Excess mastrubation effects
Can You Masturbate Too Much?
Reviewed by our clinical team
Masturbation isn’t a topic that most of us talk about on a day-to-day basis – but it’s definitely something that most of us do.
Rubbing or stroking your genitals to get sexually aroused and have an orgasm is a safe and healthy way to enjoy sex and get to know your body. For men, it can be a good way to control ejaculation. For women, it can be a good way to find out what’s pleasurable during sex.
As an added bonus, it’s the only form of sex that doesn’t come with a risk of STIs or pregnancy!
Of course, for some people masturbation is a tricky subject – often because they worry they do it too much, or not enough. Feeling that masturbation might be outside the cultural or religious norms can also be an issue.
The good news is that, for the majority of people, masturbation is completely harmless. As with anything pleasurable, masturbation can become addictive and may start to have a negative impact on your social life and relationships – but this is rare.
If you’re worried about your masturbation habits, read on for some straightforward answers to commonly asked questions.
What happens if you masturbate too much?
The first thing to know is that the physical effects of masturbating frequently are pretty minor. Doing it a lot may make your genitals feel a bit sore, and if you have a penis, you might notice some swelling. If there has been a lot of friction, the skin can become sore and red and occasionally this can lead to a skin infection. Other than that, you shouldn’t feel any negative physical effects. It certainly doesn't make you go blind or give you hairy palms!
However, frequent masturbation can cause other problems. If you find it’s getting in the way of your daily life and relationships, or if it’s causing you to carry out risky behaviours, you’re probably masturbating too much.
There is currently a relatively lively debate amongst the medical community on whether there is such a thing as porn addiction, or whether it is a form of compulsive behaviour: CSB (compulsive sexual behaviour). What we do know though from looking at men's experiences on a forum or self-help groups is that men have been affected by excessive masturbation in many ways:
- Inability to concentrate
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Worsening performance at school, work or college
- Aggression
- Relationship problems
- Inability to have sex with their regular partner
- General disinterest
Women's experiences are less well documented, but this doesn't mean that excessive masturbation can't affect women in similar ways.
If you’re worried about your masturbation habits, chat to your GP or visit a sex therapist. You can also read this article: What could happen to your sex life if you watch porn? Or look at some of the self-help groups online, or sites such as Reboot Nation or this video.
Does too much masturbation cause infertility?
No, masturbating too much won’t cause infertility. In fact, you might find that masturbating a lot actually increases your sex drive, making it easier for you and your partner to have regular sex. However, if you are addicted to porn, you might no longer be able to have sex with your regular partner, because the sex you used to have is no longer fulfilling.
Although frequent or excessive masturbation usually means frequent ejaculation, this doesn't mean the supply of sperm will run out or that it will reduce the quality of your sperm.
Can too much masturbation cause testicle pain?
There are lots of things that can cause pain in the testicles – but masturbation isn’t one of them. Unless you’ve injured yourself while masturbating, it’s very unlikely that this is the cause of your pain.
In fact, it’s more likely for testicle pain to be caused by the opposite problem! “Blue balls” – or epididymal hypertension – is a common, harmless condition that can happen to a man when he’s sexually aroused but unable to orgasm and ejaculate.
In this case, masturbating should actually help relieve feelings of pain and tension in your testicles.
How much does the average person masturbate?
Every person is different when it comes to masturbation. Some people might do it once or twice a day; others might do it every few weeks or months. Remember: you’re only doing it too much if it’s having a negative impact on your social life or relationships.
Is it a problem if I don’t masturbate?
Not at all! You should masturbate as much – or as little – as you want to.
However, if the reason you’re not masturbating is because it causes pain or discomfort, you should see your GP. Pain around the genitals during sex or masturbation can be a sign of conditions like vulvodynia and prostatitis.
Can masturbation help with premature ejaculation?
