Masturbation
| A drawing of a woman masturbating |
| | A drawing of a man masturbating |
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Masturbation is the
manual excitation of the
sexual organs, most often to the point of
orgasm. It can refer to excitation either by oneself or by another (see
mutual masturbation). It is part of a larger set of activities known as
autoeroticism (also. Autoerotic Response), which also includes the use of
sex toys and non-genital stimulation. There are also masturbation
machines used to simulate intercourse. Masturbation and
sexual intercourse are the two most common
sexual practices, but they are not mutually exclusive (for example, many people find the sight of their partner masturbating highly erotic). Some people are able to achieve orgasm only through masturbation and not sexual intercourse.
In the animal kingdom, masturbation has been observed in many
mammalian species, both in the wild and in captivity.
The word
masturbation is believed by many to derive from the
Greek word
mezea (
μεζεα, "penises") and the Latin
turbare ("to disturb"). A competing
etymology based on the
Latin manu stuprare ("to defile with the hand") is said by the
Oxford English Dictionary to be an "old conjecture". The esoteric and little-used synonym
manustupration is similarly derived from
manus stuprare.
Ways of masturbating common to members of both sexes include pressing or rubbing the
genital area, either with the fingers or against an object such as a
pillow; inserting fingers or an object into the
anus (see
anal masturbation); and stimulating the penis or vulva/clitoris with electric
vibrators, which may also be inserted into the vagina or anus. Members of both sexes may also enjoy touching, rubbing, or pinching the
nipples or other
erogenous zones while masturbating. Both sexes sometimes use
lubricating substances to intensify sensation.
Reading or viewing
pornography, or
sexual fantasy, are often common adjuncts to masturbation. Masturbation activities are often
ritualised. Various
fetishes and
paraphilias can also play a part in the masturbation ritual; potentially harmful or fatal activities include
autoerotic asphyxiation and
self-bondage.
Sometimes in order to achieve a larger, more pleasurable orgasm, people may masturbate to near climax, then hold off to reduce excitement for a short while and then continue again. This can be done numerous times and usually results in a more pronounced orgasm in the end.
It can be harmful, but some
sado-masochists get sexual pleasure by inserting objects into the urethra,
such as
urethral sounds. This practice is known as "sounding".
Sometimes other objects are used (e.g. ball point pens and thermometers). This is a potentially dangerous practice that can cause injury and infection.
Female
Female masturbation techniques are quite numerous and perhaps more varied than those of males. They are influenced by a number of factors and personal preferences. Techniques include stroking or rubbing of the
vulva, especially the
clitoris, with the index and/or middle fingers. Sometimes one or more fingers may be inserted into the vagina to repeatedly stroke the frontal wall of the vagina where the
g-spot is located.
Masturbation aids such as a
vibrator,
dildo or
Ben Wa balls can also be used to stimulate the vagina and clitoris. Many women will caress the breasts or stimulate a nipple with the free hand. Anal stimulation is also enjoyed by some because of the thousands of sensitive nerve endings located there.
Lubrication is sometimes used during masturbation, especially when
penetration is involved, but this is by no means universal and many women find their natural lubrication sufficient—some even produce more lubricant alone than with a partner, though the reasons for this seem to be primarily psychological.
Women may masturbate in the
bathtub, shower and hot tub, sometimes including the use of warm running water to stimulate the
clitoris. Common positions include lying on back or face down, sitting, squatting, or even standing. Lying face down, one may straddle a pillow, the corner or edge of the bed, a partner's leg or some scrunched-up clothing and "hump" the vulva and clitoris against it. Standing up, the corner of an item of furniture, or even a washing machine, can be used to stimulate the clitoris through the labia and clothing.
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A vibrating duck. By de-dramatising the nature of a vibrator, this kind of toy has gained wider acceptance. |
Some reach orgasm merely by crossing their legs tightly and clenching the muscles in their legs, which creates pressure on the genitals. This can potentially be done in public without observers noticing. Some prefer to use only pressure, applied to the clitoris without direct contact, for example by pressing the palm or ball of the hand against underwear or other clothing.
A few women can orgasm spontaneously, after experiencing prior sexual arousal, due to intellectual stimulation alone, for instance listening to certain pieces of music. Often, these mental triggers have associations with previous instances of arousal and orgasm. Some women claim to be able to orgasm spontaneously by force of will alone, but that ability, if it exists at all, may not strictly qualify as masturbation as no physical stimulus is involved.
