Why does it feel so good to masturbate

Is Masturbation Good For You?

In This Section

Masturbation

Is it good for you?

Masturbation is normal, and can be a healthy way to learn about your body. In fact, it’s the safest way to have sexual pleasure there is — there’s no risk of pregnancy or STDs.

Masturbation Facts with Planned Parenthood's Ask The Experts! | Planned Parenthood Video

Is masturbating healthy?

Masturbating is totally healthy, and totally normal. There are tons of myths out there meant to scare you into thinking masturbation is wrong or bad. But the truth is masturbation is perfectly safe. Masturbating won't make you blind, crazy, or stupid. It won’t damage your genitals, cause pimples, or stunt your growth. It doesn’t use up all your orgasms or ruin other kinds of sex.

In fact, masturbation can actually be good for you. Here are some benefits of masturbation:

Masturbation is safer than any other type of sex. You can’t get pregnant or get any sexually transmitted infections from masturbating.
Masturbation can help you learn what you like and don’t like sexually. And if you decide to have sex with someone, you can know what you do/don’t want to do. BONUS: getting comfortable talking about sex and your body with your partner makes it easier to talk about protecting yourself against STDs and pregnancy, too.
Exploring your body and learning how to give yourself sexual pleasure can be empowering and help improve your body image.
Masturbation can lower stress and help you relax. It even helps some people fall asleep.
Having an orgasm releases endorphins — feel good chemicals in your brain. Orgasms can be a natural painkiller and can even help with period cramps.
Mutual masturbation (masturbating with a partner) is a really safe way to have sex and let the other person know what feels good to you. If you share a sex toy, use condoms on the toy and clean it before swapping. And if you touch each other’s genitals, wash your hands before touching your own.

Can I get an STD from masturbating?

Nope. Masturbating is the safest sexual activity out there. There is virtually NO chance of getting an STD or any other infection from touching your own genitals (and there’s also no chance of pregnancy). STDs have to be passed from one person to another, so you can’t give yourself an STD. The one exception to this is herpes - so if you have any cold sores on your mouth and touch them, make sure to wash your hands before masturbating.

But it IS possible to get an STD if you’re masturbating with another person and touching each other’s genitals. Anytime semen (cum) or vaginal fluids are spread to someone else’s body, or your genitals rub against each other, there’s a risk of STDs. So if you touch each other’s genitals, wash your hands before touching your own.

STDs can also be spread by sharing sex toys with another person. You can help protect yourself by using condoms on any toys that you share (even if they’re not shaped like a penis). Put a new condom on anytime a different person uses it. If you’re the only one using your sex toys, you don’t have to worry about STDs. But if you use them with other people, protect those sex toys just like you’d protect your own genitals — put a condom on ‘em!

It’s possible for masturbation to cause irritation or infections if your body is sensitive to the way you masturbate or the things you masturbate with — but this isn’t the same thing as an STD. Lotions, Vaseline, oils, and scented or flavored stuff may irritate your vulva and vagina. Masturbating roughly and not using lubrication can also lead to irritation because of friction. And germs from the anus can cause vaginal infections — so never put something in your vagina that’s been in your butt without washing it or covering it with a condom.

If you’re worried that you have an STD because of pain, itching, or discomfort in your genitals, go to your doctor or your local Planned Parenthood health center.

Was this page helpful?

Help us improve - how could this information be more helpful?

How did this information help you?

Please answer below.

Are you human? (Sorry, we have to ask!)

Please don't check this box if you are a human.

You’re the best! Thanks for your feedback.

Thanks for your feedback.

We couldn't access your location, please search for a location.

Zip, City, or State

Please enter a valid 5-digit zip code or city or state.

Please fill out this field.

Service All Services Abortion Abortion Referrals Birth Control COVID-19 Vaccine HIV Services Men's Health Care Mental Health Morning-After Pill (Emergency Contraception) Pregnancy Testing & Services Primary Care STD Testing, Treatment & Vaccines Transgender Hormone Therapy Women's Health Care

Filter By All Telehealth In-person

Please enter your age and the first day of your last period for more accurate abortion options. Your information is private and anonymous.

AGE This field is required.

Or call 1-800-230-7526

Need answers? Chat with us.

Between our sexual health educators or chat bot, we got you covered.

Chat now

We couldn't access your location, please search for a location.

Zip, City, or State

Please enter a valid 5-digit zip code or city or state.