Yes, masturbation can help if you’re experiencing premature ejaculation (PE) i.e. you feel that you’re ejaculating too quickly during sex. There are two masturbation methods that can help “train” your body to ejaculate less quickly: the squeeze technique, and the stop-start technique.
Get help for your sex life with Online Doctor
If you’re having issues with your sex life for any reason, you could consider mentioning this to your GP. This may seem awkward at first, but GPs are a good first point of call as they can put your mind at rest and organise tests or treatments if necessary. For problems like erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation you can also use Online Doctor’s online clinic.
References
https://www.elmsmedicalkent.nhs.uk/syndication/live-well/sexual-health/masturbation-faqs
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/teens/ask-experts/does-excessive-masturbation-have-health-risks
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/testicle-pain/basics/causes/sym-20050942
Health Benefits, Side Effects, Myths, FAQs
In addition to providing pleasure, masturbation can benefit your health and well-being by helping you achieve better sleep, better mood, and stress relief, among other benefits.
Masturbation is a common activity, which involves touching the genitals or other sensitive areas of the body for sexual arousal or pleasure.
Masturbation a natural and safe way to explore your body, feel pleasure, and release built-up sexual tension. It occurs among people of all backgrounds, genders, and races.
In fact, one study in older adults estimated that between 27 to 40 percent of women and 41 to 65 percent of men reported masturbating within the past month.
Despite the myths, there are actually no physically harmful side effects of masturbation.
Sometimes, excessive or compulsive masturbation may be considered harmful or lead to other mental health concerns.
Typically, masturbation is a fun, natural, and healthy act.
Keep reading to learn more about the potential health benefits of masturbation along with myths, side effects, and more.
Masturbation is a healthy sexual activity. It can benefit your physical and mental health.
There are limited studies on the benefits of masturbation, but there are studies on sexual intercourse and stimulation.
Research and anecdotal reports suggest that sexual stimulation, including stimulation through masturbation, may help you:
- relieve built-up stress
- sleep better
- boost mood
- prevent anxiety and depression
- relax
- feel pleasure and enjoyment
- relieve cramps
- release sexual tension
- improve self-esteem
- have better sex
- better understand your wants and needs
According to one 2015 study in married women, those who masturbated reported experiencing more orgasms, higher self-esteem, increased sexual desire, and greater satisfaction with their marriage and sex life.
Couples may also mutually masturbate to explore different desires, as well as avoid pregnancy. Self-pleasuring, when compared with partnered sex, also helps you prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Some research suggests that regular ejaculation may lower the risk of prostate cancer, though doctors aren’t exactly sure why.
A 2016 cohort study of 31,925 participants and 18 years of follow-up found that a lower risk of prostate cancer was associated with a higher frequency of ejaculation. A survey of current literature from 2016 noted that 44 percent of studies analyzed reported a similar link between frequent ejaculation and lower prostate cancer risk.
There’s no evidence, though, that ejaculating regularly protects against advanced prostate cancer, so more research is needed.
Hormone changes during pregnancy cause some pregnant people to feel heightened sexual desire. Masturbation is a safe way to release sexual tension during pregnancy.
Self-pleasure may also help ease pregnancy symptoms, such as lower back pain. You may feel mild, irregular cramping, or Braxton-Hicks contractions, during and after orgasm.
They should fade away. If the contractions don’t disappear and become more painful and frequent, contact a doctor right away.
Some people with high risk pregnancies are sometimes advised to avoid sexual activity, as orgasm could potentially increase the risk of early labor.
However, research is conflicting.
LetsGetChecked
Masturbation doesn’t have harmful side effects. However, some people may feel guilty about masturbating or have issues with chronic masturbation.
Masturbation and guilt
Some people may feel guilty about masturbating because of cultural, spiritual, or religious beliefs.
Masturbation is neither wrong nor immoral, but you may still hear messages that self-pleasure is “dirty” and “shameful.”
If you feel guilty about masturbating, you can speak with someone you trust about why you feel this way and how you can move past your feelings of guilt, if you would like to do so.
