Unveiling Masturbation
By Maitreyee Chowdhury
Summary: Masturbation is a human behavior that attempts at sexually satisfying the individual, with or without outside help or influence. It is one of the rare natural instincts of man when he is at his complete natural self uninhibited of the external world.
The sexual provocation or stimulation of oneself, inciting sexual passion to the point of orgasm, refers to 'masturbation'. This behavior is common among both men and women and has been observed as a behavioral tendency even amongst animals. Masturbation mostly takes the form of a feel good factor by touching of the genitals, leading to pleasurable sensuousness, culminating in orgasm. Tracing back the roots of the word masturbation we find its origin in ancient words like the Greek 'mezea' or the Latin 'manus'. The Oxford English Dictionary compiles the word to be an ancient usage of the Latin 'manu stuprare' meaning 'to defile with the hand'.
While this act of giving pleasure to oneself or highlighting the sensory organs needs no name, the term itself is medical in nature describing the act itself. Some common forms of referring to the same are "Onanism", "wanking' and "jerking off". While, "Onanism" finds its roots in religious history, the latter are more colloquial and everyday usage terms. The Term clearly signifies a person in the act of arousing oneself sexually by fondling or touching his or her genitals to a point where the touch leads to a feeling of intense sexual excitement which is equivalent or that of an orgasm. Though the act is usually characterized by a single person indulging oneself in a private act, it can involve a partner by consent.
Masturbation has always been a topic of debate throughout the centuries. Right through the late 19th and early 20th century, most of the religious institutions as well as the medical fraternity thought of masturbation as a sin. Slowly and gradually during the middle of the 20th century, medical practitioners began changing their views on masturbation. They found it to be not as harmful as was thought of. It remains a fact though that a whole generation of people grew up with a reserved notions about masturbation which they had inherited from their childhood.
Over a period of time different studies have found that masturbation is commonly practiced among both males as well as females. A survey conducted by 'Alfred Kinsey's has shown that 92% of men and 62%' of women have tried masturbation at some time or the other. 'Susan Quilliam says in her study, 'Women on Sex', that 29.1 of women masturbate at least once weekly, a very small percentage of 1.8% masturbate without clitoral stimulation moreover 95% of women always have an orgasm when they masturbate. Additionally she says, that in comparison, 77.3 can orgasm from oral sex, and 79.2 during intercourse, though not always). In her study, she concluded that 95% of the women she surveyed actually admitted to masturbation.'
From an observation conducted among 2,765 adult Americans, one fourth of men younger than masturbate about several times a week, while 17% of them are older. In the same report, 10% of the women are younger and 2 % of them older.
On a lighter or a heavy weight note if one calculates the amount of semen produced around the world, one might even be able to make a comparison in terms of energy used to drive a jet. The whole world produces 14 billion calories on an average as energy outlet from masturbation which can drive a jumbo carrying 300 passengers for 27 Miles or generate 16 MW Power. One might estimate from the figures about the kind of energy produced and how it would affect the world if harnessed.
Most medical practitioners are of the opinion that masturbation is a healthy alternative to express and explore your sexuality and release the sexual tension without the social or physical disadvantages and risks of sexual intercourse. There are plenty of queries in people's minds related to masturbation. Some of these arise from the many myths and religious beliefs regarding masturbation. One such rather strange suspicion is whether one can go blind due to masturbation? It is a proven truth by now medically that masturbation does not lead to any kind of health problems. Some of these myths might be explained as a pure coincidence, ranging from poor eye sight to changes in the skin with the onset of puberty.
Masturbation does not result in acne or result in any kind of hormonal fluctuations, which might lead to any uneasiness in the body. Most sexual activity actually improves blood circulation and is good for the body metabolism. Research has shown that in fact in many cases masturbation has helped in increasing female fertility during an intercourse. Masturbation in females also decreases chances of cervical infections by increasing the acidity of the cervical mucus and by shifting debris out of the cervix.
Meaningless thoughts of, masturbation resulting in the genitals shrinking or enlarging should be ignored totally as they are baseless. Masturbation can actually be considered as a sexual technique which protects people from the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Doctors are of the opinion that masturbation amounts to cardiovascular workouts. Studies have shown that masturbation lowers blood pressure, especially in stressful conditions. A small study conducted amongst a test group, shows lower blood pressure after masturbation. This is more so since the mind is more relaxed and in a contented state at times leading to sleep after this activity.