Sometimes sex therapists will recommend that female patients take time to masturbate to orgasm, especially if they have not masturbated before.
Male
Male masturbation techniques are also influenced by a number of factors and personal preferences. Techniques may also differ between
circumcised and noncircumcised males, as some techniques which may work for one can often be quite painful for the other. According to Beaugé, noncircumcised males with an intact non-retractile foreskin typically masturbate by pulling the foreskin forward and away from the body.[
1]
The most common technique is to simply hold the
penis with a loose fist and then to move the hand up and down the shaft until orgasm is achieved. When uncircumcised, stimulation of the penis comes from the pumping of the
foreskin. This
gliding motion of the foreskin reduces friction. When circumcised the stimulation is from direct contact with the hand. Many massage (with some using a
personal lubricant to reduce friction) the glans, the rim thereof and the
frenular delta left over from the removal of the
frenulum.
Another technique is to place just the index finger and thumb around the penis about halfway along the shaft and move the skin up and down. A variation on this is to place the fingers and thumb on the penis as if playing a flute, and then shuttle them back and forth.
A less common technique is to lie face down on a comfortable surface such as a mattress or pillow and rub the penis against it until orgasm is achieved. This technique includes the use of an
artificial vagina or
simulacrum for masturbation. Many fondle their
testicles,
nipples or other parts of their body with the other hand while masturbating. Some may use vibrators and other sexual devices more commonly associated with female masturbation. Some use clothing, for example wrapping their penis with women's panties or stockings. The penis can even be rubbed with one's own foot. Males who can reach and stimulate their penis with their tongue or lips are said to be capable of
autofellatio. Some men may taste or
swallow their semen.
The
prostate gland is one of the organs that contributes fluid to
semen. As the prostate is touch-sensitive, some directly stimulate it using a well-lubricated finger or
dildo inserted through the
anus into the
rectum. Stimulating the prostate from outside, via pressure on the
perineum, can be pleasurable as well.
Ejaculation of
semen is sometimes controlled by wearing a
condom or by ejaculating onto a
tissue or some other item. A controversial ejaculation control technique is to put pressure on the
perineum, about half way between the
scrotum and the
anus, just before ejaculating. This can, however, redirect semen into the bladder and the technique may cause long term damage due to the pressure put on the nerves and blood vessels in the perineum. A
dry orgasm is one that is reached by withholding ejaculation. Proponents of
tantric sex say that this is a learnable skill that can shorten the
refractory period. Drugs, such as prolactin inhibitors, may also shorten the
refractory period for a male. An example of this is the prescription drug
Dostinex.
Historically, some have seen a connection between circumcision and masturbation frequency, which remains an argued topic. In a 1410-man survey in the United States in 1992, Laumann
found that: "A total of 47% of circumcised men reported masturbating at least once a month vs 34% for their uncircumcised peers."
|
Renaissance art depicting two boys engaging in sex play (fresco, Museum of Villa Giulia, Rome). |
Frequency of masturbation is determined by many factors, eg. one's resistance to transient sexual tension, hormone levels influencing sexual arousal (Physiology & Behavior, 2005 Oct 15; Vol. 86 (3), pp. 356-68), and one's attitude to masturbation formed by culture. (E. Heiby and J. Becker examined the latter[
2]). "Forty-eight female college students were asked to complete a sexual attitudes questionnaire in which a frequency of masturbation scale was embedded. Twenty-four of the women (the experimental group) then individually viewed an explicit modeling film involving female masturbation. One month later, all subjects again completed the same questionnaire. Subjects in the experimental group also completed a questionnaire evaluating aspects of the film. Results indicated that the experimental group reported a significant increase in the average monthly frequency of masturbation, as compared to the control group. This same group, however, reported that the film had no effect on sexual attitudes or behavior."
It is thought that most people begin masturbating when reaching
adolescence. Many scholarly and clinical studies have been done on the matter, and many informal surveys have asked the question. A
2004 survey by
Toronto magazine
NOW was answered by an unspecified number of thousands. [
3] The results show that an overwhelming majority of the males — 81% — began masturbating between the ages of 10 and 15. Among females, the same figure was a more modest majority of 55%. (Note that surveys on sexual practices are prone to
self-selection bias.) It is not uncommon however to begin much earlier, and this is more frequent among females: 18% had begun by the time they turned 10, and 6% already by the time they turned 6. Being the main outlet of
child sexuality, masturbation has been observed in very young children. In the book
Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America, by Strong, Devault and Sayad, the authors point out, "A baby boy may laugh in his crib while playing with his erect penis (although he does not ejaculate). Baby girls sometimes move their bodies rhythmically, almost violently, appearing to experience
orgasm."
