Changing in Public - Is your penis what you're most worried about?

[joey]

Yesterday I was at the gym and saw a college aged guy shower with his shirt on, but no boxers.  I was suddenly reminded of something from 9th or 10th grade... when I was more worried about people seeing my tummy than my penis.  I guess it was a form of Body dysmorphic disorder.  

 

Have others felt this way?  Or is there anybody that is equally worried about their penis and their ______?   

[Krantz53]

When I change and shower at the gym I am probably more conscious of my stomach than anything else, but there are many more in worse shape than me. I take the attitude that if they don't like what they see they don't have to look!  

When I was in my teens I was quite overweight (and was very body conscious as I think most teenagers are) coupled with the fact that I seemed to hit puberty before anyone else in my class, I would do anything to avoid having a shower.  It also didn't help that I was the only circumcised boy in the class (in the UK it is highly unusual for working class males to be circumcised); gym and sports lesson were not a good time for me!!

[Guest]

When young I was as self-conscious about my boyish body as my little boyish dick.

I was actually relieved when I got a belly and gained weight.  I was more comfortalbe with a bit of a thuggish impression.

[Triasco9.5]

Growing up, I was a bit self conscious about my body in general, but when I first joined the Army and received attention for it,  I grew anxious about having my genitalia on display. Thankfully,  I also had friends that were determined to relieve me of that anxiety.  after that,  it was mostly my stomach that I had issue with, especially as it seemed unhealthy drinking and depression caught up with me and seemed to settle there. 

 

Now,  I actually don't care.  I'm working to change the latter and I can't do anything to change the former.  And people will think what they think, often in spite of what we say or do, so I'll let them. 

[Devil28]

@overthehill I can believe this!

I used to be built like a tank when I was quite overweight years back. I was massively fat but had big shoulders and upperback too.

Made me feel quite manly despite being very unhealthy.

[Devil28]

It always was the size thing for me. But the older I get the hairier I am it seems. Not to mention my moobs!

Edited December 31, 2018 by Devil28

[toadfish327]

I find it strange showering with any clothes on!  I was not too concerned about anybody seeing my body.  I have always been pretty thin and not had much of a belly.  Until the last few years, I have even had a pretty muscular stomach.  My biggest concern has always been my flaccid size since I am a grower and suffer from shrinkage due to excercise.  I don't want anyone to see it so small and with my balls shriveled up and feel like they are up to my chin.  I still refuse to shower with clothes on, I guess I would rather be seen and clean!

[Red Scott]

Oh it's definitely my flaccid size for me! Overall I have a good body, a little bit of a tummy to rid myself of but nothing too much. I have a well built structure and very muscular, well toned legs from all the cycling I do! So my body isn't an issue, I have no qualms about who sees me in just my boxer briefs for instance, but only a few see me without them on and not sporting an erection!! 

[dtw1942]

It has always been my flaccid size. Usually turtles down to about an inch or so. The Rest of my body has always been in good shape which I attribute to doing a lot of walking on my hands as a teen which built up my shoulders. Two years in the army helped even more. Unfortunately, love handles started to grow about 15 years ago and five years ago tummy started to follow suite. 

Still not embarrassed with my body, but not prepared to display my flaccid in public.

[DThomas]

@Triasco9.5

On 12/31/2018 at 1:47 PM, Triasco9.5 said:

I grew anxious about having my genitalia on display. Thankfully,  I also had friends that were determined to relieve me of that anxiety.  after that,  it was mostly my stomach that I had issue with, especially as it seemed unhealthy drinking and depression caught up with me and seemed to settle there.  

I agree with this 100%.  While I am still uncomfortable with my flaccid size, it does not actually stop me from changing in the appropriate public settings. 

Currently it is my stomach that I have issues with, since it was a consequence of my depression.  Now  I have the drive to start working out again, so I am getting better, but changing in public was like a reminder to me and others that I was once in a dark place.  I am glad to hear you say this because I literally thought I was the only guy that thought this way.

[Triasco9.5]

@DThomas I'm glad to relieve you of the worry. I think you'd be surprise by the number of people who have found the same happening to them.

[Allen43]

The small size of my flaccid penis and testicles are always the major concern I have when having to shower with other guys. I am fortunate in that I have always been rather thin and rather fit, but that’s where my good fortune ends. My penis has always been noticeably small. Actually it’s tiny. 

[notawhopper]

I would be most worried about getting hard while showering naked and seeing others guys naked with their big cocks flopping arround and having no where to hide.

