Masturbation Q and A

Written by Donald E. Greydanus, MD

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What is masturbation?

The act of touching your genitals for the purpose of feeling good or receiving pleasure is called masturbation. It is based on the fact that pleasure centers are found in various parts of our bodies. When we touch these centers in various ways, we feel good! Humans have specific pleasure centers in genital parts-such as the penis and testicles, the breast nipples and the vagina. These areas have highly specialized nerve endings, which, after being stimulated by touching, can send signals to the brain that result in a sense of well-being or pleasure. If you touch your genitals for the specific purpose of feeling good, it is called masturbation or masturbatory activity. Sometimes the person does not use his/her hands, but uses various objects that touch and stimulate the

genitals.

The use of the word masturbation usually suggests that the person is manipulating his/her genitals to the point of intense pleasure, called, orgasm. Orgasm refers to a period of intense excitement in which genital muscles enter in to a series of highly-pleasurable contractions or movements; this involves release of sperm by the male during ejaculation or movements of the vagina and other genital parts in the female. Parts of the genitals that are particularly sensitive to touch include the tip of the penis in the male and a structure in the front of the vagina in the female, called the clitoris. The word masturbation itself also implies that the pleasure is obtained by genital touch or manipulation and not sexual intercourse or penis-vaginal penetration, called coitus.

Is masturbation normal?

Yes, it is normal for you to masturbate as a way of pleasuring yourself. However, society has placed many restrictions around the whole issue of masturbation. Why? For many reasons! Here are some, and you will encounter others as you read about this topic and hear from others. Behavior that is considered sexual, including masturbation and coitus, produces much concern in society. This is a natural reaction that has occurred over thousands of years-or as long as humans have been around! Because masturbation can lead to ejaculation and the spreading of sperm, society has many concerns about this activity. If this sperm is placed inside a female's vagina, pregnancy can result. If you only practice masturbation and not coitus, pregnancy will never result. In any event, masturbation can be an important part of your own expression as a sexual being, and various attitudes about this and other forms of sexual expression, have developed over thousands of years. Religions have looked at this behavior and developed various rules that allow or discourage masturbation.

It is a normal behavior from a medical viewpoint. However, it is important for you to be aware of the teachings of your culture, religion, parents, and others about this subject. If you engage in this behavior so much that other important aspects of your life are being affected, or if you use such force that injury results, then it is not normal.

I heard if you masturbate too much, you'll go blind or have hairy palms. Is this true?

No! Masturbation has nothing to do with becoming blind or developing hairy palms! If there is no medical truth in this, then why has this myth been around for so long? It is based on issues raised in question and answer number two. Because masturbation is part of sexual expression and because sexuality is an intimate part of procreation ("making babies"), society (including various religions) has expressed sincere and deep concern about masturbation. A wide variety of opinions have emerged over the past many centuries in regards to sexual expression and its consequences; this includes masturbation, pregnancy, birth control (pregnancy prevention) and abortion (pregnancy termination). Sometimes deep concern results in opinions being formed that later are discovered to be not accurate-such as linking blindness or hairy palms to masturbation.

A famous Roman physician, Galen, wrote this in the later part of the second century, about a male who masturbated: "Watch carefully over this young man, leave him alone neither day nor night... When he has contracted this fatal habit (masturbation), the most fatal to which a young man can be subject, he will carry its painful effects to the tomb-his mind and body will be enervated (weakened)." Well, Galen was quite wrong about this. However, many people have believed him over the past centuries! Perhaps the prediction of blindness from masturbation developed as a way to tell people not to do this. Perhaps the prediction of hairy palms was started to warn people that touching your genitals in this way would result in a way of "identifying" people who did-since hairy palms are not a normal finding!

It is important to note that, if your religion states that masturbation is "wrong," you can examine your beliefs to learn what you believe is wrong or right. However, if someone says that masturbation is wrong because it will make you blind or give you hairy palms, that is incorrect. It does not!