Therapists who specialize in sexual health may be a good resource to help you overcome feelings of shame or guilt associated with masturbation.
Addiction to masturbation
Some people can develop an addiction to masturbation, or what some call “sex addiction.” However, this term is not recognized in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5) and is not considered by some to be a true addiction.
You may be spending too much time masturbating if masturbation causes you to:
- skip chores or daily activities
- miss work or school
- cancel plans with friends or family
- miss important social events
Masturbating may be considered too much if it causes harm to your relationships and other parts of your life or if it interrupts your work or studies.
It may also hurt your romantic relationships and friendships because you don’t spend as much time with your loved ones as you used to or you don’t pay attention to their needs.
If you’re worried you may be masturbating too much, consider speaking with a doctor or a counselor about ways to cut down.
If you would like to masturbate less, consider talk therapy. You could also try cutting down by replacing masturbation with other activities. Next time you have an urge to masturbate, you can try:
- going for a run
- writing in a journal
- spending time with friends
- going for a walk
There are several common myths about masturbation that have not been proven by scientific research.
For example, masturbation does not cause:
- infertility
- dehydration
- hormonal imbalances
- changes in the size or shape of the penis
- decreased sperm count
- vision loss
- acne
- hairy palms
- erectile dysfunction
- low libido
Some people may also believe that masturbation can negatively impact romantic relationships or may indicate that one partner is experiencing sexual dissatisfaction.
However, though excessive masturbation can have negative effects, many people find that masturbating alone or with their partner can actually enhance their sex life.
Furthermore, masturbation may be associated with several health benefits and is considered one of the safest forms of sexual activity as it does not have a risk of pregnancy or STIs.
For those who have sexual dysfunction, enhanced stimulation — including masturbation — can help increase sexual desire and sensitivity.
In fact, one 2018 review published in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy reported that vibrator use may be beneficial for the treatment of erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction and anorgasmia, or difficulty reaching orgasm.
According to the review, vibrator use may also be associated with improvements in sexual desire and sexual function for both males and females.
Masturbation may affect sensitivity during sex for people with a penis because of their technique. Research from 2022 has shown that too much stimulation on a penis during masturbation can decrease sensation.
Sometimes referred to as death grip syndrome, this can make it more difficult to reach orgasm during sexual intercourse.
If you use a tight grip, try changing your technique during masturbation to restore sensitivity levels during sex.
What are the effects of masturbation?
Sexual activity, including masturbation, is linked to the neurotransmitters dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, which are involved in regulating mood and increasing feelings of pleasure.
Sexual satisfaction has also been associated with many other benefits, including decreased stress levels, improved self-esteem, and enhanced life satisfaction in older adults.
Are there any good reasons for abstaining from masturbation?
Though masturbation can be a healthy, pleasurable, and natural activity, some people may choose to abstain from masturbation when it becomes compulsive or begins to interfere with other activities or relationships. Additionally, some may also decide to abstain from masturbation for personal or religious reasons.
What’s a healthy level of masturbation?
According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, there is no “normal” frequency for masturbation. While some people may masturbate daily, weekly, or monthly, others may choose not to masturbate at all.
As long as it doesn’t negatively affect your relationships or interfere with other activities like school or work, masturbating as frequently or infrequently as you’d like is safe and healthy.
Masturbation is a healthy, natural, and safe way to practice self-care.
Masturbating may have many benefits for your mind and body. There are typically no harmful side effects.
Feel free to enjoy self-pleasure without guilt or shame. Speak with a therapist or someone you trust about any negative feelings you may have.
Will not masturbating help increase testosterone levels? Expert opinion
Sexual abstinence will increase the level of testosterone in the blood and lead to rapid muscle growth, a surge of energy and improved erections? The biochemist believes that such expectations are hardly justified.