According to the Canadian survey of Now magazine readers cited above, the frequency of masturbation declines after the age of 17. However, most males masturbate daily or even more frequently well into their 20s and sometimes far beyond. This decline is more drastic among females, and more gradual among males. While females aged 13–17 masturbated almost once a day on average (and almost as often as their male peers), adult women only masturbated 8–9 times a month, compared to the 18–22 among men. It is also apparent that the ability to masturbate declines with age. Adolescent youths report being able to masturbate to ejaculation six or more times per day, while men in middle age report being hard pressed to ejaculate even once per day. The survey does not give a full demographic breakdown of respondents, however, and the sexual history of respondents to this poll, who are readers of an urban Toronto lifestyle magazine, may not extend to the general population.This may be that females are less likely to masturbate while in a sexual relationship than men. Both sexes occasionally engage in this activity, however, even when in sexually active relationships. In general it is believed that individuals of either sex who are not in sexually active relationships tend to masturbate more frequently than those who are; however, much of the time this is not true as masturbation alone or with a partner is often a feature of a healthy relationship.For both males and females, masturbation is a way to relieve stress and anxiety. Although there are countless masturbation techniques for men, un-circumcised males are said to have more sexual arousal than circumcised males due to the rubbing of the foreskin on the glans.
The frequency of masturbation may be positively
correlated with obesity. (Brody, 2004).
Benefits
It is held in many mental health circles that masturbation can relieve
depression and lead to a higher sense of
self-worth (Hurlbert & Whittaker, 1991). Masturbation can also be particularly useful in relationships where one partner wants more sex than the other — in which case masturbation provides a balancing effect and thus a more harmonious relationship.
On
July 16,
2003, an Australian research team led by
Graham Giles of
The Cancer Council published a medical study [
4] which concluded that frequent masturbation by males may help prevent the development of
prostate cancer. The study also indicated that this would be more helpful than ejaculation through sexual intercourse because intercourse can transmit diseases that may increase the
risk of cancer instead.
Masturbation is also seen as a sexual technique that protects individuals from the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Support for such a view, and for making it part of the sex education curriculum led to the dismissal of US Surgeon General
Joycelyn Elders during the Clinton administration.
Some people actually consider masturbation as a cardiovascular workout. However, doctors have no proof of this actually being true.
Risks
A study by Stuart Brody, a professor and medical psychology consultant, showed that a test group which only had intercourse had, as a whole, lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those who had intercourse but also had masturbated for one or more days (Brody, 2006).
Masturbation involving both a man and a woman can result in pregnancy only if
semen contacts the
vulva. Any masturbation with a partner can theoretically result in transmission of sexually transmitted disease by contact with bodily fluids, and such contact should be avoided with any partner whose disease status is uncertain. Objects inserted into the vagina or anus should be clean and of a kind that will not scratch or break. Care should be taken not to fully insert anything into the anus—any object used should have a flared or flanged base; otherwise retrieval can require a visit to the emergency room. Most modern
dildos and
anal plugs are designed with this feature.
A man whose penis has suffered "an invasive procedure, blunt trauma or injury during intercourse"[
5] may suffer later in life from
Peyronie's disease. There is the rare event of penile fracture[
6] which may occur.
Phimosis is "a contracted foreskin (that) may cause trouble by hurting when an attempt is made to pull the foreskin back"[
7]. In these cases, overly aggressive manipulation of the penis can be problematic.
Compulsive masturbation can be part of a
sexual addiction syndrome.[
8]
Lawrence I. Sank (1998) speculated that the habit of masturbating prone (i.e. lying face downward) was responsible for serious sexual problems, including
anorgasmia and
erectile dysfunction, as suffered by four men he examined. He coined the term
traumatic masturbatory syndrome to describe the effect. As of 2006 there has been no follow-up research and the idea that prone masturbation causes male sexual dysfunction is not familiar or widely-held within the medical community, and thus should not be credited as such until further research.
