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Talking to others about their health doesn't come naturally to most men. And when it concerns problems 'down there', they're even less likely to open up, according to research.

A 2023 survey of 1,000 men, carried out by a leading manufacturer of male and female incontinence products, found that a half to two-thirds were more than happy to chat with friends about sports, politics and VeeloBooster testimonials retirement. But only 9 per cent felt comfortable raising the topic of erectile dysfunction — and yet it affects 40 per cent of men over 40 at some point.

Many also put off going to the doctor with other penis-related problems through sheer embarrassment — risking serious complications in the process.




Only 9 per cent of men feel comfortable raising the topic of erectile dysfunction — and yet it affects 40 per cent of over 40s at some point

It's estimated, for example, that a third of men who suffer a penile fracture — an agonising injury where fibrous tissue inside the penis is ruptured, usually during sex — delay going to A&E for several days.

Yet severe cases require corrective surgery as soon as possible — often within 24 hours — to reduce the risk of long-term effects such as chronic pain and erectile dysfunction.

Another increasingly common problem is caused by taking too much Viagra in one go — this can lead to a prolonged erection, and if it goes beyond four hours, requires medical help to drain blood and reduce the risk of permanent damage to a man's genitals.

These are just some of a number of medical penile problems, many of which are more common than you might think.

Here, with help from some of the UK'S leading medical experts, we have compiled this must-read guide about them — from penile fractures to premature ejaculation and tight foreskins — and crucially, what to do if you become one of the millions in the UK to be affected by one.

A painful curve
Every man is different — and so is every penis. Many have a slight curve (usually to one side) when erect, without causing any problems.

A normal 'healthy' curvature would be an angle of no more than five degrees (imagine the big hands of a clock reading 13 minutes past the hour, if you were looking at it side on).




An estimated 12 to 13 per cent of men in the UK have a condition where the erect penis bends by up to 45 degrees or more

But an estimated 12 to 13 per cent of men in the UK have Peyronie's disease — a condition where the erect penis bends by up to 45 degrees or more (imagine seven minutes past nine on the clock, if you were looking at it side on — the little hand represents the bit of penis that isn't bent and the big hand is the angle of the bend), often causing pain and difficulties having sex.

The main cause is believed to be 'micro traumas', repeated impacts on the penis during sex which cause a gradual build-up of scar tissue that reduces the elasticity of the spongy material inside the penis.

During an erection, this damaged tissue doesn't stretch properly - while on the opposite side of the penis it does — creating a noticeable banana-shape that many men find distressing.

Around 3 per cent of those affected also have Dupuytren's contracture, or trigger finger, when cords of fibrous tissue form in the hand pulling the fingers down — it's thought genetic factors link the two.

'It might start with a bit of a lump, often on the top of the penis,' says Gordon Muir, a consultant urological surgeon and men's hormone specialist at the London Bridge Hospital.




Once the curve exceeds 20 degrees, then sex can become difficult

'That gradually reduces the elasticity of the tissue just below the skin and, during an erection, the penis then bends towards that side.

'Once the curve exceeds 20 degrees, then sex can become difficult.'

Treatments include gentle stretching — using a traction-like device available on the NHS — to gradually loosen the scar tissue, and anti-impotence drugs such as Viagra (which can reduce curvature by boosting blood flow into the penis).

Other options include using painless sound waves (to break up scar tissue) and surgery to cut away the scarred area and replace it with a skin graft, which again may be available on the NHS.

Sometimes, a small amount of tissue is removed from the 'healthy' side to correct the curvature —- though this can lead to shortening of the penis.

In severe cases — where the bend is 60 degrees or more — a rod-like implant is inserted to straighten it.

Birth defect that makes it harder to wee
Around 2,000 boys are born in the UK each year with a deformity called hypospadias — where the opening normally found at the end of the penis (through which males pee) is positioned elsewhere, usually on the underside of the head of the penis, or even further down the shaft nearer to the testicles. Many also have a sharp bend in the penis.

It makes it hard to urinate without spraying in the wrong direction and can later make having sex difficult.




Around 2,000 boys in the UK are born each year with a condition where the opening normally found at the end of the penis is in the wrong place, making it hard to urinate without spraying in the wrong direction

The vast majority of cases are treated when the child is an infant, usually with surgery. (This is complex surgery, best performed by a specialist, and sometimes more than one operation is needed. The risk of complications increases for those who have the operation as an adult.)

Typically, this involves using a small piece of foreskin to make an extension for the urethra — the tube which carries urine out of the body — and creating a new opening at the tip of the penis. In severe cases, two or three operations may be needed to fully correct the defect and the curvature.

However, in a few cases, patients may need repeat surgery as they get older as the repairs can be affected by the way the body grows during childhood and adolescence.