Teasing in School Locker Rooms Regarding Penile Appearance
Siobhan E. Alexander, BS,
Douglas W. Storm, MD, FAAP,
Christopher S. Cooper, MD, FAAP
Abstract
PurposeParents of young boys seeking circumcision or circumcision revision commonly cite concern that their sons may be teased in middle or high school because of their penile appearance. There is no current data to substantiate or refute the presence of such teasing. We explored the validity of this concern by investigating the extent and frequency of teasing regarding penile appearance.
Materials and MethodsAn IRB-approved, anonymous questionnaire was administered to undergraduate men at the University of Iowa. Participants answered questions regarding middle and high school demographics, school sports and gym class participation, and any teasing experienced or witnessed due to penile appearance in locker rooms.
ResultsTwo-hundred ninety men completed the questionnaire. The mean study participant age was 19.2 years (17-24 years). Ninety-eight percent of individuals were required to participate in high school gym class and 96% participated in a school sport. Ten percent were personally teased about their penile appearance, while 47% reported witnessing someone else being teased. The most common characteristic that was witnessed or personally teased was penile size. Having an uncircumcised penis or a “strange” penile appearance, however, accounted for 33% of the witnessed penile teasing. Only 3% of the cohort wished that they had a different penile appearance.
ConclusionsTeasing in the locker room about penile appearance occurs frequently. While our study is limited to one Midwest university population, it appears that parental concerns regarding teasing related to penile appearance are valid, although most causes for teasing may not be alleviated with surgical therapy.