[DThomas]

@notawhopper I actually worried about getting unexpected erections in public showers as well since I am quite excitable, but I never really had that problem in a public setting like the gym, mainly because my mind is usually preoccupied on working out and getting out.  Despite my own sexuality, I don’t really get turned on at the gym though I admit some guys and women peeked my interest.  Sadly, people think that at a certain age it is expected that you have control over your privates, so if you get hard that means you are primate and ready to have fun, which is rarely the case haha.

[mike1379]

My experience going to a variety of gyms over the years is that I tended to notice who was in overall good shape vs those weren't. I'm sure guys at gyms that were predominantly gay were discretely checking out cocks but I never noticed anyone blatently looking. Like someone else mentioned here, most of us were intent on getting the shower, getting dressed and back to work.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, DThomas said:

@notawhopper I actually worried about getting unexpected erections in public showers as well since I am quite excitable, 

I had that problem from 12-16 years of age, though it was "expected" after a time.  I was fearful it meant I was gay.

During that period I was very small and immature because my puberty was very delayed and I felt very inferior.

[Restoredude]

I've never really had a problem with anyone seeing me naked. (I've always been a little bit of an exhibitionist.) However, since I've been smooth most of my life, I often got comments about how I looked like a young boy. When I shaved the pubes in high school the guys in the locker room called me Lil Boy!

https://imgur.com/NVQpPXw

https://imgur.com/JkQ6dNC

[Guest]

When I started junior high school i dreaded taking PE because of showering and undressing.  My older brother who I shared a room with was always making fun of my small dick.  I had an alright body with some natural definition as a boy so didnt mind the other boys seeing my body i was sort of proud of it i was a competitive swimmer since a young age.  But I was so embarrased about the other boys seeing what i thought was a very small dick.  There were several other boys with small ones like me and a couple even smaller but it was very humiliating seeing the larger flaccid dicks changing and in the shower room.  It was an open shower room with the shower trees so no way to hide what you had.   A few of the smaller guys would wear their jockstrap in the shower but i thought that was more trouble having a wet jockstrap.

[Tsoren]

For me, I seemed to have gone through different stages of what I was most embarrassed about in regards to changing in public.  Prior to age 12 I had no qualms at all about being naked.  Growing up we lived out in the country and we had a swimming pool.  My younger brother, my two younger cousins and I would be naked most of the summer skinny dipping.

But junior high showers changed that.  Being a late bloomer and the last kid in my grade to get pubic hair was very humiliating.  Unfortunately, with mandatory showers in a big open room there was no way of hiding the fact I was so far behind all my classmates in terms of physical development.  

A little later, a new concern began popping up (pun intended) as I seemed to get hard very quickly in the showers.

I finally started getting pubic hair after I turned sixteen and started my junior year in high school.  At that point my embarrassment turned from lack of pubes to having a very thin penis.  And again, with mandatory showers in high school, there wasn't anything I could do to hide.  When I went to college, I found times in the  dorm to shower when no one else would be around.  And after college I avoided gyms for the same reason.

Now, in my old age I am finally comfortable with my body.  My penis hasn't gained any girth, so still looks very skinny, but after exercising in our health club, I have no problem being naked in the showers.  I guess I have come full circle.

[hunboy]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 8:45 PM, Tsoren said:

Prior to age 12 I had no qualms at all about being naked.

Same here.

Later it was my penis, other body parts doesn't bothered me much. Then I got over the shyness too, took some time of course.

[Jojojojo]

It's hard to say. I have such intense body shame it seems nearly equal. But being small in the way guys stare is what keeps me out of locker rooms. Although likely unfounded I have a fear ill notice someone staring and get hard. 

[Hot Showers]

When I was young, it was the fear of the inevitable erection that I would get if I were to shower with other guys as I was so turned on by the idea, which would have pushed me out of the closet before I was ready. Fortunately, we did not have open showers in my HS gym or even in my college dorm. I was able to keep it under control for shorter bursts of nudity which were common amongst doormates in our rooms and the floor bathroom.  I was eventually able to use open showers in the college gym by my later years. It was an awesome sense of accomplishment, as I always associated male nudity with jocks and being "one of the guys" so it felt like a rite of passage. I did not realize/acknowledge that I have a small penis until many years later and it has not diminished the enjoyment that I get from being naked with other men and I have no inhibitions about men seeing my penis.

[smallestpenisever]

absolutely