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The average American penis size is about 5.6 inches (14.2 centimeters) long when erect, new research suggests.

A new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine involved 1,661 men who self-reported their penis size.

"Although many men may wish their penis were larger and may expend significant effort toward penile enlargement, this does not necessarily mean that men over-report their penile size to researchers," study authors wrote.

In the study, researchers from Indiana University asked male volunteers to measure the length and girth of their penis when erect.  Afterwards, the men were asked to submit their data online.

To make sure that the men were truthful about their size, lead researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick and her team told the men that the study was part of broader research into condom sizes, according to Psychology Today.

"If they reported a bigger-than-reality size to us, they would get a baggier condom," Herbenick said. "If they reported a smaller-than-reality size to us, the condom would be too tight."

Other interesting findings from the study revealed that penises do in fact come in all shapes and sizes.  The smallest erect penis in the study was about 1.6 inches (4 cm) long and the largest was about 10.2 inches (26 cm long).  The study revealed that the average penile girth was about 4.8 inches (12.2 cm).

Surprisingly, the study found that men who became aroused through oral sex reported larger penis size on average than those who became erect through sexual fantasizing, according to researchers.