Author:
doctor-therapist Ukrainian Andrey
3 minutes
199101
NoFap is a growing movement that declares the goal of not masturbating and even sex for extended periods of time, usually around 90 days. The founders describe NoFap as a public sexual health platform designed to help people with porn addiction and compulsive sexual behavior.
Now, however, NoFap is making claims about the benefits of not masturbating that go far beyond alleviating porn addiction.
The organization reports a range of sexual, physical and mental improvements, including increased testosterone levels. Is there any evidence for this?
| Claimed benefits of stopping masturbation according to NoFap | ||
| Sexy | Physical | Mental |
| Increased sexual pleasure Stronger orgasm Increased interest in healthy sexual relationships Increased sexual drive Improving self-control during sex | Strengthening muscle growth Sleep improvement Higher energy level Better concentration Improvement of erection or cure of erectile dysfunction Improving physical endurance Improvement of sperm quality Testosterone boost | Increasing the feeling of happiness Increasing self-confidence Increased motivation and will power Stress and anxiety reduction Growth of spirituality Better self acceptance Improving attitudes towards people of the opposite sex |
Testosterone really has a profound effect on men's mood.
It has been shown to affect motivation and happiness, and improve depression. It is associated with muscle growth and physical ability (which is why it is banned from most sporting events). Many aspects of male sexual function also depend on testosterone. Why don't we connect the dots between NoFap and testosterone?
The reason is weak evidence. In support of the theory that sexual abstinence increases testosterone levels, two studies are regularly cited. In the first, ten men had their testosterone levels measured twice before masturbation and orgasm, and again 10 minutes later. The study participants were then asked to abstain from any sexual activity for three weeks. Then the described experiment with the measurement of testosterone levels was repeated. In the second experiment, after abstinence, the level of this hormone before masturbation was higher than after.
Despite the findings of this study, the study itself was small. The increase in testosterone levels in men could actually come from the anticipation of sexual arousal during the second experiment after abstinence.
Moreover, during the first experiment, testosterone levels before and after masturbation were the same, and during the second, they differed only slightly. Thus, without more data, it is impossible to state that abstinence increases testosterone levels.
The authors of the second study reported a 45% increase in testosterone levels after seven days of abstinence. But this was a temporary peak, after which the level returned to its previous value even after the continuation of abstinence. Such transient fluctuations in testosterone levels are unlikely to have a lasting effect on men's health, they can mainly serve to regulate the formation of new sperm.
On the other hand, several studies have shown no effect of abstinence on testosterone levels, or even an increase in these levels after masturbation or sex. Measurement of testosterone levels in 34 young healthy men after self-satisfaction showed precisely its increase. However, long-term effects have not been tested. At best, the evidence linking masturbation with testosterone levels is limited or mixed.
The NoFap argument is countered by the well-documented health benefits of sexual activity, including masturbation. The release of endorphins during orgasm causes positive feelings. Masturbation can relieve stress, help you relax, improve sleep, elevate your mood, relieve sexual tension, and even better understand your sexual needs. It may reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men, although a causal relationship has not yet been proven.
In fact, masturbation itself does not appear to have negative effects on sexual and general health, in particular on their testosterone-related aspects. The problem may be in excessive masturbation and attitude towards self-gratification.
Personal perception of masturbation may have a psychological effect that affects testosterone levels. If a person has a feeling of guilt after masturbation, he may accumulate anxiety and depression. This guilt may come from a sense of immorality, such as being dishonest with a partner or a religious conflict.
A study that looked at the motivation behind sexual abstinence found that it is usually associated with the perception of masturbation as something wrong and unhealthy.
Stress from prolonged feelings of guilt, depression and anxiety can cause a decrease in testosterone levels. In such a situation, abstinence can lead to alleviation of these mental problems and, theoretically, increase testosterone levels. In that case, perhaps the arguments should not be about masturbation itself and its frequency, but about improving understanding of sexual behavior.
