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The penis

The penis is the male external sex organ. It is also part of the urinary system. It is made up of different types of tissue such as skin, muscle, nerves and blood vessels. During sexual arousal, blood flows into the chambers of the penis and makes it hard and erect.

The penis also contains the urethra, a thin tube that carries urine from the bladder and semen from the testicles out of the body.

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This information is reviewed by

This information was last reviewed February 2021 by the following expert content reviewers: Gregory Bock, Urology Cancer Nurse Coordinator, WA Cancer and Palliative Care Network, North Metropolitan Health Service, WA; Dr Mikhail Lozinskiy, Consultant Urologist, Royal Perth Hospital, WA; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof Manish Patel, Urological cancer surgeon, University of Sydney, Westmead and Macquarie University Hospitals, Sydney, NSW; Walter Wood, Consumer; Dr Carlo Yuen, Urologist, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, Conjoint Senior Lecturer UNSW.