Self pleasure: Part 2

So where did we leave off?

Survey says: masturbation is great for your health and there’s no shame in doing it! So why don’t we go ahead and address a couple of myths about self pleasure.

First off, if you are someone that identifies as a woman, you are taught that sexual activity for the sake of pleasure is less acceptable. Whereas for male identifying people it is considered a fairly normal stage in their sexual development. We’d like you to know that is one hundred percent a myth, and the many benefits of self pleasure have nothing to do with gender; happy dances are open to everyone.

It’s similar to the skier only resorts that used to exist, trying to keep snowboarders out. Sure, there are still a couple of those resorts left but let’s be honest, any resort that wants to ban people just because they’re on one plank instead of two is missing the whole point, we’re all supposed to be having fun here!

“People who masturbate regularly tend to enjoy sex more fully with others”

Next, why don’t we dispel the myth that if you want to masturbate while in a relationship, that somehow says something negative about your sex life or that you should feel guilty. Not true! Regardless of the state of your relationship, or if you’re in one at all, self pleasure is a positive activity and can improve your relationship with yourself and others. People who masturbate regularly tend to enjoy sex more fully with others, and feel less pressure to have sexual hook ups they’re not invested in, because they know how to make themselves feel good all on their own!

Furthermore, masturbation has many therapeutic benefits. It helps us appreciate, understand, and develop our sexuality and is a means for better sexual communication with others; allowing us to get familiar with our own sexual response cycle and understand our own sexual anatomy and physiology.

Masturbation can be empowering; it is an important part of healthy sexual development and a way for people to better learn about their own sexual preferences and everyone has their own unique preferences. Furthermore, people of all walks of life can choose whether or not they want to try adding sex toys like vibrators to the mix. The use of vibrators is common regardless of gender or sexual orientation and those who do enjoy them often experiment with different types to find the shape and intensity of vibrations that suits them. In the same way you would try different skis or runs to see which combination you enjoy the most, it’s perfectly normal to find the toys or methods that work best for you. In fact, we encourage it. 

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We want you to know that the only person that can tell you what is right for you, is you.”

We want you to know that the only person that can tell you what is right for you, is you. If there’s one thing we know for sure when it comes to the human race, and masturbation for that matter, it’s that we are all individuals with different likes and dislikes. For some people, the perfect Sunday is getting up bright and early to go on a beautiful, long, scenic bike ride. For others, it’s a don’t wake me until I have to be awake, all the coffee in the world kind of scenario. Neither one is wrong or right, what matters is knowing which approach works for you.  

REFERENCES

Madanikia, Y., Bartholomew, K., & Cytrynbaum, J. (2013). Depiction of masterbation in North American movies. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 22(2), 106-111.

Bullough, V. L. (2002). Masterbation: A historical overview. Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality, 14 (2-3), 17-33.

Guttmann, P. (2006). About confusions of the mind due to abnormal conditions of the sexual organs. History of Psychiatry, 17(1), 107-111.

Polanski, D. C. (2006). The big book of masturbation: From angst to zeal. Journal of Sex & Marriage Therapy. 32(1), 75-78.

Planned Parenthood (2022). Is masturbation healthy? Planned Parenthood. www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/sex-pleasure-and-sexual-dysfunction/masturbation/masturbation-healthy

Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S., Fichner-Rathus, L., McKay, A., Milhausen, R. (2020). Human sexuality in a world of diversity (5th Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada Inc.