Myth 1: Those who masturbate are dissatisfied with sex in their relationships.
Masturbation isn’t a substitute for partnered sex, but a complement to it. Self-gratification can help you relax quickly and without foreplay. Sometimes, a person needs this, but a partner isn’t available or they’re not in the mood for romantic, long-lasting sex. Or, they simply enjoy both masturbation and sex equally. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Moreover, masturbation may even improve your sexual performance. The better you know your body and what it likes, the more you can share your sexual preferences with your partner. A 2020 survey of women in the US and Hungary found that women who masturbate are regularly more interested in achieving orgasm during sex and pay more attention to their sensations during it. So, masturbation is more likely a key to orgasm than a hindrance.
Myth 2: Children shouldn’t masturbate; it’s bad for their psyche.
Masturbation in childhood is a developmental component of the psyche, not a destructive one. Between the ages of 2 and 5, children view their own and others’ genitals not as sexual objects, but as a curious curiosity.
Children under 5 touch their intimate areas, which they experience with pleasant sensations and this creates increased interest. This is normal.
If a child touches themselves in public, parents are advised to hint that this activity is very pleasant, but intimate. And that adults do it too, just not in public, but in their own room. The main thing is not to forbid it or say it’s bad or wrong.
Scientists also suggest that masturbation in childhood and adolescence contributes to positive sexual experiences in the future and healthy self-esteem.
Myth 3: You can’t masturbate too much, otherwise you might lose control.
Masturbation has no limits, as everyone’s need for self-gratification is unique. It’s a form of pleasure that can’t be overdone.
Don’t worry if you feel like you’re masturbating too often. Once a day is fine, five times a day is fine too.
Masturbation can only become a problem when it interferes with normal life. If you find it difficult not to think about masturbation when you go to work or meet with friends and family—if your daily need becomes like an obsessive, irresistible urge—then you should seek help from a psychologist.
Myth 4: Masturbation causes hair growth or, conversely, hair loss.
This is a myth. Masturbation does not affect hair growth anywhere in either women or men.
The website Medical News Today even offers a theory about the origin of this myth. There’s a wild theory that during orgasm, a man releases protein-rich semen. This loss supposedly affects hair growth. But if you use a calculator, this theory falls apart. Ejaculate contains approximately 5 mg of protein per 100 ml. And only 3.5 ml of ejaculate is released during orgasm. This protein loss is so insignificant that the body simply doesn’t notice it.
Myth 5: Masturbation can induce early menstruation.
This isn’t true; masturbation doesn’t affect your cycle and can’t disrupt it. However, it can relieve menstrual pain.
During orgasm, endorphins are released. They act as a painkiller, so lower abdominal pain may subside at the peak of pleasure.
Myth 6: Vibrators can damage nerve endings in the vagina
No, vibrators and other sex toys are recognized by the medical community as safe and cannot cause any damage to the nervous system. They are designed to stimulate receptors and bring pleasure, not discomfort.
Adverse reactions from vibrator use do occur, but they are relatively rare and harmless. In 2009, a large-scale survey of two thousand US women about their experiences with vibrators was published. 71.5% of them said they never experienced any discomfort during use, while 16.5% reported mild numbness. The remaining 12% experienced pain or irritation after using a vibrator. Since the details are unknown, it is difficult to determine whether the vibrator was to blame or whether the woman simply applied too much force during masturbation.
In other words, vibrators generally don’t cause problems. Monitor your sensations and remember to wash sex toys before and after use to avoid infection.
Myth 7: Masturbation affects testosterone levels and lowers them.
In short, masturbation doesn’t affect testosterone levels in the long term. They may rise briefly, then return to normal.
Testosterone is a key hormone for muscle growth. It helps muscles synthesize protein and promotes increased growth hormone levels in the blood during exercise.
It’s believed that testosterone levels drop during sex and masturbation, which reduces muscle growth. Therefore, some athletes practice abstinence. The New York Times reported that Muhammad Ali was abstained from sex for six weeks before boxing matches.
Testosterone levels do change during sex—they increase. But it’s been proven that after a few minutes, they return to normal levels and don’t affect a person’s strength or endurance in any way.
The study didn’t test how quickly testosterone levels return to normal after masturbation. But if the hormone returns to normal after sex, it’s logical that something similar occurs during masturbation. Therefore, unless you’re an Olympic athlete, you can masturbate as much as you want. If hormone levels are extremely important to you, there’s no definitive data yet.
Myth 8: The more you masturbate, the less you want to have sex.
There’s no such correlation. Masturbation is believed to have a positive effect on sexual desire. When a person and their partner are familiar with each other’s sensitive areas, the desire to have sex and experience pleasure only increases.
During masturbation, the hormone testosterone is activated, which increases libido.
The truth about masturbation is this:
Masturbation is normal. Almost everyone does it. But if you don’t like it and don’t feel like it, that’s okay too.
Masturbation has health benefits. It’s known to help you fall asleep faster and more soundly, relieve emotional tension, and ease menstrual pain.
Masturbation helps you get to know your body better. It boosts self-esteem and self-love, and it also improves the quality of sex. It will be more sensual and intense if you don’t waste time searching for erogenous zones.
Sex toys are safe for masturbation. Just remember to wash them before and after use.
You can masturbate as much as you want. The main thing is that it doesn’t interfere with your life and hobbies.
Don’t forbid children from masturbating. For them, this activity is a new stage in their development and a discovery of their sexuality. Don’t scare them with myths and horror stories, but explain that it’s a pleasant and beneficial activity; they just shouldn’t do it in public.
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