Masturbation: What are the Questions?
Many people have questions about masturbation. "Is masturbating normal?" "How do you do it?" "Will it hurt?" "Will it make me sick? "Will it make me lose my hair?" These are all valid questions and the answers are here! So keep reading and find out what's true about masturbation.
"So what is Masturbation anyway?"
Masturbation is the act of touching oneself to bring about pleasurable feelings. It is sometimes referred to as "jackin' or jillin' off" in everyday conversation.
Masturbation can be a great way for men and women to get to know their bodies. Yes, men AND women. There is a common misconception that only men masturbate, when in fact women are known to masturbate just as much as men. Women tend to keep it to themselves a little more and some men may be more open about it. Some people are more comfortable with keeping their sex lives private, including any self-pleasing activities. It is certainly not something one would share in a job interview when an employer asks, "So tell me something about yourself." For some people, the privacy makes their sexual experience(s) more intimate and even more enjoyable!
There are many benefits to getting to know our bodies, such as staying healthy and understanding our individual sexuality. People need to understand that sexuality and sexual feelings are normal and we are all sexual beings naturally, but society tends to make this part of our lives seem negative or forbidden. Isn't it time we start making our own choices about our bodies and keep society's opinions out of it?
Did you know that masturbating could be healthy for you?
It's true. Think about it, people who touch, and possibly look at themselves, regularly will become familiar with what their bodies look and feel like normally and will be able to quickly identify anything abnormal and seek immediate attention. As you know, early detection of infections or abnormalities is important. So even if you're not comfortable touching, it is a good idea to grab a mirror and take a peek every now and then. Masturbation also allows a person to explore the pleasure points of their bodies and figure out how to trigger them. Knowing this could strengthen other sexual relationships by being able to tell your partner what feels good and what doesn't. Yes, people in relationships masturbate too. They may even do it together as a form of "foreplay" to turn each other on. Masturbation can also help men understand their sexual response cycle, which would enable them to recognize the physical sensations and feelings just before ejaculation. This knowledge is crucial for individuals using the withdrawal method to prevent pregnancy.
"But I heard that masturbating was dirty."
Only if you don't take personal hygiene into consideration! The act of masturbating is not dirty at all. However, it is important to make sure that hands and/or sexual devices are clean before we place them in or around these delicate areas, such as the penis, mouth, vagina and/or anus.
There are several different ways to masturbate. One just needs to figure out what they like and what they are comfortable with. Some people may use their hands and fingers with a little lubrication and others may enjoy using toys, such as, vibrators or ticklers. Whatever feels good is fine as long as everything is clean to prevent infections and will not cause any other harm.
Remember, masturbation may not be for everyone.
People masturbate because they are comfortable with themselves and they want to do it. Here are some other reasons why people may choose to masturbate and some advantages too:
- A person may be turned on or having sexual feelings but is not ready to share those feelings with a partner.
- A person may not have a partner.
- A person may choose to masturbate because they don't want to contract any STDs. Remember, you can't get an STD with out a partner.
- A person may do it because it feels good.
- A person may do it to relieve stress.
- A person may just want to get to know their body.
"But is it wrong? Will people look at me differently?"
No one will know you masturbate unless you tell them. It is completely up to whether or not you feel like sharing that information with other people. Bottom line, if masturbating makes you feel good and your comfortable with it, then it may be right for you.
So if anyone ever tells you that masturbation will cause you to become sterile so that you can not have children, make you sick, make you lose your hair or go blind, tell them to get connected and get the real facts at teensource.org!