Masturbation

"Jacking off" and "Jerking off" redirect here. For other uses, see jacking.

A male masturbating
A female masturbating

Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person sexually stimulates their own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm.[1][2][3] Stimulation may involve use of hands, everyday objects, sex toys, or more rarely, the mouth (autofellatio and autocunnilingus).[1][2] Masturbation may also be performed with a sex partner, either masturbating together or watching the other partner masturbate.[4][5][6]

Masturbation is frequent in both sexes. Various medical and psychological benefits have been attributed to a healthy attitude toward sexual activity in general and to masturbation in particular. No causal relationship between masturbation and any form of mental or physical disorder has been found.[7][8] Masturbation is considered by clinicians to be a healthy, normal part of sexual enjoyment. The only exception from "masturbation causes no harm" are some cases of Peyronie's disease.[9]

Masturbation has been depicted in art since prehistoric times, and is both mentioned and discussed in very early writings. Religions vary in their views of masturbation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, some European theologians and physicians described it in negative terms, but during the 20th century, these taboos generally declined. There has been an increase in discussion and portrayal of masturbation in art, popular music, television, films, and literature. The legal status of masturbation has also varied through history and masturbation in public is illegal in most countries.[10] Masturbation in non-human animals has been observed both in the wild and captivity.[11][12][13]

  1. ^ a b Robinson, Jennifer (4 March 2010). "Masturbation – Is Masturbation Normal or Harmful? Who Masturbates? Why Do People Masturbate?". WebMD. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  2. ^ a b Lehmiller, Justin J. (2017). The Psychology of Human Sexuality (Second ed.). John Wiley & Sons. p. 402. ISBN 978-1-119-16470-8. Masturbation refers to all solo forms of self-stimulation focusing on the genitals. Masturbation practices vary widely depending upon the individual's body and personal preferences. For instance, masturbation among women may involve manipulation of the clitoris and labia, stimulation of the breasts, or vaginal penetration with a sex toy. [...] Among men, masturbation most frequently involves using one or both hands to stimulate the penis. Of course, men sometimes utilize sex toys too (e.g., masturbation sleeves, butt-plugs, etc.).
  3. ^ Bowman, Christin P. (2017). Nadal, Kevin L.; Mazzula, Silvia L.; Rivera, David P. (eds.). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Psychology and Gender. SAGE. p. 1123. ISBN 978-1-4833-8427-6. Masturbation is the act of touching or otherwise stimulating one's own body, particularly one's genitals, for the purpose of sexual pleasure and/or orgasm. The term is most commonly used to describe solitary masturbation, in which people provide themselves with sexual stimulation while they are physically alone. Mutual masturbation is when two or more people manually stimulate their own body or each other's bodies.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bruess was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Upton D (2014). Nursing & Health Survival Guide: Health Promotion. Routledge. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-317-90617-9.
  6. ^ Brynie, Faith Hickman (2013). 101 Questions about Sex and Sexuality, 2nd Edition: With Answers for the Curious, Cautious, and Confused. Lerner Publishing Group. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-76132-634-2. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ^ Coleman, Eli (2012) [2002]. Bockting, Walter O.; Coleman, Eli (eds.). Masturbation as a Means of Achieving Sexual Health (PDF). New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-7890-2047-5. OCLC 50913590. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2015. Despite the scientific evidence indicating that masturbation is generally a normal variant of sexual expression and that it does not seem to have a causal relationship with sexual pathology, negative attitudes about masturbation persist and it remains stigmatized.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference OllendickSchroeder2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Wells, Ken R. (2005). "Masturbation". In Krapp, Kristine M.; Wilson, Jeffrey (eds.). The Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale Cengage. p. 1150. ISBN 0-7876-9429-0. OCLC 57626126.
  10. ^ Hallikeri, Vinay R.; Gouda, Hareesh S.; Aramani, Sunil C.; Vijaykumar, A.G.; Ajaykumar, T.S. (July–December 2010). "MASTURBATION—AN OVERVIEW". Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 27 (2): 46–49. ISSN 0971-1929. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Today, masturbatory act is considered as a healthy practice when done in private and an offence if done in the public in most of the countries.
  11. ^ Poiani, Aldo (19 August 2010). Animal Homosexuality: A Biosocial Perspective. Cambridge University Press. pp. 232–235, 394. ISBN 978-1-139-49038-2.
  12. ^ "Breeding Soundness Examination of the Stallion". Petplace.com. 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
  13. ^ Bagemihl, Bruce (1999). Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-19239-6. Retrieved 21 October 2015. (masturbate OR masturbation).