Many psychologists and researchers have discovered that masturbation can be, and is, a positive addition to one's personal and sexual life.

However there are many taboo's related to masturbation and many feel it is something to be embarrassed about it. Let's however look at the facts.

As a common subject, masturbation needs no particular explanation, but most dictionaries describe it as manual stimulation of the genital organs (of yourself or another) for sexual pleasure. In many countries and cultures, masturbation has been either prohibited or highly discouraged, as in Islam. In some countries it was even a capital offense!

Masturbation is common

It must be noted that along with sexual intercourse masturbation is the most common sexual practice. Most people are able to achieve orgasm solely by masturbation and without sexual intercourse.

It has also been well documented that masturbation is common in many mammalian species, both in the wild and in captivity.

Masturbation is safe

Where safe sex is an issue, or that of pre-marital sex (without penetration), and other means of abstinence, masturbation provides a sure method of eliminating all risk. The French have known this for centuries, and it is part of their sexual context. Also, mutual masturbation is gaining popularity among the young school-age children'in response to education about AID and pregnancy prevention.

Masturbation Techniques

There are both female and male techniques to masturbation, and both are very specific. For men, it is very interesting to note that an Australian research published a medical study which concluded that frequent masturbation by males may help prevent the development of prostate cancer.

As a negative, and worth noting, very frequent masturbation can lead to reduced interest in further sexual activity, tiredness and other unwanted side-effects. However, these negative qualities to masturbation tend to make frequent masturbation self-limiting for almost all men and women.

There is also compulsive masturbation, and this is considered as a sexual anomaly, and medical help is often required to stop it.

Masturbation history

Taken historically, masturbation has a colorful past. The Egyptians held that the entire universe was created by the God ATUN masturbating and then ejaculating. The ancient Greeks held it a perfectly natural sexual activity.

This is however quite unlike the modern Greeks who hold that masturbating makes you stupid, and the Greek work malakas (from malakia = masturbation) is the word for a stupid person, an insult, and prevalent in the everyday speech of all Greek people.

In ancient China, masturbation was also commonplace, and considered an acceptable activity, except masturbating to ejaculation. This was discouraged, as they believed it sapped your vitality.

This thought was mirrored in 18th and 19th century Europe (and America), and lasted well into the 20th century. In fact, in the 19th and early 20th century, this thought of masturbation was considered an illness or perverted activity, and not only discouraged, but forbidden.

Today, most outmoded beliefs (except in some Islamic countries, where masturbation is considered as Haraam = forbidden) and only in some circumstances.

One well-known and respected Islamic scholar has written that "Masturbation may be permissible so that men and women have a healthy knowledge of their own bodies, and so that they may be able to communicate with their marital partner about their sexual needs.' So even in very strict and rigid cultures, masturbation can be acceptable.

Masturbation your not alone

Statistics also show that an overwhelming amount of both men and women masturbate or have masturbated in their lives. Be it the subject of humor, or literature, or religion, masturbation appears to be a common human activity and condition.

It must be mentioned that the Catholic church still holds masturbation to be a sin, and there is much controversy over this and other dogmatic principles of the Catholic church.

Do not be afraid then to masturbate, should you be in a situation or condition where it is preferable to abstention. Masturbation can relieve depression and anxiety, and even give some people a more self-confident image of themselves.