Please fill out this field.

Filter By All Telehealth In-person

Please enter your age and the first day of your last period for more accurate abortion options. Your information is private and anonymous.

AGE This field is required.

Or call 1-800-230-7526

Why Does Masturbation Feel Good? 3 Sexperts Explain The Wild Biology

Sex

Self-care just got sexier.

by Rachel Shatto and Emma Glassman-Hughes

Updated: June 24, 2021

Originally Published: May 21, 2018

Shutterstock

Masturbation. Solo sex. Touching yourself. These are just a smattering of the imaginative names that we’ve given the act of self-pleasure — of bringing ourselves to orgasm using nothing but our own two hands. (OK, our own two hands plus maybe a vibrator, some anal beads, a butt plug, some porn, and some erotic 18th-century literature.) In 2018, Cision PR Newswire reported that “78% of adults in the world masturbate,” which includes 92% of American men and 76% of American women, according to the TENGA 2018 Global Self-Pleasure Report. But of those six billion global pleasure-seekers, how many could truly answer the question: Why does masturbation feel so good? I mean, orgasms, duh. But there’s got to be more to it than that. For the biological explanation behind why masturbating feels good, I turned to the (s)experts.

Toronto-based sexologist Dr. Jessica O'Reilly, host of the @SexWithDrJess Podcast, explains that in your brain during orgasm, "the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental areas [aka, the parts of your brain that process reward to pleasure] are activated, and the center of reasoning and behavior shuts down entirely during the heights of pleasure.” So, basically, all the pleasure sensors in your brain are on duty while your reasoning goes on a mini vacation.

“Research suggests that the pelvic nerve transmits sensations from the vagina and cervix … and the rectum and bladder,” Dr. Jess elaborates. “The vagus nerve communicates signals from the cervix, uterus, and vagina, bypassing the spinal cord; the pudendal nerve carries information from the clitoris … and the hypogastric nerve transmits data from the uterus [and] cervix. ” Got all that? The nerves from your groin and abdomen are firing messages of pleasure, and your brain responds by lighting up all its pleasure centers. Your body basically becomes the Vegas strip of amazing sensations. So yeah, masturbation rules.

And while your pleasure centers are all throwing a party in your brain, Dr. Jess says various nerves in your body are also getting in on the action — so it’s no wonder a killer orgasm leaves us all shook.

If that weren’t enough, Dr. Adeeti Gupta, NYC-based OBGYN and founder of Walk IN GYN Care, adds yet another cherry on top of the orgasmic brownie sundae that is solo sex. “Masturbation or satisfying sexual experiences help balance out stress hormones” by “balancing cortisol levels.” Anxiety? Never met her.

But the physiological pleasure of masturbation is only the half of it. Read on for more about why masturbation feels so good — and is so good for you.

Masturbation Leads To Better Partnered Sex

Shutterstock

As Dr. Jess explains, a sure-fire way to have better partnered sex is to masturbate first and figure out what really gets you going.

"Masturbating is the best way to get to know your body, so it’s no surprise that most women learn to orgasm during a solo sex session," she explains. And all that homework really pays off. "Those who masturbate may report higher levels of orgasmic response during intercourse and greater sexual satisfaction," she explains. Experimenting on your own means that you’re more familiar with whatever feels amazing for you, and consequently you’re able to "better direct [your] lover during partnered sex."

It Feels Good Because There’s No Pressure

Masturbating on your own is a one-person show for a one-person audience, aka you — and tonight you’re throwing roses and yelling for an encore. If you’ve ever had stage fright with a sexual partner, whether there’s been pressure for you to climax or you’re still trying to work out some newer fantasies, Luke Thao, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFTA) and member of the PNW Sex Therapy Collective based in Seattle, explains that masturbation feels good because you don’t have to explain anything to anyone else.

“With solo sex, you’re by yourself, the stakes are low, you’re using toys or however it is you achieve that orgasm on your own terms, which is often pleasurable and accessible in the sense that there’s no one else there,” Thao tells Elite Daily. “Partnered sex can be very exciting and thrilling but can also create pressure or anxiety, and can lead to not having an orgasm at all, sometimes because of performance anxiety or fear or all these things that are inserted ... because there’s another person introduced to the situation.”

Masturbation feels good because it’s freeing.

