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Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 35, No. 1, February 2006, pp. 56 ( C 2006)DOI: 10.1007/s10508-006-8989-7Letter to the EditorHow (Un)Important Is Penis Size for Women with
Heterosexual Experience?It is well known that the importance of penis size
is a matter of considerable public interest. We also
know, on the basis of mostly anecdotal (and personal)
experience, that penis size matters to men a great deal
(Pietropinto, 1986), at least in their adolescent years.
Unfortunately, much less is known about how important
women judge penis size to be. Popular accounts abound
(Anonymous, 2003), but there is a lack of solid research
data regarding this issue (Eisenman, 2001). Information
on how important penis size is to sexually active women
could be potentially useful in the context of sex therapy,
as well as in intersex management. Regarding the latter,
there is a debate about the implications of micropenis
for the quality of life, which is further linked to the
question of possible surgical reassignment to female sex
versus early androgen treatment (Wisniewski et al., 2001).
While a number of authors point to case reports of people
who manage a reasonable sex life with a micropenis
(Bankhead, 2003; Reilly & Woodhouse, 1989; van Seters
& Slob, 1988), some patients report that their partners
have left them because of small penis size (H. F. L. Meyer-
Bahlburg, personal e-mail communication, July...