissue may not bend the penis but may cause a little deformity.

The two stages of peyronie’s disease

1. Acute Phase. Acute stage of peyronie’s disease last for less than 12 months. During this period, the scar tissue forms causing the penis to bend. Your penis hurts when you have an erection. You may also feel the pain when you touch your penis when it is soft (not erect).
2. Chronic Phase. During this stage, the scar tissue would have stopped growing but the curvature would still be present. There may or may not be any pain in the area but having sex would be a problem. There may be problems having an erection too in this stage.

Symptoms of peyronie’s disease

1. Penis looks shorter due to the bend
2. Loss of girth or change in shape of the shaft
3. Presence of lumps on the shaft due to the growth of scar tissue
4. Difficulty in having strong erections
5. Difficulty having sex because of the bend.

Symptoms of peyronie’s disease usually develop over a period of time but in some cases, they may develop overnight. Read more on peyronie’s disease and treatment.