Five myths about masturbation

8.11.2011 | By: Jure P

It is high time you did away with the negative, odd and hardly believable myths about masturbation!

Women masturbate, too, but they rarely talk about it. (PhotoXpress)

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Myth No. 1: Only young people masturbate

The truth: Masturbation accompanies people throughout their whole lives. Different researches and surveys show that 70 - 95 per cent adults masturbate: although the frequency of masturbation may decrease with age, its occurrence prolongs well past one's best years. A survey among 800 people aged 60 and more has shown that 46 per cent of them masturbate. Accordingly, we can conclude that masturbation is not only adolescent sexual activity and should not be considered as an immature sexual behavior.

Myth No. 2: Masturbation is not proper sex

The truth: Masturbation is proper sex as it presupposes sexual arousal which ends up in a »proper« orgasm. Some may argue that only copulation – penetration of penis into vagina with the purpose of reproduction or a possibility of procreation – counts as sex. Following this logic, oral and anal sex should be abandoned as well.

Myth No. 3: Masturbation is harmful to your health

The truth: Under the influence of Christianity and marketing strategies masturbation has been throughout history presented as an illness, causing blindness, acne and hairy palms; your hand would wither and your penis would come off if you masturbated. Nowadays it’s widely known that masturbation is completely harmless if performed within healthy, normal bounds. In case a person has a bent for compulsive masturbation or is besides incapable of any other sexual behavior a visit to a psychiatrist is advisable. Otherwise, masturbation poses no risks whether it’s performed once a month or three times a day.

Myth No. 4: Only men masturbate

The truth: Although most statistics show that men masturbate more often than women, they don't prove that masturbation is restricted to the male sex. However, the general opinion and attitude towards female masturbation is much more negative, which can strongly influence the results of statistic surveys: women are less likely to talk about masturbation and to admit doing it and they may masturbate less for fear of being judged.

Myth No. 5: People involved in relationships do not masturbate

The truth: This particular myth often forces those who have partners to masturbate secretly and to avoid talking about it. A survey about sexual behavior conducted by Alfred Kinsey in the first part of the 20th century showed that approximately 40 % of men and 30 % of women who were in relationships and had sex with their partners regularly masturbated as well.