Common side effects of Ozempic include nausea, upset stomach ― and a bigger bulge?
Science supports the first two claims, but the third, a supposed change in penis size, is the one that’s capturing attention: “Ozempic penis” has become a breakout search term on Google in the past 30 days, surging more than 5,000% compared to the previous period.
On Reddit, where anonymity often makes people more candid, there are multiple threads from men claiming that they, or their partners, have noticed things look a little bigger down there since starting a GLP-1 medication (drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro).
So what’s the truth? Although there hasn’t been a lot of research done on the correlation between semaglutide and men’s genitalia measurements, urologists we spoke to said it’s more a visual trick than anything: When you lose weight, you can see your member a whole lot better than would otherwise.
“‘Ozempic penis’ is no more than an illusion created by the loss of mons pubis fat surrounding the penis,” said Paul Turek, a urologist who runs the Turek Clinic in San Francisco.
“Hidden or ‘buried’ penises simply come out of their fat hideouts,” he explained.
Francesco Carta fotografo via Getty Images
“Ozempic penis” isn’t a real thing. Muscle or fat mass can undergo massive change, but penis size tends to be static in adulthood, just like your height or shoe size.
Turek has seen the same claim made after gastric sleeve surgery-associated weight loss. Muscle or fat mass can undergo massive change, but penis size tends to be static in adulthood, just like your height or shoe size.
“Trust me, when accurately measured ― stretched flaccid penis length from pubic bone to tip ― penis length remains unchanged with weight loss,” he added.
There also may be a mental component at play for some men, said urologist Jamin Brahmbhat. Maybe some men are just feeling themselves more once their body adjusts to the medication.
“Some patients feel less themselves early in treatment ― dizzy, low-energy, sometimes anxious about side effects — and that mental stress affects sexual performance, ” he said.
Sexual confidence can take a hit. “But once the body adapts to the medication and nutrition stabilizes, most men see those issues resolved,” he explained.
Using a GLP-1 drug could potentially improve erections, too. That’s because there are cardiovascular benefits to taking GLP-1s, which result in improved blood flow to the penis, said Rena Malik, a urologist and host of “The Rena Malik MD Podcast.”
“That allows the penis to become more engorged with erection,” she told HuffPost. “If you take your penile measurement at maximum erection, your maximum erection may be larger for some.”
“Seems paradoxical to think that GLPs can both improve and dampen erections, but it’s true,” said Paul Turek, a urologist who runs the Turek Clinic in San Francisco.
All this said, other people have reported GLP-1 drugs putting a damper on their sex drives.
Not every reported side effect of GLP-1s is as exciting. Other men have reported experiencing erectile dysfunction after starting treatment.
“Seems paradoxical to think that GLPs can both improve and dampen erections, but it’s true,” Turek lamented.
Women have also said the drugs have negatively impacted their sex drive.
“I have more or less the same feelings that I have when presented with a big meal. Like the thought of having sex is almost nauseating,” one said on the Ozempic subreddit.
Malik said some data do indeed show that GLP-1 medications can potentially affect the reward pathway needed for sexual desire. That’s because the drugs work on a specific area in the brain called the nucleus tractus solitarius, which controls appetite and satisfaction, she explained.
“When this receptor is blocked, you see appetite suppression,” she said. “People may have lower cravings for food, gambling, alcohol, and potentially sex. It’s not affecting the ability to get an erection, but it may be more difficult to get aroused if you don’t feel desire.”
This hasn’t been tested out on humans yet, but Malik said mice given a GLP-1 drug showed decreased sexual interaction behaviors.
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In any case, once weight loss slows and stabilizes, Turek said testosterone levels tend to rise, and sex drive and erections return.
“Because improvements in metabolic health occur with GLP, it can actually lead to better erections in obese and diabetic men,” he said. “What I often hear is ‘my wood is good again’ after GLP-associated weight loss.”
