In
1994 Dr. Jocelyn Elders—the second woman appointed to the position
of U.S. Surgeon General— lost her job as Surgeon General because
she dared to say that masturbation should actually be taught
in schools. We think her mistake was when she said, "It's
practicing for sex." She never implied that a method
of masturbation be taught... or did she?
Masturbation
Myths—There Are Lots More of Course.
"Masturbation
isn't "real sex" and only losers masturbate."
Just not true. According to some sexuality experts people
who masturbate tend to function better sexually when with
a partner since they know their own body and have fulfilled
sexual expression.
If
you masturbate you will go blind or bald or get acne or hair
on your hands -- or lots of other anomalies. None of these
have any basis in truth.
People
in relationships or married don't masturbate.
Wrong again. (Many couples
masturbate mutually).
"Masturbation
will stunt your growth"
Nice try, but wrong again.
“If
you masturbate you'll never be able to have children”
I get this question as an e-mail often, this is just not
true, who started this myth? If that was true none of us would
be on this planet.
“Can
masturbation hurt me?”
(See the Sex FAQ page for
the answer)...
None
of these myths are true. And while there will always be those
who make religious or moral arguments against masturbation
-- if you are Catholic you may have been taught that it is
“sinful to spill seed” or masturbation is “seed
wasted”. So, that is something you will have to decide
for yourself. When done in moderation, masturbation seems
to be a common, "normal", healthy way to get sexual satisfaction.
It is one that is safe and does NOT run the risks of
pregnancy, STDs or incompatible sexual
preferences. But, use good sense while masturbating. If you
are sore from spending TOO much time with yourself -- stop
and let your body heal. Getting irritated skin is not uncommon,
so don't panic and use plenty of water soluble lubrication
next time. (Like Astroglide ® or Wet ®). If irritation
persists see your health care provider. Remember, lubrication!
Especially you guys (or gals using a vibrator).
If
you are spending a lot of your time masturbating and it is
interfering with your school work, your job, or the rest of
your life, then you might want to stop and think about why
you are doing it so much. A person can become obsessed with
anything.
See the
how to masturbate page for women if need be. A
guide for beginners or for those who have never explored.
Are
there benefits to masturbation?
Yes. Masturbation can help relieve stress and:
Relieve
menstrual cramps
Help for
insomnia (i.e. when a person is having trouble falling asleep)
Stimulate
the immune system to help build up resistance to common infections.
Release
mood elevating hormones
Reduce
embarrassing spontaneous erections for teen males
Reduce
the number of unwanted wet dreams
for young men
For more on Male or Female Orgasm, see Male
Orgasm or Female
Orgasm. For recommended reading on masturbation,
see Female
Orgasm. There
are more sexuality links in there also.
For more on Sexual Health, check out the Sexual
Health Library
See the Sexual FAQ Pages for more answers about masturbation.
For
more on lubricants, see Lubricants
- a masturbation must!
Your
Vagina; Get to know it Better!
For honest
answers about orgasms, sexual health, STDs
and birth
control, with hundreds of FAQs. See Sex
Stuff
Recommended
Reading:
Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving
For more than 20 years, Betty Dodson
has been dedicated to taking
the shame out of masturbation. Dodson explains how anyone
can learn
to fully enjoy the pleasures of self-love.
The
Penis Book - An Owner's Manual for Use, Maintenance, and
Repair
Designed to help men understand more about sex,
and to provide practical information about the make body
-- how it works and what to do if things go wrong. The
book will help to allay common fears, correct misconceptions,
and lead to a more physically and emotionally satisfying
life. B & W line drawings throughout.
What Your Mother Never Told You about Sex! -
by Dr. Hutchinson
Masturbation can be defined as self-stimulation to cause sexual
sensations. The use of the word masturbation usually suggests
that the person is manipulating his or her genitals to the
point of intense pleasure or orgasm. (Orgasm refers to a period
of intense excitement in which genital muscles enter in to
a series of highly pleasurable contractions or movements.)
Most
surveys suggest that approximately 94% of teenage males
"admitted" that they masturbated and about 70% of teen females
"admitted" to this also. It’s always hard to establish
absolute truth in any survey on sexuality and sexual behavior,
since they are influenced so much by what people think is
"normal". It is important to note the word "admitted"
in the results of these surveys. Doesn't that word imply
something shameful about the act of masturbating? We think
so. This leads us to believe that we are still suffering
from the residual Victorian morals when boys and girls were
discouraged from masturbating. 
For
many people the consequence of our mothers' or fathers'
difficulty with our innocent sexuality when we were toddlers
and infants may be the reason that the experience and enjoyment
of our own bodies is taken away from us, or we are still
allowed (made) to feel ashamed in some way when we feel
pleasure from exploring our own bodies. 