At the same time, abstaining from masturbation can help people with destructive addictions to pornography. Taking a break from porn, masturbation, and even sex for long periods of time can help break the cycle. Beyond that, the benefits of not masturbating are limited to anecdotal stories, and the evidence for its effect on testosterone levels is simply lacking.
Author - Daniel Kelly, Biochemist, Sheffield Hallam University
Original article Published in The Conversation
Translation
0 CACKL E 9000 9 OF SEX.
excessive body hair It's a good thing to check what queries readers go to the site for. It happens that search engines offer material that does not answer the reader's question at all. I decided to write this note based on one of these requests.
There are two opposing opinions about the connection between sex, masturbation and excessive hair growth, based on the same idea that during orgasm, as a result of sex or masturbation, testosterone enters the bloodstream, and this "excess testosterone" is physiologically active, therefore hair grows thicker and thicker. Further, adherents of these two points of view differ in recommendations:
- The first ones are sure that with regular sex, there is also a persistently increased level of testosterone. Accordingly, you need to fuck moderately only for the sake of having children in a missionary position in a legal marriage, and from masturbation, hair grows on the palms, yeah.
- The second believe that it is necessary to fuck regularly, almost hourly, because otherwise the adrenal glands and ovaries will go astray and begin to secrete testosterone to a persistent "orgasmic" level.
Let's figure it out.
Testosterone is not just related to sex hormones, its significant deficiency leads to complete male impotence (which is the basis of chemical castration of pedophiles) and female frigidity [for example, Kingsberg]. In men, there is a direct link between high testosterone levels and sexual appetites. But is the opposite possible? Can any sexual activity permanently increase testosterone levels?
Still from the film "Intimate Places"In a series of experiments [for example, Hellhammer] it was possible to show that the level of testosterone in men after watching erotica increases by almost 3 times compared to watching documentaries, but in women it was not possible to observe such a dependence [Heiman ].
Masturbation and sex increase testosterone levels in men [Purvis] and slightly increase in women [Exton, van Anders], but while in the former the change in concentration is especially noticeable after a few hours [Hirschenhauser], in women these changes are short-term: testosterone levels increases during foreplay and decreases 15 minutes after the end of intercourse [van Anders].
(By the way, ibid: women with high levels of testosterone are easier to achieve orgasm). In women who practice masturbation, there is a direct relationship between the number of acts of masturbation and testosterone levels, but individual variability in normal testosterone levels overlaps this relationship [Bancroft].
It is not only the orgasm itself that leads to an increase in testosterone in women, but also physical activity with hugs that accompanies sex. The graph [van Anders] shows the concentration of testosterone in the blood during various types of activity:
Increase in testosterone after physical activity (a), sex (b) and hugging (c).In women, orgasm sustainably increases prolactin levels [Exton]. It indirectly through stimulation of ACTH is able to increase the levels of adrenal androgens, which sometimes happens in women with hyperprolactinemia, but during orgasm, oxytocin is also produced, which is an ACTH antagonist, so this effect is hardly possible.
Increase in prolactin after intercourse.
From this we conclude: fuck for fun, sex, masturbation, orgasm, hugging and physical activity do not lead to a persistent increase in testosterone levels in women, therefore, they cannot aggravate the problem of excess hair.
Sources:- Kingsberg SA, Simon JA, Goldstein I The current outlook for testosterone in the management of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in postmenopausal women . J Sex Med. (2008)
- Purvis, K., Landgren, B.-M., Cekan, Z., Diczfalusy, E., 1976. Endocrine effects of masturbation in men. J. Endocrinol. 70, 439–444.
- Hellhammer, D.H., Hubert, W., Schürmeyer, T., 1985. Changes in saliva testosterone after psychological stimulation in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 10, 77–81
- Heiman, J.L., Rowland, D.L., Hatch, J.P., Gladue, B.A., 1991. Psychophysiological and endocrine responses to sexual arousal in women. Arch. sex. behavior. 20, 171-186.
- Hirschenhauser, K., Frigerio, D.