Some sources, however, continue to give credence to the idea. One sex therapist (Margolies, 1994) has condemned masturbation by rubbing against a pillow or mattress and Lipsith et al (2003) suggest that masturbation could play a part in male psychogenic sexual dysfunction (MPSD), citing Sank as their authority.
Antiquity
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Comical scene with masturbating satyrs.
6th c. black-figure Athenian vase, Amasis painter |
There are depictions of male masturbation in prehistoric
rock paintings around the world, though these are all entirely matters of interpretation. Most early people seem to have connected human sexuality with abundance in nature. A clay figurine of the 4th millennium BC from a temple site on the island of
Malta, depicts a woman masturbating. However, in the ancient world depictions of male masturbation are far more common.
Male masturbation became an even more important image in
ancient Egypt: when performed by a god it could be considered a creative or magical act: the god
Atum was believed to have created the universe by masturbating to ejaculation, and the ebb and flow of the Nile was attributed to the frequency of his ejaculations. The ancient
Greeks had a more relaxed attitude toward masturbation than the Egyptians did, regarding the act as a normal and healthy substitute for other forms of sexual pleasure. They considered masturbation a safety valve against destructive sexual frustration. The Greeks also dealt with female masturbation in both their art and writings.
Religion
Religious attitudes towards masturbation are varied. In some, such as
Catholicism, the
Eastern Orthodox Church, the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons),
Judaism, some forms of conservative
Protestantism and
Islam, masturbation is regarded as an impure practice. In others such as
Wicca and
Vajrayana, it is encouraged as a healthy, normal practice that can lead to higher spirituality.
It has been reported by
Rolling Stone [
9] that a small
Christian-
right group in
America is encouraging people to wear a
masturband to indicate a commitment to abstinence from masturbation.
Buddhism
In the Buddhist tradition, under the
Five Precepts and the
Eightfold Path, one should neither be attached to nor crave sensual pleasure.[
10].
Fully ordained Buddhist monks may, depending on the tradition, be bound by hundreds of detailed rules or vows that may include a ban on sexual relations and masturbation.
Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism, has no such ban, and instead teaches that such activity can be used to approach a higher spiritual level.
Judaism
In the Bible masturbation is not explicitly prohibited. The Talmud however forbids masturbation, as it leads to unnecessary spilling of semen, or the impure thoughts of another. This prohibition is derived from the Biblical narrative of
Onan (Talmud Niddah 13a). The Talmud (
ibid) likens the act to murder and idolatry. There are those that argue, however, that the wrath displayed by God toward Onan was invoked not through the act of spilling semen, but through disobedience to God's command for Onan to impregnate his brother's widow. There is disagreement between the
poskim (decisors of Jewish law) whether masturbation is an acceptable way of procuring semen for
artificial insemination or
in vitro fertilisation. [
11]
Catholicism
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church lists masturbation as one of the "Offenses Against
Chastity" and calls it "an intrinsically and gravely disordered action" because "use of the sexual faculty, for whatever reason, outside of
marriage is essentially contrary to its purpose."
Protestantism
In a law code for the
Puritan colony of New Haven in the 17th century blasphemers, homosexuals and masturbators were eligible for the death penalty.
[Lawrence James The rise and Fall of the British Empire p. 41]Protestant theologians only began revising previous teachings toward the middle of the
20th century with some today even taking pro-masturbation viewpoints. Masturbation, however, is still viewed by some denominations as an act of self-indulgence and a sin of the flesh, making it a contentious issue to this day.
Islam
Istimna (استمناء) is the Arabic term for masturbation. Masturbation may only be done in fear of committing adultery, nor is it preferred (either getting married and fasting is suggested as alternatives from
hadith). It is totally forbiden in the
Shi'a sect, but the four
Sunni schools of
jurisprudence (known as mazaheb) have differing stances on the issue. Some consider it
forbidden in all cases. Some see it forbidden in certain cases but obligatory in others. Another view is that it is
Makruh but not expressly forbidden. Scholars of
Islam do not approve of masturbation, except in extenuating circumstances. There is no explicit statement in the
Quran, the main source of Islam, that forbids one from masturbation.
