The reason men have nipples

Has there ever been such a controversial body part as the nipple? Everyone has them, but while women’s nipples are considered to be a sexual body part that must be covered up at all times, men are allowed to go topless without facing censure. What’s the deal with men’s nipples? What makes them so special, and why do they even have them?

Unless you skipped your high school health class, you know that the primary evolutionary function of nipples is breastfeeding. Cisgender men, however, don’t breastfeed (although they can lactate in extreme cases), making the fact that they have nipples seem, well, kind of pointless. Are they there just for decoration? Are they some sort of evolutionary mistake? Are male nipples a vestigial part that once served some kind of purpose? 

The truth is actually pretty straightforward. The reason everyone has nipples is that nipples begin forming in the womb before a Y chromosome is assigned. Further along in the development process, a male fetus’s Y chromosome kicks in and determines that the fetus will develop testes instead of breasts. By that point, the typical fetus already has nipples regardless of biological sex.

That’s not to say that male nipples are totally useless, though. The male nipple might not serve a biological function, but it can come in handy during foreplay. Nipples are typically sensitive across the gender spectrum and are considered to be an erogenous zone in all humans. 

In spite of the fact that nipples are very much a sexual thing no matter what your gender is, it’s only women’s nipples that are subject to public censure. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have become notorious for flagging and removing pictures that reveal women’s nipples while allowing pictures of men’s nipples to remain posted. It’s also illegal in many American states for women to be topless in public, and women are often shamed for breastfeeding in public even though public breastfeeding is legal in all fifty states. This double standard has spurred movements like the Free the Nipple campaign that aim for male and female nipples to be treated equally.

Hopefully one day the world will see nipples for what they truly are: a totally inoffensive body part that everyone has.

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