Masturbation
Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm.[1][2][3] The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinations of these.[1][2] Mutual masturbation is masturbation with a sexual partner,[3][4] and may include manual stimulation of a partner's genitals (fingering or a handjob),[4] or be used as a form of non-penetrative sex.[5] Masturbation is benign and harmless. Recently a German health insurance company even recommended masturbation as a sleep aid![6]
Masturbation is normal, natural, and healthy. It is common in both sexes and at any age. Various medical and psychological benefits have been attributed to a healthy attitude toward sexual activity in general and to masturbation in particular. No causal relationship is known between masturbation and any form of mental or physical disorder.[7] [8] In the Western world, masturbation in private or with a partner is generally considered a normal and healthy part of sexual enjoyment.
Medical science has not established any limits on the quantity or frequency of masturbation. One is free to do it as much and as often as one desires. There is no minimum or maximum age for masturbation.
Contents
Male masturbation
Masturbation to orgasm before bed is very relaxing and contributes to sleeping. Moreover, it prevents overfilled seminal vesicles and nocturnal emissions (wet dreams}. Masturbation to orgasm in the morning may help a teen to get through the school day. Regular masturbation is associated with a reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer.[9]
The manner of male masturbation tends to be controlled by the circumcision status of the individual.
How one masturbates depends on whether one has an intact, internally-lubricated, movable erogenous foreskin that glides up and down the shaft of the penis or whether one has been circumcised and has restricted skin mobility.
Masturbation may be helpful in reducing a persistent erection.
There is no minimum age for masturbation. Young adolescents may experience dry orgasms until secretion of semen commences.
Intact penis
The movable, internally-lubricated, nerve-laden erogenous foreskin and its gliding action is an important aid to masturbation.[10] Intact males simply use their hand to glide the foreskin back and forth. It is not necessary to retract the foreskin while masturbating. If the foreskin is of adequate length, then the intact male will usually keep it forward for additional stimulation. Keeping the head covered by the foreskin also protects the sensitive mucosa covering the head. The motion of the foreskin stimulates the nerves (Meissner's corpuscles) in the foreskin. Use of lubrication is optional for intact males. There are many variations.[11]
Prolonged and/or vigorous masturbation occasionally causes lymphoedema of the foreskin, which causes swelling of the foreskin. The condition is painless and harmless. It usually resolves within about 24 hours.
Masturbation with phimosis
Phimosis or tight foreskin generally does not create any kind of difficulty with masturbation. It is not necessary to retract the foreskin while masturbating. The outer layer of foreskin may be glided without retraction. Phimosed men may pull their non-retractile foreskin away from the body. There is some anecdotal evidence that phimosed males will stimulate their acroposthion more than non-phimosed males.
Beaugé (1997) stated that adult phimosis is caused by unusual methods of masturbation that fail to stretch the narrow foreskin of childhood. According to Beaugé, the condition may be treated by changing one's method of masturbation so that the foreskin is pulled back against the head of the penis causing the foreskin to stretch.[12]
Masturbation for intact teens
Milos (2022) advises regarding a 14-year-old intact teen:
I am happy that you and your son can talk candidly about sex. You can explain to him that, just as you cautioned him not to forcibly retract his foreskin, he needs to be careful with his foreskin when he masturbates. Here’s why: One or two millimeters under the penile skin is a smooth muscle sheath called the dartos fascia. The dartos fascia covers the shaft of the penis and extends to the tip. The dartos fascia muscle fibers near the tip of the foreskin form a sphincter-like structure—or a ring—that acts like a one-way valve and shields the urinary opening.
The muscle fibers of the ring will become elastic over time as your son’s foreskin loosens with the hormones of puberty and eventually fully retracts. Until then, tell your son to masturbate gently to slowly widen the opening. If he masturbates too vigorously, he can force the head of the penis through the opening and tear the ring, causing bleeding as well as pain. Gentleness is always important when the genitals are involved.[13]
Circumcised penis
Nineteenth century physicians falsely believed that masturbation caused many diseases, including epilepsy, so they thought of ways to prevent masturbation. Bauer (1879) recommended infibulation,[14] [15] but circumcision was the favored treatment.[16]
Circumcision was introduced in English-speaking nations in Victorian times (19th century) to un-foreskin the penis, tighten the skin to make it immovable, and make it impossible for circumcised guys to masturbate.[17] It failed to stop masturbation, but it made it harder to do and less enjoyable. E. J. Spratling (1895) gave instructions on doing circumcisions to other doctors:
In all cases [of masturbation] circumcision is undoubtedly the physicians' closest friend and ally ... To obtain the best results one must cut away enough skin and mucous membrane to rather put it on the stretch when erections come later. There must be no play in the skin after the wound has thoroughly healed, but it must fit tightly over the penis, for should there be any play the patient will be found to readily resume his practice, not begrudging the time and extra energy required to produce the orgasm. It is true, however, that the longer it takes to have an orgasm, the less frequently it will be attempted, consequently the greater the benefit gained ... The younger the patient operated upon the more pronounced the benefit, though occasionally we find patients who were circumcised before puberty that require a resection of the skin, as it has grown loose and pliant after that epoch.[18]
Kim & Pang (2007) reported that masturbatory pleasure decreased in 48% of the respondents and increased in 8%, while difficulty increased in 63% but was easier in 37%. They concluded that there was a decrease in masturbatory pleasure after circumcision.[10]
Looking at male masturbation in erotic videos, it is noticeable that a penis without a foreskin is often stimulated by hand as if a foreskin were present. Even without a foreskin, the hand is pushed back and forth along the shaft of the penis, perhaps to simulate the stimulating movement of the (non-existent) foreskin over the glans.