In Islam, sexual engagement outside of marriage is a major sin, which cause the doer to be punished in this life and the
Qiyama. Yet if one's desire is so overwhelming one might perform a greater wrong by having sex outside marriage, masturbation becomes permissible as a necessity: "And those who are not married should try to live in chastity, until God enriches them with His Grace" (Qur'an, 24:33)
Masturbation, like any form of sex in which seminal or vaginal fluids have been released, breaks one's fast if performed during the daylight hours and requires a major
ablution if any seminal or vaginal fluids were released. :According to Sheikh Hamed Al-Ali: "Masturbation during the daytime of
Ramadan breaks the fast, based on the
Hadith that a fasting
Muslim gives up eating, drinking, and sexual desire for the sake of
Allah. Since masturbation is a kind of sexual desire, a fasting Muslim must avoid it. Therefore, masturbation invalidates the fast as does food and as it is one of the
sins that if someone does it he or she would be violating the sanctity of this month."
Hinduism
Masturbation is not specifically mentioned in any of the religious
scriptures; however, many conservative
Hindus see it as impure and addictive, while seeing it as a distraction from prayer and the pursuit of a
sattvic and pure lifestyle. Many also see it as overindulgence, which is not permitted by
brahmacharyas who are in the pursuit of
God and live morally and physically pure
lifestyles.
However other schools of thought such as, the Tantric practices of
Hinduism, the Hindu Religion native to India, teach that enlightenment can be approached through divine sex. Divine sex is one way that one can approach Nirvana, a oneness with a higher spiritual level. As such, the Tantric practices, through writings such as the
Kama Sutra seek not to repress sexuality, but to perfect it. By perfecting the act of divine sex, including masturbation, one clears the mind of earthly desires, leaving the soul on a higher level devoid of such worries, filled with bliss, and relaxed. The Hindu Tantric practices crossed geographical boundaries, and merged with the practices of Buddhism, and gave rise to Tantric Bhuddism,
Vajrayana, which has a similar approach to sexuality, in general, viewing it as normal, natural and essential for obtaining enlightenment.
Philosophical arguments
Immanuel Kant regarded masturbation as a violation of the moral law. In the
Metaphysics of Morals (
1797) he made the
a posteriori argument that 'such an unnatural use of one's sexual attributes' strikes 'everyone upon his thinking of it' as 'a violation of one's duty to himself', and suggested that it was regarded as immoral even to give it its proper name (unlike the case of the similarly undutiful act of
suicide). He went on, however, to acknowledge that 'it is not so easy to produce a rational demonstration of the inadmissibility of that unnatural use', but ultimately concluded that its immorality lay in the fact that 'a man gives up his personality ... when he uses himself merely as a means for the gratification of an animal drive'.
Subsequent critics of masturbation tended to argue against it on more physiological grounds, however (see
medical attitudes).
Medical attitudes
 |
Excerpt from United States patent number 745264, filed on May 29, 1903 by Albert V. Todd. It describes a device designed to prevent masturbation by inflicting electric shocks upon the perpetrator, by ringing an alarm bell, and through spikes at the inner edge of the tube into which the penis is inserted. The entire patent document: Page 1, 2, 3, 4. |
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Page 1 |
,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]]
The first use of
onanism to consistently and specifically refer to masturbation appears to be
Onania, an anonymous pamphlet first distributed in London in 1716. In it was a bombastic but novel tirade, drawing on familiar themes of sin and vice, this time in particular against the "heinous sin" of "self-pollution". After dire warnings that those who so indulged would suffer
impotence,
gonorrhea,
epilepsy and a wasting of the faculties (included were letters and testimonials supposedly from young men ill and dying from the effects of compulsive masturbation) the pamphlet then goes on to recommend as an effective remedy a "Strengthening Tincture" at 10 shillings a bottle and a "Prolific Powder" at 12 shillings a bag, available from a certain shop in London.
One of the many horrified by the descriptions of malady in
Onania was the notable Swiss physician
Samuel-Auguste Tissot. In
1760, he published
L'Onanisme, his own comprehensive medical treatise on the purported ill-effects of masturbation. Citing case studies of young male masturbators amongst his patients in
Lausanne,
Switzerland as basis for his reasoning, Tissot argued that semen was an "essential oil" and "stimulus" that, when lost from the body in great amounts, would cause "a perceptible reduction of strength, of memory and even of reason; blurred vision, all the nervous disorders, all types of
gout and
rheumatism, weakening of the organs of generation, blood in the urine, disturbance of the appetite, headaches and a great number of other disorders."
