# Why do men have nipples **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 29, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401 "2007-10-29T02:44:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tabreu01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19b73/32.png) [@tabreu01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tabreu01)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/1 "2007-10-29T02:44:22Z")
It is well known that the fathers determine the sex of a baby as they carry both the x and y chromosome. What I don’t understand is why men have nipples. If the combination of chromosomes is evident from the time of conception why does the male fetus go through the effort of developing nipples? Why is the development of a male and female fetus identical until the 14th week? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Papy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b3f665/32.png) [@Papy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/2 "2007-10-29T05:50:56Z")
Just a guess : because the gender differentiating chromosome(s?) do not express themselves until - you said - 14th week and by that time the nipple have already started to form themselves? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/3 "2007-10-29T06:22:15Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, tabreu. A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. Providing one can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_093.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_093.html) ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/4 "2007-10-31T03:26:03Z")
Men have nipples because all mammals have nipples. It’s not a sex specific trait. Mammary glands are, nipples, no. That, and if you run a tongue across one, it causes the man to make Jerry Lewis noises. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/5 "2007-10-31T03:50:55Z")
Except that men _do_ have mammary glands, which are just as large as women’s mammary glands. (The bulk of the human female breast is just for looks.) ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/6 "2007-10-31T19:16:53Z")
Post #2 pretty much has it; early development (including the formation of nipples and mammary glands) is more or less the same in both sexes. Not all species of mammals have males who develop mammary glands (mice and rats don’t, for instance), but the majority of mammals do. JRB ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/7 "2007-11-01T09:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=John W. Kennedy] (The bulk of the human female breast is just for looks.) [/QUOTE] And look we shall! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KarenRei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5e9695/32.png) [@KarenRei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarenRei)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/8 "2007-11-06T17:38:50Z")
Also note that male breasts/mammary glands/nipples are quite capable of further development, given proper hormonal adjustment. Given estrogen, men will develop breasts (a standard thing for M2F transsexuals). Cause their prolactin level to rise (such as with a dopamine inhibitor, such as domperidone), and they’ll lactate. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/9 "2007-11-06T17:50:10Z")
I would say the bottom line is probably because having nipples has been in no way detrimental to continuing the species. And evolution doesn’t really get rid of things we don’t need, I think, only stuff that is actively harmful or getting in the way of procreating. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/10 "2007-11-06T21:20:47Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] I would say the bottom line is probably because having nipples has been in no way detrimental to continuing the species. And evolution doesn’t really get rid of things we don’t need, I think, only stuff that is actively harmful or getting in the way of procreating. [/QUOTE] I’d also WAG that by having nipples being a non-sex specific trait that it lessens the chances of a female being born without them due to a genetic abnormality. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/11 "2007-11-06T22:06:33Z")
Does anybody else remember the really mean punchline to this joke from Junior High: Why do men have nipples? To prove God hates blind babies. Me neither. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/12 "2007-11-08T01:11:48Z")
To hang nipple rings from? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/13 "2007-11-17T16:39:07Z")
Early pacifiers. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/14 "2007-11-25T02:14:36Z")
[QUOTE=KarenRei] Also note that male breasts/mammary glands/nipples are quite capable of further development, given proper hormonal adjustment. Given estrogen, men will develop breasts (a standard thing for M2F transsexuals). Cause their prolactin level to rise (such as with a dopamine inhibitor, such as domperidone), and they’ll lactate. [/QUOTE] I should have known better to whip out and post something I only half remembered. I feel like a boob. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/15 "2007-11-25T02:50:00Z")
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King] I should have known better to whip out and post something I only half remembered. I feel like a boob. [/QUOTE] I feel like a boob. Hahaha! Feel like a boob. Good one. Get’s pretty hot out there on that ol’ dessert, eh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/16 "2007-11-27T03:33:27Z")
[QUOTE=KarenRei] Also note that male breasts/mammary glands/nipples are quite capable of further development, given proper hormonal adjustment. Given estrogen, men will develop breasts (a standard thing for M2F transsexuals). Cause their prolactin level to rise (such as with a dopamine inhibitor, such as domperidone), and they’ll lactate. [/QUOTE] So if I take dopmeridone and lactate, will there be any side-effects? How far do you think I can squirt? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/17 "2007-11-27T03:46:41Z")
[Here’s a list of side effects.](http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/drug_info_details.asp?channel_id=0&relation_id=0&brand_name_id=1373&page_no=2) ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/18 "2007-11-29T16:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=The Sonoran Lizard King] That, and if you run a tongue across one, it causes the man to make Jerry Lewis noises. [/QUOTE] Or Jerry _Lee_ Lewis noises, even. It depends on how gentle or rough you are. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/19 "2007-11-29T19:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=Cyberhwk] And look we shall! 🙂 [/QUOTE] And there was much rejoicing… ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/424401/20 "2007-12-02T18:06:21Z")
A long time ago, one of the lesser-known Saturday Night Live characters said that it had something to do with call waiting and call forwarding.