Ben* has been concerned that when his girlfriend sees his penis, it could leave her clutching her pearls.
Not because he feels it’s too big or too small, and not because he suffers from erectile dysfunction. For Ben, it’s about the texture.
He has pearly penile papules (PPP), which are flesh-coloured or white growths on a man’s penis that have a smooth, dome-shaped appearance.
Essentially these growths resemble tiny pearls, and Ben is worried about how it might affect his relationship.
‘It just looks really ugly and I haven’t told any sexual partners [about it] before, but my girlfriend keeps hinting about sucking my d**k,’ he wrote on Reddit.
‘I’m really scared she will see it and get grossed out.’
But Ben needn’t be nervous, because his pearly penile papules are nothing out of the ordinary. has enlisted the help of Dr Lawrence Cunningham, for Help & Advice, to get to the bottom of what they really are.
Are they an STI?
‘They are small benign growths that appear around the penis,’ he tells .
‘They’re harmless and not contagious. I want to emphasise that these papules are a normal part of the body, and pose no risk to health.’
So if not an STI, why do they appear? Dr Cunningham explains the exact cause of PPP isn’t well understood.
‘They tend to appear in late adolescence or early adulthood and are considered a normal anatomical variation rather than a condition,’ he says.
And if you’ve got pearly penile papules you certainly aren’t alone. The condition is fairly common.
When lumps and bumps appear on our body, there can sometimes be a worry that they’re cancerous, but Dr Cunningham says this is certainly not the case here.
‘Pearly penile papules are benign and do not have any malignancy potential. I’ve never seen it develop into a cancerous condition.’
Similar anatomical variations to PPP
Pearly penile papules aren’t the only variation in penile anatomy.
Fordyce spots are also common. These occur along the shaft of the penis. They are referred to as sebaceous glands and look like small light lumps, which can also appear on the scrotum.
Some patients may be able to express ‘thick, chalky discharge’ when squeezing the spots but again, they are benign and do not require treatment.
Source: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The difference between PPP and genital warts
If you’re worried about mistaking genital warts for PP or vice versa, the most simple solution is to head to your local sexual health clinic for a check up.
But it is possible to differentiate between the two by eye. According to Dr Lawrence, when it comes to appearance, pearly penile papules are small, shiny and uniform in size. They’re white or flesh-coloured and look like whiteheads.
Genital warts are all flesh-coloured, irregular in shape and grow in clusters. They can also be soft or rough and hard.
You will only ever get PPP on the head of the penis and usually around the base of the penis head, while genital warts can grow on the penis, scrotum, anus or inner thighs.
Stigma and treatment
‘I’ve spoken to many who worry about their partner’s reaction to it,’ says Dr Cunningham. ‘I always recommend open communication with partners to alleviate anxiety.
‘Understanding that these papules are natural and harmless can also help ease concerns. They are a natural part of the body’s diversity. Counselling or therapy might be beneficial for those experiencing significant distress.’
There are treatment options available but the doctor believes the benefits and risks should be weighed with a healthcare provider before proceeding.
Options include laser therapy or cryotherapy, which have been effective in cases Doctor Cunningham has seen.
For 43-year-old Steven Mogot, he lived with PPP for 30 years and believed they were genital warts. He told MailOnline that his doctor called the papules ‘unsightly’ but eventually opted to have the nodules removed surgically.
The doctor applied anaesthetic cream to numb the head of the penis, then – twenty minutes later – he used a C02 laser to remove the lumps.
‘There was a slight ‘burning of hair’ smell and a mild tickling sensation, but no pain. And, best of all, I could see the results immediately,’ Steven told MailOnline.
The treatment cost him £895 and was performed by a Dr Joshua Berkowitz who claims the procedure is one of the most popular at his clinic.
Ultimately though, Dr Cunningham insists there is nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of if you’ve got PPP, and you don’t have to get them removed.
‘It’s important to remember that everyone has unique physical traits, and these differences are what make us human,’ Dr Cunningham adds.
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