Masturbation side effects: Fact and fiction?

What crazy stories did you hear about masturbating when you were a kid? Masturbation causes blindness, masturbation cause pimples, masturbation causes hair loss? Or what about one of our favourites, masturbation causes a hairy hand?

Over the years, we’ve been told some bizarre stories to prevent us from masturbating, and unfortunately, some of them have stuck. So what are some of the persistent myths out there, and how many actually hold a grain of truth? Read on to find out.

Myth #1: Abstaining from masturbating makes sex better

The theory goes like this: the less frequently you masturbate, the better the orgasm becomes. Your climax will be purer, more intense, and a hundred times better than your daily shower session.

This isn’t true. Frequency of masturbation shouldn’t affect your orgasm’s intensity. Whilst the experience of sexual intercourse can become heightened if you’ve abstained for a significant period of time, there’s nothing to prove that a rare wank is better than a regular one.

Also, there’s nothing ‘purer’ about waiting long periods between masturbation, either. Another myth hanging around is that the quality of your semen gets better the less you masturbate. Sperm is a pretty magical thing, but it’s not a fine wine that gets better the longer it’s left on the shelf.

MORE: Masturbate your way to better sex. Find out more here.

Too much masturbation will create an addiction

Remember the first time you masturbated, and it was like a magical universe suddenly opened up? It became hard to remember what else you were meant to do with your time apart from touching yourself.

But some men can become concerned that doing it too much will create a dangerous pattern in which they cannot stop. Masturbation in itself will not become addictive physically, but it can create a mental pattern in which sexual climaxing is used as a distraction or release mechanism from stressful situations. If you feel like you're using jerking off as an emotional or mental crutch, it might be worth reviewing your approach and speaking to someone who can help.

If you’re having great sex, you shouldn’t need to masturbate

This can be one of the most dangerous myths of all. This myth propagates the understanding of masturbation as a secondary, less preferable option to sex — when really, it’s a healthy part of life.

Regardless of how frequently you’re having sex, masturbation is an important way of connecting with your own personal sexuality. Avoiding it, or harbouring unhealthy approaches such as not ‘needing’ to, can create tension with your sexual urges.

Masturbation is also crucial training time for having sex. If you feel like you’re having issues with climaxing too fast or just want a little more control over the experience, the privacy of masturbating is the ideal time to start working on control training with a device such as Prolong. It combines masturbating, a vibrating device and an easy to follow six week program to give you more power of when you climax. You’ll have a 😊🍆thanks to this FDA cleared climax control device.

MORE: What’s Prolong? Get the details here.

Weird masturbation techniques will damage your 🍆

Remember when some kid in high school told you that masturbating with one hand will give you a wonky 🍆? Well, there isn’t anything you can actually do that will change the shape or damage your penis.

However, some small-scale studies have shown that men who have unusual masturbating techniques, such as placing too much friction on the penis while masturbating, can actually be causing long term damage. One of the worst side effects is loss of feeling, desensitisation, and even ejaculation issues.

Masturbation is wrong, and dirty

One of the greatest deterrents for sex for men is guilt. Pop culture jokes and a general lack of conversation around the topic can make some guys feel like they’re doing the wrong thing. Not discussing it with their partners can only serve to amplify the feelings of shame.

So let’s get this straight: masturbation is normal. Healthy. Fantastic, actually. Feeling connected with your body and your sexuality is the ideal state of being — so if you’re struggling with feelings of guilt, it might be worth seeking out someone to speak to. Your 🍆 should be like your best friend, working with you — not against you.

There’s no denying it — regular masturbation makes you a better lover. You’ll know what feels good, and how to direct your partner when in bed together. And the best part is that in this instance, practice really does make perfect.