Pearly Penile Papules

If there is one terrifying thing that a man can see, it is an unknown growth on their penis. Not only would this be a sign of a possible sexually transmitted disease or possibly even cancer, the embarrassment of having to see a doctor about it, or from having to tell your partner can be extreme to say the least. But in the case of pearly penile papules, there really is no cause for alarm at all.

The condition, also known as hirsuties papillaris genitalis, is a completely harmless growth that forms right underneath the head of the penis. A sufferer of PPP will notice almost perfect rows of pin-head sized skin folds on the bottom of the head of the penis and sometimes continuing down the shaft of the penis, as well. If you were to see similar bumps in an adult toy store, you would assume they would be for a “French Tickler” type toy. The bumps look extremely suspicious upon first glance because they do resemble genital warts or even penile cancer, but the bumps are completely harmless and unless you are embarrassed by them, you don’t even need to see a doctor over them.

In most cases, the bumps are somewhat more sensitive than the skin around it. This can lead to obvious problems when it comes to sexual intercourse since over-sensitivity is the last thing most men want. There is treatment available for the condition, but most men seek it out only for cosmetic purposes. Once in a while, larger than normal bumps can form and carbon dioxide laser treatments can be prescribed to remove any bumps that are unnaturally large or ones that make the penis extra sensitive.

If your partner or wife isn’t quite sure about the bumps on your penis, you can tell them that they are completely benign and they aren’t transmittable, either. One of the biggest questions surrounding PPP is how common it is. It wasn’t until recently that the condition even merited notation, but with the increasing number of men who are reporting this condition, it is thought that anywhere between 8 and 48 percent of all men have PPP to at least some degree. Since the condition is essentially harmless, it may be impossible to gather accurate data since the condition doesn’t require any special treatment. It is also thought by some that PPP could be a natural evolutionary step to increase sexual pleasure in the female but this is far from substantiated.