Here’s the thing, masturbation is very normal. A recent GLAMOUR survey showed that an overwhelming 91% of us do. Plus, 36% of participants told us they do it 2-5 times a week. That makes this a pretty regular activity for many of us – and there’s a reason why we love it.
Sarah Riccio, sex expert and owner of delicto.com said: “Masturbation is a completely normal activity that can serve as the ultimate form of self-care, and strengthen intimacy with a partner as well.
“When a person brings themself to orgasm, their body is flooded with oxytocin and dopamine, hormones that create feelings of love and happiness. This can spark a boost in self-confidence, make them feel more empowered in their sexuality, and deepen their understanding of how they like to receive pleasure.
“This enhanced awareness of one’s sensual self can absolutely lead to better communication and greater sexual satisfaction with a partner. In fact, research shows that people who masturbate solo are more likely to reach orgasm with a partner.”
In fact, there’s so much more to know about masturbation so expert Sarah Riccio helped answer some of the most Googled questions – from how to masturbate to knowing when you’re doing it too much.
Is masturbation normal?
Whilst masturbation goes against the belief of some religions, for the majority, it is a harmless expression of a person’s sexuality. A person can use their own hands or sex toys.
According to a self pleasure report, 91% of Brits have masturbated; many stating that they masturbate multiple times a month.
It is a completely healthy, common and normal activity to enjoy, and people should feel reassured that many others do it themselves.
How to masturbate?
There are many different ways to masturbate, and how you approach this depends on what makes your body feel good. Masturbation provides a good opportunity to learn about your own body and sexual desires without the complications that can occur when with a partner.
The general ways include, touching the clitoris, touching the glans (the rounded part forming the end of the penis or clitoris.), exploring inside the vagina as well as the tugging back and forth on the penis. Some people like to explore with sex toys, and these are made for all genders.
How often should you masturbate?
According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, there is not a ‘normal’ frequency for masturbation. It is a natural way to practice self-care, and as long as it does not affect your everyday life in a negative way, the frequency is a personal choice.
Is masturbation safe?
Masturbation is completely safe and can benefit your physical and mental health. It is also an extremely safe act of sex with no risk of catching an STD. Interestingly, practising masturbation has been linked to boosting your pain threshold. Research reveals that your ability to tolerate pain rises as much as 75% during masturbation and orgasm and the hormone serotonin is responsible for this.
How much masturbation is too much?
Masturbation is a healthy pastime and allows a person to relax and please themselves. As long as this remains enjoyable, there is no upper limit to the number of times you can do it. However, understanding whether the impulse to masturbate interferes with your day to day life will help you to decide if your habit has become unhealthy.