The Catholic Church does not exactly advocate masturbation, leading to a large number of controversial debates; there are though many Judeo-Christian leaders and scholars who are of different beliefs which propagate the belief that masturbation is not a sin. Scholars point out that there is really nothing concrete in the Bible that points toward masturbation as a sin, it may be that in a round about manner the issue is open to debate. There are though a few nations and religions which do not accept masturbation as healthy and in fact consider it to be as punishable by law. Some Islamic nations like Indonesia, consider it criminal. Many of the myths and religious misconceptions about masturbation arise from age old beliefs, which have not been adapted to modern science and human behavior in recent times.
Masturbation has far flung effects on the world population too. Since masturbation helps in relieving people of their sexual urges, it also helps in controlling people's sexual activities. This in turn results in better population control. In case of a religious or social ban on masturbation resulting from laws made against such activities, people would be more prone to indulge in sexual activity with their partners. Sex, in casual or other forms has different associated problems like unwanted pregnancies as well as the scope of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Masturbation comes close to the most natural way of being a family planner! For partners who have mismatched sexual taste, masturbation could be a normal healthy way to relieve sexual tensions and plan a baby only with both partners willing to. This saves the hassles of unwanted parenthood as well as leads to a more natural way of checking the population growth world wide.
We think masturbation is the most natural fun alternative to having actual sex. It provides the stimulation of sex, without the hassles involved in the actual act. This act being normally totally private and personal does not involve other people; hence there are no hassles of bothering about your partner's feeling or tastes or even about sexually transmitted diseases. Masturbation is also a means to self exploration and discovering ones tastes. It can be a pleasurable way of exploring ones sexual fantasies and desires. Masturbation can in fact help partners improve their sexual life. Since the act has no proven side effects on the health, one can indulge in it in their privacy. Masturbation is not something practiced by dissatisfied people or those who cannot satisfy their partners, it is a means of pleasuring oneself and in that alone lies its very essence.
By Maitreyee Chowdhury
Summary: Masturbation is a human behavior that attempts at sexually satisfying the individual, with or without outside help or influence. It is one of the rare natural instincts of man when he is at his complete natural self uninhibited of the external world.
The sexual provocation or stimulation of oneself, inciting sexual passion to the point of orgasm, refers to 'masturbation'. This behavior is common among both men and women and has been observed as a behavioral tendency even amongst animals. Masturbation mostly takes the form of a feel good factor by touching of the genitals, leading to pleasurable sensuousness, culminating in orgasm. Tracing back the roots of the word masturbation we find its origin in ancient words like the Greek 'mezea' or the Latin 'manus'. The Oxford English Dictionary compiles the word to be an ancient usage of the Latin 'manu stuprare' meaning 'to defile with the hand'.
While this act of giving pleasure to oneself or highlighting the sensory organs needs no name, the term itself is medical in nature describing the act itself. Some common forms of referring to the same are "Onanism", "wanking' and "jerking off". While, "Onanism" finds its roots in religious history, the latter are more colloquial and everyday usage terms. The Term clearly signifies a person in the act of arousing oneself sexually by fondling or touching his or her genitals to a point where the touch leads to a feeling of intense sexual excitement which is equivalent or that of an orgasm. Though the act is usually characterized by a single person indulging oneself in a private act, it can involve a partner by consent.
Masturbation has always been a topic of debate throughout the centuries. Right through the late 19th and early 20th century, most of the religious institutions as well as the medical fraternity thought of masturbation as a sin. Slowly and gradually during the middle of the 20th century, medical practitioners began changing their views on masturbation. They found it to be not as harmful as was thought of. It remains a fact though that a whole generation of people grew up with a reserved notions about masturbation which they had inherited from their childhood.
Over a period of time different studies have found that masturbation is commonly practiced among both males as well as females. A survey conducted by 'Alfred Kinsey's has shown that 92% of men and 62%' of women have tried masturbation at some time or the other. 'Susan Quilliam says in her study, 'Women on Sex', that 29.1 of women masturbate at least once weekly, a very small percentage of 1.8% masturbate without clitoral stimulation moreover 95% of women always have an orgasm when they masturbate. Additionally she says, that in comparison, 77.3 can orgasm from oral sex, and 79.2 during intercourse, though not always). In her study, she concluded that 95% of the women she surveyed actually admitted to masturbation.'
