Sexual Health – Should you worry about masturbating too much?

Believe it or not, everybody masturbates, and many worry about masturbating too much. All across the world, male and female masturbation is enjoyed by many and often used as a helpful way to relieve stress, show self-care, and discover our bodies.

Despite the masturbation myths we were told as teenagers, jerking off will not make you go blind, or affect your fertility. Even though we know the myths aren’t true, many of us worry about our masturbation habits and the potential harm we could do to our bodies. But there’s no need to worry, we’ve got all the information you need on masturbating too often or too little…

Does everybody really masturbate?

The truth is, no, not everyone masturbates. Although 61% of Brits do masturbate, this does not mean everybody does. Like choosing to order a take-away, some people do it more than others, with some choosing not to do it all and some choosing to do it every day, everybody is different.

It is also hard to determine how many people masturbate since people’s habits change depending on different factors. Influences like stress, libido, medication side effects, and more can affect how often someone masturbates.

For example, during the first lockdown in 2020, many of us started to masturbate more simply because we had more spare time and to sexually fulfil ourselves while away from our partners. Masturbation rose by 25% during the first lockdown, and 38% of people said they masturbated more simply because they had more free time.

These surveys help to show that everybody’s masturbation habits are different, and can change due to many reasons. As shown above, lockdown caused a general increase in the frequency people were jerking off, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 

How to know if you’re masturbating too much…

Generally, for both men and women, there are only two things to be aware of if you think you might be masturbating too often.

1. Physical discomfort. If it hurts to masturbate because your genitals are sore or you notice some slight swelling from friction, then you could be masturbating too much and should visit your GP if you have any concerns.
2. Masturbation is disrupting your life. If masturbation starts to prevent you from doing the things you usually enjoy, such as meeting friends and family, then you should seek guidance from your GP. Although this may not be a physical negative effect on your well-being, it is still disrupting your day-to-day life and could affect your mental health.

Also, ladies, you cannot become less sensitive ‘down there’ by masturbating too much. Female masturbation will not affect the sensitivity of the clitoris or vagina, and can even help to relieve period cramps, so there’s no need to worry about any physical side effects from masturbating daily.

(Remember, the potential negatives above are very uncommon, and if you have any concerns, always check with your GP.)

 

Can you masturbate too little?

Although regular masturbation is considered healthy, there’s nothing wrong if you don’t enjoy or simply don’t want to masturbate. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and not masturbating at all will not affect your physical health, so don’t worry.

Suppose you’ve never tried masturbation, but want to. It can be a useful way to discover what stimulates you and even improve your sexual experiences with partners, as you can tell them what you enjoy.If you want to involve your partner in your exploration, you can even try mutual masturbation, where two people pleasure themselves (or sometimes each other) while the other watches, allowing them to see what gets each other off. Seeing your partner pleasure themselves can be a massive turn-on, so next time you think about having some alone time, invite your partner to join you for some extra fun…

If you want to learn more about trying masturbation or expanding your techniques, check out our other blog: Masturbation Levelling Up to Satisfy your Joystick.