Jerking off, choking the chicken, beating your meat, rubbing one out, flicking the bean, self-pleasure, or whatever else you wish to call masturbation, is not just something you can do when you’re bored. Masturbation is a perfectly natural part of everyday life, yet there is still so much we don’t understand about this natural process.
Masturbation is not only the safest sex act you can perform; it’s also something you can do alone or with a partner in a variety of different ways and scenarios. Nearly 9 out of 10 people masturbate regularly, and for good reason.
As well as improving your mood and feeling amazing, pleasuring yourself can also provide a wide range of other health benefits and advantages you never would’ve considered before. But just how much about masturbation do you really know?
Here are six surprising facts about self-pleasure you probably weren’t aware of.
You Should Regularly Change Your Technique
While we can’t speak for everybody, most people who masturbate regularly will do so in the same way and with the same technique every single time. While this may be a great way to get yourself off quickly, studies have found that it can be beneficial to regularly change your technique when pleasuring yourself.
Masturbating in the same way each and every single time is known as ‘idiosyncratic masturbation’ and it can be detrimental to your sexual life. You see, if you pleasure yourself in the same way each time, if you have a partner to do it for you, it can be harder for you to reach climax. This is because your body has become so accustomed to pleasuring yourself in the same way each time that it struggles with a different form and technique.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, you should regularly switch things up. Try different strokes, go at a different tempo, use your non-dominant hand, and try to delay your climax as much as possible.
There Is a National Masturbation Month
Thought that masturbation was unnatural? If so, then why would there be an unofficial National Masturbation Month each year?
That’s right, each May in the USA is national masturbation month, and has been since 1995. You see, back then, when Bill Clinton was president, his administration fired a Surgeon General by the name of Jocelyn Elders, when she suggested that masturbation be taught in schools as part of sexual education.
In protest of her firing, a sex shop in San Francisco declared May 14th National Masturbation Day. As more people got involved, one day turned into an entire month, and that is how we wound up with National Masturbation Month.
Self-pleasure Can Help You to Fall Asleep
If you struggle to fall asleep at night, it might be worth considering a quick solo session before bed.
Studies have found that masturbation can help men and women fall asleep easier at night and enjoy better-quality sleep in the process. Achieving an orgasm will result in the secretion of endorphins and chemicals such as dopamine, melatonin, and serotonin. These endorphins not only make you feel good, but they also help you relax and fall asleep at night.
A lack of sleep not only affects your mood; it can also suppress your immune system, put you at risk of health issues, and increase your chances of experiencing poor mental health. A quick play in the evening before bed is a great way to relax and unwind before you visit the Land of Slumber.
It Is Possible to Injure Yourself While Masturbating
Despite the fact that masturbation has been linked with a wide range of health benefits, both physically and mentally, there are also risks you need to be aware of.
Even though you are less likely to experience a sex injury through masturbation, you are not immune, and you do need to exercise a certain level of caution. One study, for example, found that as many as 60% of all penile fractures occur as a result of masturbation.
You can also experience sores from excessive masturbation, strangulation from squeezing too hard, and even a heightened risk of infection from open wounds and sores caused by excessive self-pleasure.
Men’s Prostates Are More Active During Sexual Intercourse
Did you know that semen produced during masturbation is not the same as semen produced during sexual intercourse?
Experts have found that semen produced during masturbation contains less active sperm than semen produced during sex. This suggests that men’s prostates become more active during sex.
Self-pleasure Promotes Prostate Health
Speaking of the prostate, studies have found that regular masturbation can help promote a healthy prostate and reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
Men who ejaculate on average more than 21 times each month are statistically less likely to suffer from prostate cancer than men who don’t. In fact, if you ejaculate more than 21 times each month, you are, on average, 33% less likely to experience prostate cancer.
Even ejaculating between 8 and 12 times per month has been shown to cut your risk of prostate issues by as much as 10%.
