102 Things Anyone With A Penis Should Probably Know

Basically everything you need to know about having fun with your penis in a safe and healthy way.

You and your penis probably have a ~special~ relationship, but do you actually give it the love it deserves?

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The penis might seem like a simple enough body part to use and take care of, but making sure it's healthy and ~strong~ can take a little more effort, and that's where BuzzFeed Health comes in. No, we're not going to take care of your penis for you, BUT we can provide you with some of our best articles — full of expert tips and insight — about why the penis works the way it does, how to use it to its fullest potential, and how to keep it healthy and safe. Let's go!

1. For when you want to last a little longer in the sack.

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While the amount of time it takes to orgasm ranges from person to person, the average time is still only about five to seven minutes. For people with premature ejaculation, it's closer to one to two minutes. Fortunately, in Here's How To Last Longer During Sex you'll find a few strategies for prolonging the time till you orgasm.

Example tip: There's the squeeze-and-pause strategy. This is when you get yourself right to the point of nearly orgasming, but then you stop, pull out, and squeeze your penis between the head and shaft to essentially hit pause. If you do it right, you might feel a few little orgasmic contractions in your pelvis and release a little bit of pre-cum, but you won't have a full orgasm.

2. For when you haven't gotten tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STIs) in a while, and start wondering what you're waiting for.

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Having a ~healthy~ sex life means regularly getting tested for STIs and HIV regularly. After all, it's not just your health that's on the line every time you have sex — it's also your partner's. 17 Things Anyone With A Penis Needs To Know About Getting Tested lays out everything you need to know about STI testing so that you (and your partner) will only have to worry about one thing: having phenomenal sex.

Example tip: Most of the time, STIs are totally symptomless. So just because you look/feel OK, that doesn't mean you're in the clear. In fact, the vast majority of people with genital herpes don't know they have it, and some research has shown that up to 90% of men with chlamydia had no symptoms at all. So if you only get tested when something is up with your penis, you're waiting too long.

3. For when things are heating up, and you're not sure if you should use a condom.

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Condoms are the only contraceptive method that can actually protect against STIs and HIV, and prevent pregnancy. That said, there will be times where you might not be sure if using a condom is necessary — and we can assure you that there are other situations besides penetrative sex where they're a great idea. Take this interactive quiz, Here's How To Know If You Should Use A Condom, to figure out if your situation is one of them.

4. For when you want to use your penis to its fullest potential during sex.

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Sometimes our penises come up short (if they even come up at all) and other times, there's so much more we wish we could do with them. 9 Tips That Will Make Sex Amazing For Anyone With A Penis provides good advice and ideas so that your next sexual experience is as pleasurable as can be — for you and your partner.

Example tip: Take your time with foreplay. Just because the penis is hard doesn't mean that it's fully stimulated and ready for sex. There's this misconception out there that penis-havers don't need foreplay as much as vagina-havers. Not true. So before going straight for penetrative sex, slooow down. Maybe masturbate a little, talk dirty, start with oral or manual stimulation, or do whatever else turns you on.

5. For when you want to explore new techniques for a better masturbation session.

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The technique you've used since middle school can get old and boring, so why not try something new by checking out 23 Ways To Make Jerking Off Even Better. The tips come from BuzzFeed Community users, so they're tried and true. So have at it!

Example tip: Challenge yourself to time your orgasm with the ~money shot~ in the porn you're watching. "I typically watch porn of some sort from one of those well-known tube sites. I usually draw it out for quite awhile. And when I cum, I will often time it along with the money shot in whatever scene I am watching."

—32/Male/Straight

6. For when the things you do to your penis might harm it, but you're not really sure.

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Despite how durable our penises may seem, there really is only so much that they can take. And sometimes it's our own habits that negatively affect the penis — whether directly or indirectly. You can find a bunch of these habits in 21 Bad Penis Habits You Should Ditch ASAP.

Example habit: You let it get a little swampy down there. "Anytime there's more moisture and heat than normal, it will allow for bacteria and fungus to grow, so it's important to keep the area cool and dry, especially if you're sweating or it's hot and humid out."

7. For when you want to know the important things about penises, straight from the people who know them best: urologists.

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The penis can be a complicated part of the body, especially when issues arise. Thankfully, we have urologists who are ready, willing, and able to help. They are experts in the field, so when we asked them about what you, as a reader, should know about penises, they came through. You can see the more important points in 15 Penis Facts Urologists Want You To Know.

Example fact: You can actually fracture the penis, but probably not in the way you think. There are no bones in the penis. There are, however, two tubes of spongy tissue that fill up with blood during an erection, making the penis hard. These tubes aren't meant to be bent when they're filled up, but sometimes — usually during drunk or rough sex — the penis doesn't go ~in~ the way it's supposed to. If this happens and the penis is bent to the point where you hear a pop or snap, then you chances are you fractured your penis.

8. And for when you're wondering where all lose life-ruining random puberty boners came from.

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Or maybe you're not going through puberty and just want to know why they used to happen. Either way, Here's Why Random Boners Happen All The Time During Puberty sheds some light on why the penis had to misbehave during such a transitional period and ways in which you can hide it (good tips if you're an adult, too).

Example reason: They can happen if the head of your penis rubs up against clothing in a certain type of way. Maybe you got new underwear that is just SO SOFT or maybe your pants are a little too tight when you’re sitting down. It takes very little to stimulate erections, especially when your testosterone is spiking.