Lubrication
Circumcised males found that they could still practice masturbation, if they used lubrication to overcome the handicap of being circumcised.[18] Most, but not all, circumcised males need lubrication to avoid friction irritation.[19] Some circumcised males who have a loose cut and some gliding action find it is enough for masturbation without lubrication.
Substances with harsh or irritant chemicals should not be used for lubrication.[20]
One may use various personal lubricants that are sold for sexual lubrication[21] or one may use such substances as baby oil, coconut oil, other vegetable oils, or saliva. Saliva dries rapidly so it must be replenished frequently, but it is always available.
Death grip masturbation
Circumcision excises about 15-square-inches of highly-innervated erogenous tissue[22] from the penis, reduces or eliminates the gliding action, and severely reduces penile sensation.[23] Circumcised men, with their desensitized penis, in an attempt to restore lost sensation, are more likely to try using a very tight grip when they masturbate. This technique is referred to by the slang term death grip masturbation.[24]
Practitioners of death grip masturbation may do better by using lubrication and a lighter grip.[25] [26] For the longer term, non-surgical foreskin restoration may help to improve sensation.[27]
The presence of the foreskin, with its high degree of sensitivity and easy gliding action, eliminates any need or desire for death grip masturbation among intact men.[24]
Restored penis
Circumcision (foreskin amputation) was promoted in the nineteenth century to stop masturbation.[28] It follows that restoration of the foreskin would facilitate and improve masturbation.
Many men who practice foreskin restoration report an improvement in their masturbation experience with their restored penis as compared with their previous circumcised penis. Notably, they typically report an improvement in gliding action, in sensation, and a reduction or elimination of the need for lubrication.
Refractory period
After a wet or dry orgasm, one immediately goes into the refractory period.[29] The glans penis becomes hyper-sensitive and further masturbation becomes impossible for a variable period of time.
In human sexuality, the refractory period is usually the recovery phase after orgasm during which it is physiologically impossible for a man to have additional orgasms. This phase begins immediately after ejaculation and lasts until the excitement phase of the human sexual response cycle begins anew with low level response.
Video
Video for boys
Masturbation myths
NSFW This is a short video of a 22-year-old intact adult male masturbating to orgasm by manipulation of the foreskin. It illustrates the normal use of the foreskin in masturbation. It is provided here because many circumcised American males have little understanding of masturbation with a normal penis.
WARNING
This video may be offensive to some people. Any one who may be offended by male frontal nudity should not click on the video.
NSFW video of normal masturbation
See also
External links
-
How to masturbate with a penis
(archive URL). Retrieved 20 July 2021. -
Lubrication
, jackinworld. Retrieved 17 February 2020. -
Masturbation Deterrent?
, Acroposthion. Retrieved 20 July 2021. - Link, Rachel (6 May 2022).
Masturbation — How Does It Affect Your Health?
, Healthline. Retrieved 17 December 2022. -
Masturbation
, Planned Parenthood. Retrieved 16 January 2023. - Milos, Marilyn (25 July 2022).
Ask Marilyn—Why Is Vigorous Masturbation Painful for this Intact Teen?
, Intact America. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
References
- ↑ a b Robinson, Jennifer (4 March 2010).
Masturbation – Is Masturbation Normal or Harmful? Who Masturbates? Why Do People Masturbate?
, WebMD. Retrieved 17 August 2011. - ↑ a b Lehmiller JJ (2017): The Psychology of Human Sexuality. John Wiley & Sons. P. 402. ISBN 978-1119164708.
Quote:Masturbation refers to all solo forms of self-stimulation focusing on the genitals. Masturbation practices vary widely depending upon the individual's body and personal preferences. For instance, masturbation among women may involve manipulation of the clitoris and labia, stimulation of the breasts, or vaginal penetration with a sex toy. [...] Among men, masturbation most frequently involves using one or both hands to stimulate the penis. Of course, men sometimes utilize sex toys too (e.g., masturbation sleeves, butt-plugs, etc.).
