A man who believes he has the 'world's smallest penis' has shared the moment he realised it was a micropenis.
Michael Phillips, from North Carolina, US, appeared on This Morning earlier this week to discuss his health condition, which affects just 0.6 per cent of the male population worldwide.
The 38-year-old was diagnosed with a 0.38 inch micropenis last year, with the UK average around 13 times as long, measuring in at 5.2 inches according to a study from just over 10 years ago.
However, he's keen to spread awareness about the condition by speaking more openly about something which many men wouldn't have the confidence to admit.
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“I guess because it should be known that it's a medical condition that can cause it, and that if more people realise that it was a condition when they're younger that they could be taken and seen by a doctor, and hopefully get treatment that would actually provide some level of help,” Michael said.
There are a number of potential causes for a micropenis, with your ding-dong only officially earning that title if it measures in at less than 3.67 inches.
Sadly, without the ability to effectively have sex, Michael has given up on dating and relationships, while he also wasn't interested in the idea of a 'one night stand'.
But it's not just sex, or the lack of, which affects his confidence, as he can also face issues when attempting to use the restroom, particularly in public.
In a previous interview with The Sun, Michael admitted that he was going for a Guinness World Record and revealed the moment, aged 36, that he first realised that something mustn't be right down there.
He said: “I went to the doctor about four or five months ago with concerns over my penis size. I was informed there is a condition called a micropenis.
“I was referred to a urologist. I was always aware it had been small, but wasn’t aware there was a condition for it.
“The main reason I went to the doctor was because my penis is actually too small to have sex at all.
“I have had a couple experiences of having sex and wasn’t able to get it in and everything. From there I just stopped trying to date and lost interest in it.”
Although surgeries are a possibility, he was warned that they likely would be able to add an inch and a half at most and it involves liposuction or the cutting of ligaments, neither of which sounded particularly appealing.
"If that’s all that I would be able to gain then I would still be within the spectrum of a micropenis, so I’m not sure if it would be worth it," he admitted.
Michael had some helpful advice for anyone else who might be in his position, urging them to 'find a place where you can talk about it freely or where you feel comfortable'.
He concluded: “Even if it's just one-on-one with somebody. But there's no reason why you can't talk about it.
“We all have issues going on, some more than others. But there's always somebody out there that has it worse than you.”
Topics: Sex and Relationships, This Morning, Health, US News, Community
James Moorhouse