5 Myths & Facts: Masturbation

Acting upon myths can be dangerous. Factual evidence is key.

The internet has an array of myths that are associated with sexual health. While some are harmless, others can be jarring and can cause physical and emotional damage. Sexual health isn’t often taught in accurate detail during early education. The curiosity about the topic leads to the consumption of inaccurate information and can result in many acting on these myths. One of the main topics concerning sexual health is masturbation. Masturbation is a form of self genital stimulation for pleasure — it is a normal human activity that should not be associated with shame or any embarrassment.

So with that in mind, let’s bust a few myths on masturbation!

Myth: Masturbation reduces libido/sex drive.
Fact: Masturbation does not cause reduced libido — if not done excessively. We say this because those that masturbate excessively, may not be stimulated by their partner during sex and may not orgasm. However, masturbation increases the chances of better and more satisfying sex. A study revealed that those with higher sex drives masturbated more often.

Myth: There is no limit to the number of times one can masturbate.
Fact: Experts suggest that while masturbation is normal and should be done, there is a limit. Masturbation is considered excessive if it affects you physically and/or emotionally. This means it causes soreness, aggravates a porn addiction, relationship problems, and reduced stimulation leading to the inability to orgasm.

Myth: Only those that are single masturbate.
Fact: Couples in relationships also masturbate. Exploring one’s body can help one understand what they like and don’t like. This helps couples communicate with each other, and can greatly help with increased intimacy and satisfaction.

Myth: Masturbation can cause health problems.
Fact: This myth is one of the many created to increase shame and embarrassment when it comes to masturbating. It’s quite the opposite. Self-pleasure has several health benefits due to the release of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin in the brain. They help in relieving stress, satisfying sleep, and increasing self-esteem and confidence.

Myth: Masturbation can cause hair loss.
Fact: This is simply not true. There is no link between hair loss and masturbation — no evidence to prove any correlation.

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