- ↑ a b Nadal KL (2017): The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. SAGE. P. 1123. ISBN 978-1483384276.
Quote:Masturbation is the act of touching or otherwise stimulating one's own body, particularly one's genitals, for the purpose of sexual pleasure and/or orgasm. The term is most commonly used to describe solitary masturbation, in which people provide themselves with sexual stimulation while they are physically alone. Mutual masturbation is when two or more people manually stimulate their own body or each other's bodies.
- ↑ a b Bruess CE, Schroeder E (2013): Sexuality Education Theory And Practice. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. P. 151. ISBN 978-1449649289.
- ↑ Upton D (2014): Nursing & Health Survival Guide: Health Promotion. Routledge. P. 52. ISBN 978-1317906179.
- ↑ (25 July 2019).
Barmer Krankenkasse empfiehlt Masturbation zum Einschlafen
[Barmer health insurance recommends masturbation to sleep] (German), Spiegel. Retrieved 1 May 2020. - ↑ Coleman E (2012): Masturbation as a Means of Achieving Sexual Health. Bockting, Walter O. & Coleman, Eli (eds.). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. P. 7. ISBN 978-0-7890-2047-5.
Quote:Despite the scientific evidence indicating that masturbation is generally a normal variant of sexual expression and that it does not seem to have a causal relationship with sexual pathology, negative attitudes about masturbation persist and it remains stigmatized.
- ↑ Link, Rachel (6 May 2022).
Masturbation — How Does It Affect Your Health?
, Healthline. Retrieved 17 December 2022. - ↑ Anonymous (25 March 2022).
Frequent ejaculation and prostate cancer risk
, Medical News Today. Retrieved 23 October 2023. - ↑ a b Kim DS, Pang MG. The effect of male circumcision on sexuality . BJU Int. March 2007; 99(3): 619-622. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
- ↑
Foreskin Fun
, JackinWorld. Retrieved 25 February 2024. - ↑ Beaugé M. The causes of adolescent phimosis.. Br J Sex Med. October 1997; : 26. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
- ↑ Milos MF (25 July 2022).
Ask Marilyn—Why Is Vigorous Masturbation Painful for this Intact Teen?
, Intact America. Retrieved 4 May 2024. - ↑ Bauer L. Dementia brought on by excessive self-abuse: cure by infibulation. St Louis Clin Record. 1878; 4: 271-3. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ Bauer L. Infibulation as a remedy for epilepsy and seminal losses. St Louis Clin Record. 1879; 6: 163-5. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ Schultheiss D, Mattelaer JJ, Hodges FM. Preputial infibulation: from ancient medicine to modern genital piercing. BJU Int. November 2003; 92(7): 758-63. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ Moses MJ. The Value of Circumcision as a Hygienic and Therapeutic Measure. NY Med J. November 1871; 14(4): 368-74.
- ↑ a b Spratling EJ. Masturbation in the Adult. Medical Record. 28 September 1895; 48: 442-3. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ↑
Lubrication
. Retrieved 24 April 2022. - ↑
What kinds of lubrication do you not recommend?
. Retrieved 24 April 2022. - ↑
What kinds of lubrication do you recommend?
. Retrieved 24 April 2022. - ↑ Winkelmann RK. The erogenous zones: their nerve supply and significance. Mayo Clin Proc. 21 January 1959; 34(3): 39-47. PMID. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ↑ Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ. The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision. Br J Urol. 1996; 77: 291-5. PMID. DOI. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ↑ a b Savage, Dan (17 November 2019).
Death Grip and Circumcision: Is There a Correlation?
, Joseph4GI. Retrieved 13 May 2024. - ↑ Engle, Gigi (4 April 2019).
Are You Using a 'Death Grip' During Masturbation? It Could Be Messing With Your Sex Life
, Men's Health. Retrieved 13 August 2023. - ↑ Hagerty, Katelyn (27 July 2023).
Death Grip Syndrome: What It Is & How to Treat It
, hims. Retrieved 13 August 2023. - ↑ Bigelow, Ph.D, Jim (1995):
Why Men Today Want to Uncircumcise
, in: The Joy of Uncircumcising. Edition: Second Edition. Aptos: Hourglass. Pp. 113-4. ISBN 0-934061-22-X. Retrieved 13 August 2023. - ↑ Bigelow, Jim (1995):
America's 100-year Infatuation with Circumcision
, in: The Joy of Uncircumcising!: Exploring Circumcision: History, Myths, Psychology, Restoration, Sexual Pleasure, and Human Rights. Edition: 2. Hourglass Book Publishing. P. 70. ISBN 978-0934061223. - ↑ (2012).
Refractory period
, thefreedictionary.com, Segen's Medical Dictionary. Retrieved 29 May 2020.