Though Tissot's ideas are now considered
conjectural at best, his treatise was presented as a scholarly, scientific work in a time when experimental physiology was practically nonexistent. The authority with which the work was subsequently treated—Tissot's arguments were even acknowledged and echoed by luminaries such as
Kant and
Voltaire—arguably turned the perception of masturbation in Western medicine over the next two centuries into that of a debilitating illness.
This continued well into the
Victorian Era, where such medical censure of masturbation was in line with the widespread social
conservatism and opposition to open sexual behavior common at the time. [
12] There were recommendations to have boys' pants constructed so that the genitals could not be touched through the pockets, for schoolchildren to be seated at special desks to prevent their crossing their legs in class and for girls to be forbidden from riding horses and bicycles because the sensations these activities produce were considered too similar to masturbation. Boys and young men who nevertheless continued to indulge in the practice were branded as "weak-minded."[
13] Many "remedies" were devised, including eating a bland, meatless diet. This approach was promoted by
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (inventor of
corn flakes) and
Rev. Sylvester Graham (inventor of
Graham crackers). The medical literature of the times describes procedures for electric shock treatment,
infibulation, restraining devices like
chastity belts and
straitjackets,
cauterization or—as a last resort—wholesale surgical
excision of the genitals. Routine neonatal
circumcision was widely adopted in the
United States and the
UK at least partly because of its believed preventive effect against masturbation (see also
History of male circumcision). In later decades, the more drastic of these measures were increasingly replaced with psychological techniques, such as warnings that masturbation led to blindness, hairy hands or stunted growth. Some of these persist as myths even today.
What might be a typical late 19th century professional's attitude to chronic masturbation is contained in Daniel Hack Tuke's 1892
A Dictionary of Psychological Medicine: "This habit, when long and often indulged in defiance of reason and conscience, seems more than any other to acquire a mastery over its victim, and the nervous exaustion which by its very nature it produces makes him less and less able to resist it. Gradually the appearance, manner, and character become altered, and the typical signs of habitual masturbation are developed.The face becomes pale and pasty, and the eye lusterless. The man loses all spontaneity and cheerfulness, all manliness and self-reliance. He cannot look you in the face because he is haunted by the consciousness of a dirty secret which he must always conceal and always dreads that you may discover. He shuns society, and has no intimate friends, does not dare to marry, and becomes a timid, hypersensitive, self-centered, hypochondriac."
Medical attitudes toward masturbation began to change at the beginning of the
20th century when
H. Havelock Ellis, in his seminal
1897 work
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, questioned Tissot's premises, cheerfully named famous men of the era who masturbated and then set out to disprove (with the work of more recent physicians) each of the claimed diseases of which masturbation was purportedly the cause. "We reach the conclusion," he wrote, "that in the case of moderate masturbation in healthy, well-born individuals, no seriously pernicious results necessarily follow."
Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of
The Scout Association, incorporated a passage in the 1914 edition of
Scouting for Boys warning against the dangers of masturbation. This passage stated that the individual should run away from the temptation by performing physical activity which was supposed to tire the individual so that masturbation could not be performed. By 1930, however, Dr.
F. W. W. Griffin, editor of
The Scouter, had written in a book for Rover Scouts that the temptation to masturbate was "a quite natural stage of development" and, citing
Ellis's work, held that "the effort to achieve complete abstinence was a very serious error."
In
1994, when the first African-American female
Surgeon General of the United States, Dr.
Joycelyn Elders, mentioned as an aside that perhaps it ought to be mentioned in school
curricula that masturbation was safe and healthy, she was
forced to resign, with opponents asserting that she was promoting the teaching of
how to masturbate. Many believe this was the result of her long history of promoting controversial viewpoints and not due solely to her public mention of masturbation. Her case led to the coining of a new and humorous slang term for masturbation:
Firing the surgeon general.
Masturbate-a-thon
Masturbate-a-thons are public, charity events that are "intended to encourage people to explore safer sex, talk about masturbation and lift the taboos that still surround the subject"
.Thailand Masturbate-a-thon run by j.forsche a well known pornography advocate who is the self professed tuggie award recipient in Southern Thailand.
.
Because masturbation is often an uncomfortable topic among peers, a huge variety of
euphemisms and
dysphemisms have been invented to describe it. For a complete list of terms, see: "
Sexual slang".
Masturbatory behavior has now been documented in a very wide range of other species. Individuals of some species have been known to create tools for masturbation purposes.
