Effect of masturbation on health

If you were to ask people about the effect of mastrubation on health, they’ll readily tell you it is pleasure, of course. But are there any negative effects you should know about?

What is masturbation?

Masturbation is when a person stimulates their sexual organ to induce an orgasm. This act is normal in both men and women.

Masturbation: the merits of taking your pleasure into your hands

Yes, it does have health benefits. Most people will never admit to taking matters into their own hands. This is because it is a topic people don’t want to talk about. Sex is hard enough to admit, how much more masturbation. In fact, it is considered something of a taboo in most places. All these notwithstanding, masturbation has health benefits to include:

· It allows you to really understand your body

For a lot of people, the first initiation into sexual pleasure was through masturbation. And they most likely didn’t stop ‘touching themselves’ when they eventually had sex. Masturbation gives people privacy and boldness to explore and discover what works for them sexually. Once they have discovered their pleasure points, they can discuss this with their sexual partners, which can lead to a richer, more exciting sex life.

“When you know what gets you off sexually, your lover will learn from you. Sex is awesome when you know what you want,” Says Jayne Eze, a sex therapist and relationship counsellor in Lagos.

· Masturbation will relieve stress and get rid of that nagging headache

Are you wondering how a short masturbation session can melt away your stress and make your aches and pains disappear? The answer is simple. The hustle and bustle of life can take a toll after a while, and masturbation allows you to reboot. It isn’t always about the orgasm. Self-intimacy allows you to reconnect with yourself in a way no one can fathom.

Additionally, the science behind the stress-relieving aspect of self-intimacy is tried and true. As with all sexual activity, masturbation leads to the release of endorphins—a natural pleasure chemical that soothes even the most frazzled nerves. Once your body releases endorphins, your mood will improve and you will sleep better.

· Masturbation prevents diseases

There’s no talking about the effect of mastrubation on health without mentioning its disease prevention abilities in men. This WebMD article states that masturbation can reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men who are 50 years and above.

· Masturbation eases the symptoms of female-related pain

Women can manage PMS symptoms like pelvic pain and back pain by masturbating. Hormonal changes at different times in a woman’s menstrual cycle can lead to an increase in libido, which is a good thing because sex and masturbation can provide effective relief.

What are the negative effect of mastrubation on health?

1. It could become an addiction

Men and women can become addicted to the point where they no longer desire sexual contact with other people. In extreme cases, people who are addicted to masturbation have been known to shun the outside world just so they’ll have more time and space to masturbate.

2. Loss of energy

Frequent masturbation can deplete energy levels in both men and women.

3. It can cause premature ejaculation in men

When men masturbate, they have no pressure to withhold ejaculation as they would have to if they were having sex with other people. If this happens frequently, they can totally lose control of their ejaculation.

4. Masturbation can cause hair loss in men

One of the effect of mastrubation on health is that it can lead to rapid hair loss or thinning. An article in Justdoc.com explains the link between excessive masturbation and hair loss in men thus:

During masturbation, the body releases a seminal fluid that contains 90% water and 10% protein. When this seminal fluid is ejaculated too often, it might result in a protein deficiency, which could hasten the process of hair loss.

While masturbation is a normal sexual act, there are effect of mastrubation on health that you should know about. Life is all about balance, and so, you should take care not to practice too much of self-intimacy.

Sources: WebMD

JustDoc.com

NHS

This article was first published on AfricaParent.com