Masturbation Increases Your Sex Drive

If you feel like your libido is dropping, Dr. Jess prescribes some quality alone time. "Masturbation is elemental to increasing desire in many cases, as it helps us to learn about our own bodies and reactions," she explains. She also says that self-pleasure increases your likelihood of orgasm, which is great for self-esteem, which in turn is good for your libido. What a glorious cycle.

Masturbating is also a great brain chemistry hack. "As your body relishes in the dopamine and endorphin release, you are more likely to [experience] an increase in desire for sex," she says. Who knew the silver bullet for lower libido is actually, ya know, a silver bullet?

It Promotes Body Positivity

Shutterstock

All too often, the messages we receive about our bodies are negative, but Dr. Jess says masturbation can give us some necessary perspective.

"Masturbation not only fosters a positive connection with your body, but it can boost self-esteem," she explains, adding, "When your body performs (through a sport, a dance or a session of pleasure), you experience an increase in confidence and tend to focus on its strong points as opposed to its 'problems.'" (FYI, there’s nothing problematic about your bod.)

Get out of your head and into your bed.

Masturbating Regularly Makes Your Orgasms Stronger

Mind-melting orgasms sometimes need a little personal training. That’s where masturbation comes in. As Dr. Jess says, it's all about buffing up that pelvic floor.

"Masturbating can tone your pelvic floor muscles which can increase the intensity and ease of orgasmic contractions," she explains. "Your pelvic floor is activated (and works pretty hard) during the plateau stage of orgasm, so keeping it in shape should increase your chance of reaching climax during intercourse." Talk about gains.

It’s Good For Your Heart

It’s imperative to integrate heart-healthy behaviors into our lives from a young age, and that includes masturbation. (You’re welcome.)

"Masturbation can also have health benefits that facilitate orgasm: It increases circulation in the area which promotes clitoral erections (part of the sexual response cycle that leads to orgasm) and is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases which can hinder orgasm," she says. So, yeah. This vibrator is my medicine.

It’s Good For Your Mental Well-Being

There is one more organ that benefits from you getting up close and personal with yourself, and that's your brain. Yep, Dr. Jess says masturbation makes your brain feel good too, even beyond lighting up those pleasure centers.

"Masturbation helps you to relax, de-stress, and enjoy a good night’s sleep — all of which will only serve to benefit your intimate relationship with a partner (e.g. fewer fights) and your sex life (more energy and confidence for sex)," she says.

Masturbation is really incredible. It's this thing you can do whenever you want (within reason folks, don't be reckless) that can improve your mental and physical health. It can help your self-esteem and lead to even more mind-blowing orgasms. Masturbation rocks, and anyone who tells you differently can just go f*ck themselves. As we've learned, it will actually do them a lot of good.

Experts:

Dr. Jess O’Reilly, sexologist and author

Dr. Adeeti Gupta, NYC-based OBGYN and founder of Walk IN GYN Care, the nation's first walk-in center for complete women's health

Luke Thao, MA, LMFTA (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate)

This article was originally published on 05.21.18

11 reasons to masturbate: tips for girls

November 30, 2018 Health Sex

95% of women do not masturbate. And it is absolutely in vain, because it is not only pleasant, but also very useful.

1. Masturbation tones the pelvic floor muscles

You have certainly heard about the benefits of Kegel exercises for the pelvic floor muscles. Masturbation ending in orgasm can replace them. In addition, it supports the body's orgasmic functions, such as vaginal lubrication, in good shape. By the way, it is convenient to train muscles with the help of special vaginal balls.

2. Masturbation can help you relax

Exploring yourself stimulates the release of endorphins and mood-enhancing hormones, and relieves tension, stress and depression. In addition, after an orgasm, sleep is better.

3. Masturbation relieves pain

Do you suffer from headaches and PMS? The orgasm that masturbation will bring will help. Endorphins have a beneficial effect on blood flow, improve mood and energize.

4. Masturbation will awaken hidden sexual fantasies

The wildest fantasies flourish in solitude. And it's good for the brain. Liked pictures and stories can later be repeated with a partner.

If you give free rein to your thoughts, you can go very far and imagine yourself in situations that you were ashamed to think about before. For example, threesomes or hard games. The best part is that no one will know about your thoughts, and in your fantasy you can become anyone. And sleep with anyone.

5. Masturbation does not require special decorations and mood

You can, of course, light candles to cheer you up, but the real value of masturbation is that you don't have to impress or surprise anyone. This means that unshaven legs will not become an obstacle on the way to pleasure.