From an observation conducted among 2,765 adult Americans, one fourth of men younger than masturbate about several times a week, while 17% of them are older. In the same report, 10% of the women are younger and 2 % of them older.
On a lighter or a heavy weight note if one calculates the amount of semen produced around the world, one might even be able to make a comparison in terms of energy used to drive a jet. The whole world produces 14 billion calories on an average as energy outlet from masturbation which can drive a jumbo carrying 300 passengers for 27 Miles or generate 16 MW Power. One might estimate from the figures about the kind of energy produced and how it would affect the world if harnessed.
Most medical practitioners are of the opinion that masturbation is a healthy alternative to express and explore your sexuality and release the sexual tension without the social or physical disadvantages and risks of sexual intercourse. There are plenty of queries in people's minds related to masturbation. Some of these arise from the many myths and religious beliefs regarding masturbation. One such rather strange suspicion is whether one can go blind due to masturbation? It is a proven truth by now medically that masturbation does not lead to any kind of health problems. Some of these myths might be explained as a pure coincidence, ranging from poor eye sight to changes in the skin with the onset of puberty.
Masturbation does not result in acne or result in any kind of hormonal fluctuations, which might lead to any uneasiness in the body. Most sexual activity actually improves blood circulation and is good for the body metabolism. Research has shown that in fact in many cases masturbation has helped in increasing female fertility during an intercourse. Masturbation in females also decreases chances of cervical infections by increasing the acidity of the cervical mucus and by shifting debris out of the cervix.
Meaningless thoughts of, masturbation resulting in the genitals shrinking or enlarging should be ignored totally as they are baseless. Masturbation can actually be considered as a sexual technique which protects people from the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
Doctors are of the opinion that masturbation amounts to cardiovascular workouts. Studies have shown that masturbation lowers blood pressure, especially in stressful conditions. A small study conducted amongst a test group, shows lower blood pressure after masturbation. This is more so since the mind is more relaxed and in a contented state at times leading to sleep after this activity.
The Catholic Church does not exactly advocate masturbation, leading to a large number of controversial debates; there are though many Judeo-Christian leaders and scholars who are of different beliefs which propagate the belief that masturbation is not a sin. Scholars point out that there is really nothing concrete in the Bible that points toward masturbation as a sin, it may be that in a round about manner the issue is open to debate. There are though a few nations and religions which do not accept masturbation as healthy and in fact consider it to be as punishable by law. Some Islamic nations like Indonesia, consider it criminal. Many of the myths and religious misconceptions about masturbation arise from age old beliefs, which have not been adapted to modern science and human behavior in recent times.
Masturbation has far flung effects on the world population too. Since masturbation helps in relieving people of their sexual urges, it also helps in controlling people's sexual activities. This in turn results in better population control. In case of a religious or social ban on masturbation resulting from laws made against such activities, people would be more prone to indulge in sexual activity with their partners. Sex, in casual or other forms has different associated problems like unwanted pregnancies as well as the scope of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Masturbation comes close to the most natural way of being a family planner! For partners who have mismatched sexual taste, masturbation could be a normal healthy way to relieve sexual tensions and plan a baby only with both partners willing to. This saves the hassles of unwanted parenthood as well as leads to a more natural way of checking the population growth world wide.
We think masturbation is the most natural fun alternative to having actual sex. It provides the stimulation of sex, without the hassles involved in the actual act. This act being normally totally private and personal does not involve other people; hence there are no hassles of bothering about your partner's feeling or tastes or even about sexually transmitted diseases. Masturbation is also a means to self exploration and discovering ones tastes. It can be a pleasurable way of exploring ones sexual fantasies and desires. Masturbation can in fact help partners improve their sexual life. Since the act has no proven side effects on the health, one can indulge in it in their privacy. Masturbation is not something practiced by dissatisfied people or those who cannot satisfy their partners, it is a means of pleasuring oneself and in that alone lies its very essence.
| Comments from Editor - Autofellatio is gaining popularity after being dormant for so long. |
