Was there ever a more taboo sexual topic than masturbation? The irony is that while almost everyone does it, the shame and myths surrounding it just keep enduring. Ranging from silly to plain ridiculous, some of these myths are really worth reading, just for their amusement value.
The truth is, masturbation is perfectly normal and has no side effects.
Top 10 myths on masturbation
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You lose stamina by masturbating. Many boys are told that masturbating will cause them to be less energetic at sporting activities. Quite simply, that’s not true. To be good at sports, continue to practice your game and eat healthy and don’t worry about your nocturnal activities.
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Masturbation leads to pimples. This myth was probably started by some harrowed parent who wanted their teenage child to get out of the bathroom so someone else could use it. And what better way to get teenagers to do something that to appeal to their sense of vanity? The truth is that acne and pimples are caused by oily skin and have nothing to do with masturbation.
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Masturbate and you’ll go blind. If that were true, almost every human being on this planet would be blind and you’d be reading this in braille.
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We will run out of sperm. Relax, your sperm is not finite and your body produces millions of it everyday. By masturbating often, you will not run out.
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Girls don’t masturbate. Yes they do. And there’s no shame in it.
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The opposite – girls masturbate way more than boys. Does it really matter?
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Only those in sexually unsatisfying relationships masturbate. That’s not true at all. In fact, some couples masturbate together to spice up their sex lives.
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Married couples don’t masturbate. Again. Not true at all.
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If you masturbate too much, you will be terrible in bed. Actually, masturbation can help many women find their G spots, which they can then tell their partners about, thereby enhancing their sexual experience. So no, it’s a myth that satisfying yourself sexually will diminish your performance in bed.
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Masturbation leads to homosexuality. Your sexual orientation does not depend on whether or not you masturbate.
With inputs from Neha SM, Sexual Health Educator
Illustration by Yamamoto Ortiz, via sxc.hu
