Positive And Negative Effects of Masturbation

Masturbation is the stimulation of genitals with the hand for sexual pleasure. In Africa the act is highly loathed by the community and is never discussed openly. A teenager caught masturbating is considered very promiscuous. It’s even worse for girls, this act may earn you a visit to traditional healers for what they call “divine intervention”. Some even go the nine yards and end up circumcising girls i.e. female genital mutilation in an effort to lower her libido and the risk of sexual promiscuity.
What if I told you that masturbation has both positive and negative effects?

 Any person growing up usually feels the urge of exploring their bodies. Some do it for sexual pleasure and to release sexual tension. There have been myths about masturbation for a long time but despite these myths it actually has no physically harmful side effects. Excessive masturbation however may be unhealthy in terms of your relationships with other people and your everyday life. It’s fun, normal and healthy to masturbate but not overdoing it.
Masturbation may have negative side effects when one suffers chronic masturbation or if one feels too guilty for doing it.

Guilty Conscience

This is usually accrued to cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs. One may feel guilty because the society treats it as a dirty and shameful act. Some may make fun of you for being a “wanker” and you may even become the laughing stock of your school, workplace or even your own family. If you feel this way about the act its advisable that you talk to someone about how you feel so that they help you move past the guilt. Sharing is always advised. You may end up meeting others with the same problem and you can all work together to move past the guilt. Therapists that specialize in sexual health may be the best option if you can afford one.

Addiction

This may be the number one problem for those who masturbate. This is usually a problem especially if you spend too much time masturbating as it may cause you to skip your daily schedule, you may miss going to work or school and the worst if you have plans with your girlfriend or boyfriend you may end up ignoring them and end up messing up your relationship with them.

The guilt may also make you miss social events and gatherings because you feel “dirty”. It also lowers your productivity if you have a demanding job. In the case of your loved ones you may end up not paying attention to their needs.
If you have genuine concerns about addiction you are advised to speak to your doctor as soon as possible. Also whenever you feel the urge to engage in the act try and replace the activity with other things that can help you generally as a person and avoid wasting most of your time yanking your genitals around.

Sexual sensitivity

Masturbation among men and women has been linked to an increased desire , arousal and overall sexual function . It increases lubrication in women and better erectile;e function for men. However on the flip side for men it may affect sexual sensitivity for men during sex with a female .

This is because of the tight grip on the penis during masturbation hence decreases sensation during normal sexual intercourse with a lady. Sexual health experts recommend changing your masturbation technique during the action to restore sensitivity during normal sexual intercourse.

Overall Benefits 

It’s a healthy exercise and has both physical and mental benefits. Firstly, it may help you relive stress and have a better good night sleep. It also boosts your mood and relaxes your mind. For ladies it helps also to relive cramps. From the constant practice it may also help you have better sex and also have a better understanding of your sexual needs.
For men it may reduce your chances for prostate cancer due to regular ejaculation. Women during pregnancy may have heightened sexual desire due to hormonal changes in their bodies. It’s a very safe way to release sexual tension during pregnancy. However, for women with high risk pregnancies this not advised as it may increase their chances of labor.

Masturbation is therefore a safe and healthy natural way of improving one’s life in many ways. It is not as bad as people take it to be. It has benefits for your mind and body at large and may also be the safest sex because it lowers the risk of contracting diseases propagated through sharing of sexual fluids. Therefore, everybody should feel free to enjoy self-pleasure of masturbation.