“The prosthetic goes beneath the penile skin, adding up to two inches of girth, and comes in five sizes, ranging from L to XXL. “Nobody,” Elist explained, “wants a medium.””

Honestly the highlight of the article

Undeterred, Elist hired a Sacramento manufacturer to build a series of ultrasoft silicone prototypes, which he began testing in cadavers—a standard practice for new medical devices.

Truly it is an honour to donate one’s body to the medical sciences.

It’s an interesting idea, which I’m in two minds about. It shouldn’t be considered any more drastic or shameful than breast or buttock implants, all genders have equal right to body-autonomy; but it’s a shame we’re in a society that sees such demand for it.

This Penuma in particular seems to address cosmetic concerns - girth, flaccid length, even shrinkage/retraction. But it’s ultimately a sheathe sitting over the erectile tissue, just under the skin. It looks natural; it probably feels natural to the touch, too. But it can’t feel natural to be touched, sitting in the way of the nerve tissue.

It’s seems strange to me. Sacrificing sexual pleasure in trade for it’s symbolism. Trading your physical pleasure for your mental pleasure. When your desirability means more to you than your desire.

Like implants for the breasts or buttocks, it’s ultimately up to an individual if this is something that improves their opinion of their own body. People should be able to enjoy themselves and feel good in their bodies, and this is just another way one might choose to do that.

But… to me, it feels like taping a photoshop of yourself to a mirror. It might look better to you than what you used to be looking at, but does that fulfil you? Should it?