Masturbation (touching for sexual pleasure) is absolutely normal, whether you are sexually active with other people or not. Even masturbation has beneficial effects on health, such as reducing stress.
Do most people masturbate?
Many people masturbate. Even if they do not say it, it is common for people of any gender and age to do so. Even before puberty, children sometimes discover that touching their genitals feels good. If you have children and you see that they are touching their genitals, tell them that masturbating is completely normal, but that is something they should do in private.
People masturbate for different reasons: because it helps them to relax, because they want to understand their body better, because they want to release sexual tension or because their partner is far away. However, most people masturbate because it feels good. Many people think that masturbation is something that is done only when you do not have a sexual partner. But both single people and those in a relationship do it.
Some people masturbate frequently, others do it occasionally and others do not masturbate at all. Each person masturbates differently and for different reasons. Masturbation is a totally personal decision, and there is no "normal" way to face it. Is masturbation healthy?
You may have heard some half-crazy things about masturbation, for example, that is bad, that makes you grow hair in strange areas, that causes infertility, that makes you have smaller genitals or that once you start to masturbate you will return addict. None of that is true. Masturbation is not harmful or bad at all. In fact, masturbation can be beneficial for physical and mental health. And it is the safest sex that exists: it has no risk of causing pregnancy or of spreading sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
When you have an orgasm, your body releases endorphins, which are the hormones that block pain and make you feel good. The good feelings that you have with orgasms are the same whether you are alone or if you have sex with a partner.
Many investigations demonstrated the benefits that masturbation has on health. Masturbation can do the following:
Release sexual tension
Reduce stress
Help you sleep better
Improve self-esteem and body image
Help treat sexual problems
Relieve menstrual pain and muscle tension
Strengthen the muscle tone of the pelvic and anal area
Masturbation also helps you discover what you like about sex. Where do you want to be touched? With what pressure? How fast or how slowly? Learning to have orgasms for yourself can make it easier to have them with a partner, since you can tell them or show them what you like. And when you feel comfortable with sex, with your body and with communication with your partner, you are more likely to feel comfortable protecting yourself against STDs and pregnancies. How much masturbation is too much?
Some people masturbate frequently: every day or even more than once a day. Some people masturbate about once a week, once every several weeks or once in a while. Some people never masturbate, and that's fine too. All options are perfectly normal.
Masturbation is "too much" if it interferes with your work, your responsibilities or your social life. If that happens to you, it is advisable to talk to a counselor or a therapist.
Some people learn when they are little that masturbating is wrong and that is why they feel guilty when they do it. If you feel that way, try to remember that most people masturbate. It is perfectly normal and there is nothing wrong with it. Talking to a counselor or therapist can help you if you feel guilty all the time. Is it okay to masturbate in a relationship?
Of course. Many people who are in a relationship masturbate. Masturbing yourself when you are in a relationship does not mean that your partner can not satisfy you. It is an excellent way to discover what you like and what makes you have an orgasm. Then you can show or tell your partner what you like. Talking about sex with your partner can make your relationship more fun and stronger. Some people masturbate at the same time as their partner. It is a way of being together sexually without the risk of causing pregnancy or getting STDs.
