Say it with me, “Masturbation!”
Yes! Most people do it — yet so many people worry about doing it! That's because there’s a lot of myths out there that masturbation is dirty, dangerous, or something to be embarrassed about doing.
But the truth is: Masturbation is safe and healthy. People of all ages do it. Guys do it, and girls do it too. Single people and people in relationships do it. Some people do it a few times a day, and some do it a few times a year.
Even though most people know that masturbation won't really make you go blind or give you acne, there are still a lot of myths about masturbation that need to be cleared up.
The Myth: Masturbation is unhealthy.
The Facts: Masturbation is perfectly healthy and natural. People masturbate throughout their lives. Masturbation is not a sign that you are a pervert or oversexed. It is a normal way to experience sexual pleasure. In fact, masturbation can help relieve stress, muscle tension, and menstrual cramps.
The Myth: Masturbating too much is bad for you.
The Facts: Masturbating as often as you would like is not bad for you. When deciding how much to masturbate, you should consider your needs and how frequent masturbating could affect your relationships. As long as the amount you are masturbating works for you, it is healthy.
The Myth: Girls don't masturbate.
The Facts: Though there are no completely reliable numbers, the fact is, plenty of girls masturbate. But, because there are still double standards, regarding sex for guys and girls, fewer girls than guys feel comfortable talking about masturbation or admitting to doing it.
The Myth: A girl will lose her virginity from masturbating.
The Facts: Everyone defines virginity differently. If you believe that you lose your virginity the first time you have sex with another person, then masturbating wouldn't cause a girl to lose her virginity because she hasn't had sex play with someone else. Virginity is also extremely subjective. You can decide what sexual experiences are important for you.
The Myth: Masturbating will hurt future sexual relationships.
The Facts: People do not have a set number of orgasms or amount of sexual activity they can have. Masturbating will not affect your ability to engage in sex play in the future. In fact, some people find that masturbating makes sexual activity better for them in the future because they know what feels good for them and can communicate that with their partner more easily.
The Myth: People in relationships shouldn't masturbate.
The Facts: Masturbating is completely different from engaging in sexual activity with a partner. You can masturbate and also enjoy being sexual with your partner. You might also decide that you do not want to engage in sexual activity with a partner and instead you only want to masturbate.