# A side discussion on testicles... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737 "2001-02-16T14:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/1 "2001-02-16T14:04:49Z")
…I remember reading in an old trivia book (this would have been around 10th or 11th grade) that, in the majority of men, the left testicle hangs down farther than the right. I believe the book placed the percentage in the mid- to high-90s. My question is this: Why? Being a guy, I understand all too well about the discomfort associated with accidentaly crunching them against each other, but I really can’t see that as evolutionary. Does anyone know how I can locate the answer to this? Ever since I read that statistic, I’ve wanted to know exactly why that happens. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/2 "2001-02-16T14:47:16Z")
I have no idea. The important question here is: Is your username based on the hamster in the Simpsons? If so, you win the August West Award For Best Use of an Obscure Simpsons Reference In A Username. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/3 "2001-02-16T15:06:50Z")
…Actually, it is. I couldn’t decide between Superdude and Jubjub. I decided Superdude would be even more obscure, so I went that way. You win the gold star for recognizing it. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/4 "2001-02-16T15:28:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Does anyone know how I can locate the answer to this? Allow me to introduce you to the pleasures of the search engine. SuperDude, this is Google. [Google,](http://www.google.com) Superdude. One hit of many under “left testicle hang”. [http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/sexuality/Sex-116.htm](http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/sexuality/Sex-116.htm) > [@](#): > > It is quite common for the left testicle to be a little bigger and hang lower than the right testicle… As far as “why?”, I suppose it’s like asking “why do we have five digits instead of four or six?” [shrug] “Just because.” ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/5 "2001-02-16T18:52:38Z")
**Ducky** , you and your Googleplex. I bow before thee. 😃 Here’s a **WAG** for ya all. How about if the decent of the Femoral Artery from the groin area down into the right upper thigh requires the support of additional musculature. And, if said musculature is more pronounced on the starboard side than the port side due to said Artery, perhaps this would cause the right-hand Gem of Live to dangle closer to the body, since the underlying support musculature is more pronounced. Since the left-hand Gem of Life isn’t dangling under _possible_ additional musculature, it has a chance to swing in the wind more, shall we say. N’est pas? Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![bryanmcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@bryanmcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmcc)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/6 "2001-02-16T22:37:01Z")
Yeah, just because we humans are (largely) symmetrical from the outside don’t mean it is so on the inside. The heart i asymmetrically located, as is the liver, digestive organs, circulatory elements, and now we find out the testicles are as well. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/7 "2001-02-16T23:03:17Z")
**Superdude,** yours are on the side? Wow. Live and learn. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/8 "2001-02-17T00:13:30Z")
One almost always hangs lower. The reason is because the friction of walking could be really painful if it was constantly rubbing the twins together. ---
**Author:** ![kirk280980](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c77e96/32.png) [@kirk280980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk280980)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/9 "2001-02-17T01:34:09Z")
I’ve often heard that the left testicle is usually bigger and hangs lower. Only, in my case, it’s the complete opposite. Is this unusual, or does testicle hang vary from one guy to another? Not that I’m worried about it - sometimes we just need to know these things! ---
**Author:** ![tygerbryght](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@tygerbryght](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygerbryght)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/10 "2001-02-17T02:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kirk280980 \* > \*\*I’ve often heard that the left testicle is usually bigger and hangs lower. Only, in my case, it’s the complete opposite. Is this unusual, or does testicle hang vary from one guy to another? > > Not that I’m worried about it - sometimes we just need to know these things! \*\* Maybe you’re a mirror twin. Has the doctor ever told you your heart’s on the “wrong” side? If not, then maybe you’re different there for the same reason some people are left handed. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/11 "2001-02-17T02:48:17Z")
Did you know that your right kidney is smaller than your left? (Unless you’re a mirror twin.) And you right testicle is smaller than your left also. Note when you’re cold both your testicles will draw up to your body. They need to be at body heat to work properly, but there they are hanging in the wind, as somebody said. WAG is that the right being smaller would be subject to a greater cooling effect than the left, and hence must be closer to the body. If that be true, and that was just a guess, why is it smaller? Another question. ---
**Author:** ![tsunamisurfer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@tsunamisurfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsunamisurfer)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/12 "2001-02-17T03:18:39Z")
Supposedly, a woman’s breasts are sized somewhat differently. To confirm this hypothesis, however, an extensive examination of, say, 1600 women would be needed, as would the inevitable _manual_ verification. Any volunteers? ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-side-discussion-on-testicles/54737/13 "2001-02-17T03:20:16Z")
The left testicle is well known in medicine to be, in most men, lower than the right. Surprisingly, the reason for this is well understood, and has to do with th eblood supply to the testicles, which is not symmetric. The left side drains into the renal vein, the right side into the inferior vena cava IIRC. These veins also divide at different “vertical” levels and this affects the weight of blood in each testicle. It is not uncommon for men to have varicoceles (some 15%), a swelling in the pampiniform plexus which feels like a bag of worms. 97% of these occur on the veins in the left side, your doctor would be more concerned with a right sided swelling – more uncommon equals more likely to be malignant or obstruct the main vein in your abdomen.