Typically, pictures of genitals are considered to be taboo, but one medical researcher is requesting that men send her these photos online.

What Is This Penis Study?

Professor Alicia Walker of Missouri State University recently launched a study to link men's penis sizes with their self-esteem. To conduct the study, she is asking volunteers to submit photos of their penises.

The study is open to all men age 22 and older. The minimum age requirement is to prevent undergraduate college students from participating. It is also open to all men, including intersex and transgender men.

Walker, a researcher on sexual behavior and relationships, posted a message on Reddit on June 23 to enlist men in the study. It will have two components: a survey and an interview. Participants can either do both or just one aspect. The survey includes men submitting anonymous penile measurements. It also includes photographs of their penises in both erect and flaccid states. Interviews have no photographic element.

"We ask for specific measurements of length and girth and to ensure data validity and uniform measurement we must ensure all participants are correctly using the bone press method," Walker said.

Why Study Penis Sizes?

The research will attempt to show how men view themselves based on their penis sizes and the impact of their penis size on their overall health. The men who have already spoken with Walker have discussed how they are agitated with their penis size. Walker said that this directly impacts sexual relationships, condom use, and even getting a physical exam with a doctor.

"The purpose is to investigate how men feel about their bodies in a culture where we place emphasis on size, including size of penises," Walker told The College Fix. "And to further look at how that impacts their tendency toward safe sex, relationships, and more."

This isn't the first insight into male penis size concerns. There is still a stigma surrounding men and their penises as it relates to size.

"There's isn't a man with whom I've discussed this who hasn't measured his penis and then gone online to see how his size stands up against others," Alyssa Seigel, a Portland-based psychotherapist, told Psychology Tomorrow Magazine in 2013. "I think the insecurity comes from a deep sense of male competition that's inbred in our culture. Most men fear that they will not be able to attract and keep a mate. Will she fantasize about another man and leave me for someone better endowed?"