"It's as natural as going to the bathroom or breathing air."
This quote came directly from the director of female sexual medicine at the Center for Pelvic Medicine in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, Susan Kellogg-Spadt, PhD.
As taboo as this topic may be, it’s important for us all to recognize that masturbation is actually a normal physical function! With the stigma around masturbation leading to misinformation and flat-out lies, it’s time to set the record straight. Here are 7 masturbation myths that have resulted from years of stigma around self-pleasure. Surprised by any of these?
7 Masturbation Myths
Myth 1: Too Much Masturbation Can Result In Erectile Dysfunction
This is false. According to Dr. Spadt, what may seem like erectile dysfunction is actually just us becoming used to a certain touch, be it from a vibrator or hand. With frequent masturbation, you may become “habituated to that sensation and find it more difficult to have an orgasm with your partner.”
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Myth 2: There Are No Health Benefits To Masturbation
This is also false. Marie Shuey, PhD, and board-certified sexologist in Philadelphia confirms that there are a number of health benefits associated with masturbation.
Reduced stress and tension, fewer headaches, better sleep, improved concentration, increased self-esteem, and a more youthful appearance are just a few of those benefits. It is also worth mentioning that there are added benefits for women, older women to be exact, like less vaginal dryness and less pain during sex.
Myth 3: People In Relationships Don’t Masturbate
Dr. Shuey also confirms that people masturbate whether they’re single or in a relationship. People in relationships may express jealousy when their partner masturbates because it may feel like “cheating” or may become insecure about being “enough” for their partner. Every person has a different level of sexual desire (every level is in fact healthy and normal) and it’s important to acknowledge this.
Myth 4: Masturbation Is Not A Normal Part Of Sexual Development
It’s actually very normal. “It’s totally healthy for people of all ages,” as stated by Dr. Shuey. A study, which involved over 800 teenagers ages 14 to 17, found that 74% of males and over 48% of girls do masturbate. This study was published in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Myth 5: Masturbation Will Make You Go Blind
This one may come as a shocker, but masturbation will not make anyone go blind! This myth has its roots in a time when people believed that sex was ONLY meant for procreation. Clearly, conception can’t be the result of a solo sex session, so masturbation was deemed problematic. “People also believed masturbation could lead to insanity, tuberculosis, hairy palms, and death,” said Dr. Shuey. “Obviously, none of these things are true.”
READ: What Every Parent Should Tell Their Child About Masturbation
Myth 6: You Can Masturbate Too Much
Now there’s a very thin line here! If masturbation is used as a means to escape problems in life and in a relationship, then it can be excessive. If it begins to affect your health, then it can be excessive. If it becomes a consistent replacement for real-life experiences, then it can be excessive.
Also, if it leads to physical soreness, emotional or romantic issues, or if, like mentioned earlier, it begins to affect the ability to orgasm due to habituation issues, then it would be considered excessive. All of these are pretty rare and not many people ever get to this point, but they may be signals to cut back on the alone time.
Myth 7: People Only Masturbate When They're Alone
Again, every individual has a different level of desire and in this case, some people masturbate together and even include it in their “sexual repertoires”, according to Dr. Spadt. It’s also a useful method for practicing safe sex and preventing unwanted pregnancies. A person may enjoy watching their partner masturbate while another person may enjoy bringing themself to orgasm after other forms of sexual contact with their partner.
So there you have it! 7 masturbation myths set straight! Did any of these surprise you?
Jasmine Danielle is the Associate Editor of BlackDoctor.org. She received her BFA in Dance Education & Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has since done work as a certified fitness & wellness educator, blogger, dancer, and designer.
This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Having Sex
If you're either going through a dry spell in the bedroom or taking a self-proclaimed sabbatical from "getting some" or just simply being abstinent after having sex on the regular, you may start to notice some changes in your body. Here's what to expect.
1. Your Dream Changes:
You may dream more.
Women who aren't having sex regularly will find that their body will remind them what they're missing in their sleep. This will especially happen if your sex life is not only at a standstill, but you've also given up on masturbating.
Researchers had it easy when they were studying nocturnal emissions in men, the most obvious reason being because men have erections that are visible and ejaculate as proof that they've climaxed. With women, it was more complex.
Researchers found that 37 percent of women will have a wet dream before the age of 45 and that they're most common in women between the ages of 40 and 50. So, if it's been a while since you've gotten lucky, you can expect a pretty vivid dream in the near future.
2. Your Libido Changes:
You may have loss of libido.
For some people who refrain from sex, they begin to feel more sluggish, with less vitality and hunger for sex. It's sort of like the saying, "out of sight out of mind."
When your body stops having the feelings associated with orgasms, it simply adjusts to not being given those feelings and stops seeking them out.
3. Your Urinary Tract Infections Change:
You may lower your risk of UTIs.
It might not be a surprise that the risk of sexually transmitted infections goes down if you’re not having sex, but the rates of urinary tract infections may decrease as well. But this depends on the kind of sex you’re having. Intercourse may really be responsible for potentially increasing the risk of recurrent bladder infections, due to the spread of bacteria that can occur.
Eighty percent of UTIs in premenopausal women occur within 24 hours of having sex, and as the journal American Family Physician stated, “Frequency of sexual intercourse is the strongest predictor of recurrent urinary tract infections.” If you’re not having intercourse, you avoid these risks.
4. Your Mood Changes:
You may feel happy or unhappy.
Certainly sex releases endorphins and happy hormones that give a sense of wellbeing that you might no longer get.
From a psychological point of view, someone might feel a responsibility to have sex – they feel that they should be having it. If they are not, that could also lead to a low mood.
Sex is part physical, part mental. When people have sex they're usually having skin-to-skin contact, and this kind of contact is the first primal way we as humans get comforted [as babies with our mothers]. Sexual connection gives partners loads of skin-to-skin caressing and touch and can help to regulate one another’s moods, through the release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin.
Without the benefit of these natural pick-me-ups, you might be prone to feeling low—but that doesn’t mean you’ll become clinically depressed. Although studies have shown that depression and a lack of sex are linked, this reflects an association, not cause and effect.
While it is true that sex can help boost your spirits through mood-elevating endorphins, it's not the only way. So instead of relying on sex or some other outside factor to make you happy, replace that with a self-assured feeling that happiness comes from within.
5. Your Heart Changes:
You might lose a bit of heart health.
Sex can be good for your heart, according to research. It’s aerobic exercise after all, and that’s good for you. One expert says a healthy sex life may decrease your risk of having a heart attack. Be sure to put all of that unused energy to good use by hitting the gym. It will not only keep your body in shape, but will reverse many of the negative effects associated with stopping sex, including your mood.
And last but not least...
You will contract less sexually transmitted diseases. Yes, of course staying away from sex can guarantee you lower your risk of STDs/STIs, but you still need to watch out for who you kiss. Here's why...
