I’m a doctor – that’s why the tip of the penis looks like a mushroom

Penises come in different sizes and vary from man to man.

But most people will have noticed that the tip of the penis has a specific shape and looks a bit like a mushroom.

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A doctor posted on TikTok why it bears a resemblance to a toadstool.

dr Karan Rajan explained: “The theory behind the mushroom-shaped acorn is that it evolved as a tool to scoop out and remove the seed of love rivals.

“The hypothesis was that with each thrust of the penis, this elevation would help clear the vagina of any competition.

“Rather than replacing it with his own sperm and thus ensuring his lineage persists and wins first place.”

‘Penis mushroom shaped’ currently trending on Google due to a surge in TikTokers using the phrase.

This idea was explored in a 2003 paper led by Professor Gordon Gallup from the State University of New York.

They tested their theory in the laboratory – with latex penises and model vaginas.

Mixing starch and water together, they found that the ridge around the tip of a man’s penis could scoop out more than 90 percent of the “seed” replacement in just one thrust.

Prof Gallup said: “We hypothesize that as a result of competition for fatherhood, human males evolved uniquely configured penises that serve to force other males’ semen out of the vagina.

“Therefore, the human penis may allow males to replace their seed with that of their competitors.”

He said they found evidence that couples tend to have more energetic sex when the woman is suspected of cheating or when a couple has been separated.

It could, he said, be due to an unconscious desire to rid his partner of any trace of another man’s semen.

Prof Gallup’s colleague, Rebecca Burch, added: “A longer penis would not only have been an advantage in keeping semen in a less accessible part of the vagina, but by filling and expanding the vagina it would also reduce displacement of the semen left behind support and support other males as a means of maximizing the likelihood of fatherhood,” in the study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.

The theory dates back centuries ago when women had sex with a range of partners to increase their chances of conceiving.

Although this is how the human penis evolved, it is likely that it is less important for men today.

When it comes to the size of the member, dr Philippa Kaye said that most people underestimate their size.

She explained: “In the past, a large penis has been associated with the idea that it could make you more manly or more fertile, and that’s just not true.

“Now of course penis size will vary from person to person but on average a flaccid penis is about 9cm long but that doesn’t mean something is wrong if your penis is smaller or bigger.

“When erect, they tend to grow to between about 13 and 18 cm in length.

“Research has also shown that women are more likely to say they are satisfied with the size of their male partner’s penis than the man in that relationship.”

She said the last thing to remember when talking about male/female penetrative sex is that most women don’t achieve orgasm through penetration alone, so penis size may not matter.