Masturbation. A topic often met with shifty eyes, uncomfortable seat position re-arranging, and overall subject changing. Despite no one ever talking about it, a survey from the University of Chicago reported that 38% of women said they’d masturbated, and 61% of men said they had. So even though there’s definitely a taboo about the topic, maybe thinking about it without any biases can help us understand it. Or, maybe that’s not possible – what do you think?
Truth is, there are a lot of potential benefits to understanding your body through masturbation. They can include:
Potential Health Benefits for Boys
- Improve your immune system (your ability to fight off sickness).
- Reduce risk for prostate cancer.
Potential Health Benefits for Girls
- Prevent yeast infections.
- Reduce cramps and painful periods.
- Increase ability to handle pain.
Potential Health Benefits for All
- Can help relieve stress.
- Can help you become familiar with your body and understanding your sexuality.
- Can help you fall asleep.
- Can improve your mood (helps to release endorphins, similar to exercise).
- Is the safest form of sex – you can’t get STDs from yourself! Remember, STDs are transferred when bodily fluid or skin comes into contact with infected fluid or skin. So as long as your masturbating doesn’t involve these, it’s definitely a safer way to go.
In the end, the choice of whether or not to masturbate lies in your hands – literally! If it comes down to masturbating or having risky sex, I’d say the clear winner’s masturbation. If you are having sexual feelings, but aren’t ready to share that with your partner, or are infected yourself and don’t want to spread it, this can be a valid way of diverting those feelings.
Remember, we all have the need to satisfy our sexual desires, but it’s really up to you how you want to channel it. As usual, no one should have to force on anybody something they don’t want to do, especially when it comes to sex, and we all have the choice to express our sexuality how we want to. Just keep it safe and responsible.
Got any more questions about masturbation? I recommend talking to a trusted adult or friend about it, or consulting this website.