*
List of songs about masturbation*
Nocturnal emission*
Handjob*
Bukkake*
Sex-positive feminism*
J. Arthur Rank (re. well-known
cockney rhyming slang of "'avin' a quick J Arthur")
*
Die große Nacht im Eimer (painting)
*
Fornication
* Brody, Stuart. "Blood pressure reactivity to stress is better for people who recently had penile-vaginal intercourse than for people who had other or no sexual activity."
Biological Psychology, Volume 71, Issue 2, February 2006, pages 214-222.
* Brody, Stuart. "Slimness is associated with greater intercourse and lesser masturbation frequency"
Journal Of Sex & Marital Therapy Volume 30, Issue 4, July - September 2004, Pages 251-261
* DeMartino, Manfred F.
Human Autoerotic Practices. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1979. ISBN 0877053731.
* Joanides, Paul (2004)
Guide to Getting It On, p. 396 (Possible issues with prone masturbation)
* Josie Lipsith, Damian McCann, and David Goldmeier.
Male Psychogenic Sexual Dysfunction: The Role of Masturbation. Sexual and Relationship Therapy 18: 448-471 (2003). (Possible issues with prone masturbation)
* Marcus, Irwin M.
Masturbation: From Infancy to Senescence. New York: International Universities Press, 1975. ISBN 0823631508.
* Eva Margolies.
Undressing the American Male: Men with Sexual Problems and What Women Can Do to Help Them. New York: Penguin, 1994. ( Possible issues with prone masturbation)
* Stengers, Jean; van Neck, Anne.
Masturbation: the history of a great terror. New York: Palgrave, 2001. ISBN 0312224435. (Discusses Victorian attitudes toward masturbation.)
* Lawrence I. Sank. "Traumatic Masturbatory Syndrome." Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy 24(1): 37-42 (1998).
* Hurlbert, David Farley & Karen Elizabeth Whittaker. (1991). "The Role of Masturbation in Marital and Sexual Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Female Masturbators and Nonmasturbators." Journal of Sex Education & Therapy, 17(4), 272â€"282.
General
* Masturbation Page Masturbation Community Resource
* Masturbation Survey Results Survey dealing with masturbation habits for both sexes
* SoloTouch Stories pertaining to masturbational encounters
* Masturbation stories from readers
* Masturbating may protect against prostate cancer, New Scientist, July 16, 2003.
* Masturbation Guide Masturbation articles by sexologists
* SexHealth.org A Brief History of Masturbation
* Hand job technique Hand job technique]
* Masturbation Techniques Articles and tips.
* Healthy strokes Website with emphasis on possible problems with prone masturbation
* Masturbation...Tips The funny side of...
* How To Masturbate Masturbation articles and technical instructionsSurveys*
Masturbation Survey Results Survey dealing with masturbation habits for both sexes
*
NEW Survey about Masturbation: Using Sex Toys? ;Female
*
Clitical - Female Masturbation*
The-Clitoris.com About females only
Male
* JackinWorld Male Masturbation Website, Educational, with hardly any offensive graphics
* Advanced Male Masturbation Techniques Illustrations and written descriptions.
*Male101Has much to do with masturbation including stories and surveys
*Wet Dream Forum Forum discussing wet dreams (nocturnal emission) and correlation between masturbation and wet dreams
;History*
The World's Largest Collection of Masturbation Synonyms*
Nineteenth century cartoon showing deadly consequences of masturbation*
History of Masturbation*
What exactly was the sin of Onan? (from
The Straight Dope)
*
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272: Section 16. ( "Open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior" )
*
US Patents for anti-masturbation devices:
14739,
22796,
32842,
33163,
36314,
37116,
104117,
177971,
232858,
396212,
397106,
494436,
494437,
587994,
622333,
641979,
678943,
723259,
742814,
745264,
789286,
798611,
807160,
826377,
852638,
875845,
879534,
934240,
995600,
997067,
1136396,
1215028,
1243629,
1266393,
1865280,
4164217;Opposition
* "
Freedom from Masturbation," an online course provided by Porn-Free.Org, a Christian ministry seeking to assist individuals addicted to "viewing pornography, masturbation, illicit sex, online affairs, prostitution, phone sex and other sexual activities"
* "
Masturbation and the Bible" A broad discussion of masturbation drawn from the Bible.
