# Do steroids really cause "shrinkage" and is that what happened here? (possibly NSFW) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488 "2009-10-03T21:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/1 "2009-10-03T21:48:29Z")
So I found this picture on the web today. Link broken because it’s **NSFW**. http:/ / [nibblebit.com/wp-admin/user\_content/2269f9edb33b6e5f498c588479a47fe3.jpg](http://nibblebit.com/wp-admin/user_content/2269f9edb33b6e5f498c588479a47fe3.jpg) It’s of a \*\*nude male bodybuilder \*\*with a small penis and (I think he has testicles). I just don’t know what to say. So many questions. Do steroids really cause the naughty bits to shrink? Which came first, the tiny penis or the steroids? What was he thinking—“I may have a small dick and tiny balls, but I can kick your ass?” Why didn’t he wear speedos? At least then we might have thought that objects appear smaller because of the tight fit. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/2 "2009-10-03T21:57:13Z")
Could it be that the increased size of the rest of the body makes the genitals seem small by contrast to an average-build man? ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/3 "2009-10-03T22:01:46Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Could it be that the increased size of the rest of the body makes the genitals seem small by contrast to an average-build man? His genitals are definitely smaller than most. Compare them to his facial features which are going to be pretty standardized. He’s definitely under-endowed. ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/4 "2009-10-03T22:40:15Z")
I don’t know mate, that looks like a penis to me. I think he’s just a grower. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/5 "2009-10-03T22:43:29Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Could it be that the increased size of the rest of the body makes the genitals seem small by contrast to an average-build man? “Yeah, and my excuse is that I’m so tall.” –Conan O’Brien ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/6 "2009-10-03T22:56:05Z")
I don’t know, it looks like a penis of average size to me. (Make up your own joke here about the men in my life.) Look at ancient statuary–the penis usually rests on the testicles, it doesn’t hang down like firehose. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/7 "2009-10-03T23:08:36Z")
I’m not going to look at the photo, but anabolic steroid use can indeed cause a man’s testicles to shrink. It’s my understanding that this happens because ingesting testosterone-related steroids will cause the man’s body to reduce its natural testosterone production. ---
**Author:** ![fervour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/8 "2009-10-03T23:16:35Z")
> [@wolf-alice](#): > > I don’t know mate, that looks like a penis to me. > > I think he’s just a grower. > [@Savannah](#): > > I don’t know, it looks like a penis of average size to me. (Make up your own joke here about the men in my life.) Look at ancient statuary–the penis usually rests on the testicles, it doesn’t hang down like firehose. In my experience, a grower’s penis looks relatively small compared to his testicles until he becomes aroused. This guys testicles are hang (if you can call it that) only halfway the length of his penis. His penis is only as long as the distance from below his nose to his chin–a respectable length for a grower. But those are small testicles. Well, I asked and the majority currently find this normal. OK. Really? That’s normal? and the pose? That’s normal, too? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/9 "2009-10-03T23:30:26Z")
WTF? It’s not the greatest pose _for him_ - IMO he’d look better in a pose that didn’t emphasize his midsection - but it’s certainly normal, in fact it’s mandatory for competition. ---
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/10 "2009-10-03T23:30:48Z")
I don’t know what to tell you! It looks like an unremarkable penis to me. Perfectly acceptable scrotum, too. The husband also thought it was a possible scaling issue, with the rest of him being so big. Perhaps his testicles look small because it’s cold? He’s retracting, as it were? … I think this is the most I’ve ever contributed to a Straight Dope thread. I worry. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/11 "2009-10-04T00:28:44Z")
His penis is not tiny at all, but his balls are a little on the small side. I don’t even think the guy looks roided up. He looks like a well-built but perfectly normal guy. Dude’s probably just a grower, not a shower. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/12 "2009-10-04T00:31:16Z")
> [@Savannah](#): > > Look at ancient statuary–the penis usually rests on the testicles, it doesn’t hang down like firehose. I seem to recall that’s because large penises were considered animalistic, and a statue being meant to compliment would always show the penis as small. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/13 "2009-10-04T00:31:57Z")
It looks like a normal penis to me, possible looking smaller becaue of the rest of his muscles and because it’s a “head-on” pose. Compare the pictures in this NSFW (a little shockingly to me) Onion article: http:/ /www.theonion.com/content/node/30705 ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/14 "2009-10-04T00:35:53Z")
The guy looks like Kevin Spacey. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/15 "2009-10-04T04:05:49Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > It looks like a normal penis to me, possible looking smaller becaue of the rest of his muscles and because it’s a “head-on” pose. Compare the pictures in this NSFW (a little shockingly to me) Onion article: > > http:/ /www.theonion.com/content/node/30705 That guy really shouldn’t cook while naked, and it has absolutely nothing to do with modesty. I speak from experience. :o For the OP, the penis looks about average sized to me. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/16 "2009-10-04T04:16:54Z")
nice tan, dude ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/17 "2009-10-04T06:02:22Z")
Not that I’ve seen a huge number, but his dick looks pretty normal-sized to me. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/18 "2009-10-04T06:15:03Z")
It’s a perfectly normal sized flaccid penis although it’s dwarfed by his huge thighs. Re steroids most heavy users readily attest to the fact that significant steroid use causes testicle shrinkage, it’s not really a debate so far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/19 "2009-10-04T12:31:33Z")
Just for clarity: while heavy steroid use can shrink the testicles, I’ve never heard of any evidence that it shrinks the penis itself. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488/20 "2009-10-04T13:28:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I seem to recall that’s because large penises were considered animalistic, and a statue being meant to compliment would always show the penis as small. Interesting! That might explain all the wee penises, then. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-steroids-really-cause-shrinkage-and-is-that-what-happened-here-possibly-nsfw/512488.md?page=2)