6. Masturbation will help reveal sexuality

It's simple for men, but a woman's body, especially the area between the clitoris and vagina, is full of surprises. Explore yourself, then share your discoveries with a partner.

7. Masturbation is absolutely safe

Sex alone is safe. There is no risk of getting pregnant or getting infected with anything. You won't have to worry about the condom breaking. Only you, serenity and pleasure.

8. Masturbation stimulates libido

The more you masturbate, the more you get to know your body and become more confident. This will affect sex with a partner. If you regularly stimulate yourself, the importance and value of sex, as well as its benefits to the body, increase.

9. Masturbation will help you express yourself

Does your partner's favorite position require you to be strong and flexible? Forget it. During masturbation, you are focused only on yourself. It doesn't matter how or with what you do it. If you're good, you're good. On your back or stomach, squeezing or spreading your legs, using a vibrator or fingers - you are on the right track.

10.

Masturbation will save a marriage

Sex in marriage inevitably becomes boring after a while. Passion is slowly leaving, but life comes to the fore. Therefore, on those days when your partner falls down from fatigue, and you want something hotter than cocoa, love yourself. Masturbation will also help keep you from cheating due to differences in sexual appetites and passions.

11. Masturbation is just damn nice

And it's hard to argue with that.

Five health benefits of masturbation you didn't know about

May 13, 2016

Image caption,

Masturbation is an integral part of a healthy sex life

Masturbation is defined by the Royal Academy of Spain as the stimulation of one's genitals and erogenous zones with the hands or other means for the purpose of obtaining sexual pleasure.

For a long time, masturbation was considered shameful and even harmful in society, but these views have nothing to do with reality.

What is a normal sexual life?
Will there be sex robots soon?

According to experts, masturbation is not only pleasant, but also beneficial to health.

BBC Latin American Service in Spanish BBC Mundo spoke with andrologist and sexologist Mariano Rosello Gaia, who spoke about five benefits of masturbation that you may not have known about.

1. Help with menstrual pain

Masturbation can reduce or even completely relieve pain, especially associated with the menstrual cycle, as well as other gynecological symptoms.

If you masturbate during your period, it has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect and generally reduces discomfort throughout the period.

Image caption,

Masturbation acts as an analgesic

"All substances that enter the blood at the time of orgasm act as analgesics for premenstrual pain," says Rosello.

"In addition, there is a release of tension in the genital area, which usually causes discomfort and provokes pain," he adds.

2. Strengthening the immune system

Skip the Podcast and continue reading.

Podcast

What was that?

We quickly, simply and clearly explain what happened, why it's important and what's next.

episodes

End of Story Podcast

According to a study published in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, men who masturbate have better immune systems.

"In men, ejaculatory ejaculation activates the vas deferens, which prevents infections. Studies show that people who have more orgasms have higher levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), which is an antibody and provides local immunity," says doctor.

What's more, research by the Melbourne Cancer Epidemic Center shows that men aged 20 to 50 who masturbate more than five times a week have a lower risk of cancer.

In women, in turn, masturbation prevents the development of endometriosis, a disease of the urogenital area that can lead to infertility

It also helps prevent various infections, as masturbation opens the cervix, helping to release phlegm and other secretions.

3. Improving sleep

There are many ways to fight insomnia, but perhaps the safest, most enjoyable and natural of them is masturbation - especially for men.

Image caption,

The release of endorphins that occurs during orgasm contributes to good sleep

According to the expert, after an orgasm, a large amount of hormones, endorphins and catecholamines, as well as cytokines, are released into the blood, which help to sleep.

"A report on this effect was presented last year by the French Medical Research Council, and there are other scientific papers in this area," he added.

Ejaculation can help you fall asleep, because after it, prolactin levels rise sharply and dopamine levels fall, which explains the state of drowsiness after orgasm.

4. Improvement of general well-being

Masturbation improves health in general - both on the biological and psychological levels.

"The release of endorphins and catecholamines reduces stress levels and improves mood," says Rosello.

5. Help with partner

There is a widespread myth that masturbation destroys sexual relationships in a couple.

According to experts, this is absolute nonsense. In fact, it has exactly the opposite effect.

Image caption,

Masturbation - whether shared or mutual, or alone - strengthens relationships in couples can provoke or intensify it, and thus sex becomes more enjoyable and varied.

But that's not all.

"In general, partners should constantly work on their sexual relationships and intimate life.

Learn more