It Turns Out That “Summer Penis” Is A Thing & A Doctor Can Explain It All

Ah, sex. One of the most universal experiences in the world, it's also one of the most complicated. And as things in the bedroom seem to be constantly evolving, it's no surprise that there are new sex trends almost every day. Obviously, it's hard to keep up, but still, if you haven't heard of "summer penis," then you definitely aren't alone. Seriously, what is summer penis? Honestly, it's kind of confusing, but apparently it is a thing, although doctors can't exactly agree on that.

Allegedly, summer penis is what happens when it gets so hot outside, that a man's penis kind of... expands? According to Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist at Orlando Health, and an Assistant Professor at the UCF College of Medicine, "summer penis" is more of an observation than a scientific fact. "Summer penis is when men feel their penises get larger during the summer months," Brahmbhatt tells Elite Daily. "The reality is there is little to no major change in the size of their penis. The changes one sees may come from your body regulating its internal temperature. Blood vessels may open up to allow temperature regulation, which could appear to make the skin appear thicker or larger."

So basically, it's not that the penis gets bigger, but that it looks bigger. Sort of. Let's look at it this way: You might have heard that a member can kind of shrivel up in a cold pool or during the winter. According to Dr. Elist, M.D., F.A.C.S., "summer penis" is basically just that "winter penis" going back to "normal penis."

"What's happening is that the appearance of penis size is affected by the ambient temperature," Elist tells Elite Daily. "When it's cold during the winter, for example, the body tries to maintain its internal heat, so the penis may contract a bit. The opposite effect occurs in the summer heat. The blood vessels in the penis skin dilate, which means more blood is flowing to the penis skin. As a result, you see some expansion of the penis."

Yeah, that's a lot, I know.

But in reality, "summer penis" just isn't a thing to most guys. Seriously, when I told my boyfriend about it, he basically turned it into a huge joke, because, you know, boys.

I know, I've got a real winner on my hands, don't I? Well, while some doctors may know what summer penis is, that doesn't mean it's common knowledge. Elite Daily Dating Editor Hannah Orenstein asked her boyfriend about the trend and it became clear that the term has yet to catch on.

But one gentleman, who shall not be named, vouches for the phenomenon.

Medically speaking, summer penis is likely just a reaction to the male body's need to produce sperm. "The testes require a certain temperature in order to function properly and produce sperm," Elist says. "This is why the scrotum is outside of the human body. When it is warm, the scrotal skin expands, and when it is cold, the scrotal skin contracts in order to maintain an optimal temperature level."

Again, summer penis isn't anything to get too excited about, ladies. It's not as if you're going to magically start seeing giant penises all over the place and have some super memorable sex. Dr. Brahmbhatt says that "there is no known scientific evidence or research on this topic," so even if a lot of men notice it, it doesn't mean it's a diagnosable condition.

Basically, "summer penis" is technically a thing, but like, that doesn't mean it's really a thing. It's not as if summer penis means that a man's penis gets bigger — you're just seeing their penis in all its natural glory.

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