In 1760, Swiss physician Samuel-Auguste Tissot published L'Onanisme, a treatise on illnesses caused by masturbation. At the beginning of the 20th century, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (yes, the one with muesli) created a breakfast based on wheat flakes for a healthy lifestyle, which, among other things, meant avoiding masturbation. In the second half of the 20th century, it was easy to hear that overindulgence could lead to impaired vision, stunted growth, or pimples on the face. And now, already in 2024, with as much information as there is, we find ideas like that pleasure drains energy, destroys happiness, and lowers testosterone levels. This can be seen, for example, in an Instagram post that collects thousands of likes and although more likes do not necessarily mean a higher quality of information, they are still a measure of the popularity of the ideas shown there. So the years go by and masturbation is still in the spotlight.
There is no evidence to support the alleged negative effects of this pleasure practice. Not even the popular myth that links sexual activity to poorer athletic performance. “Masturbation has many physical, psychological and social benefits. The increase in dopamine and oxytocin levels with the consequent decrease in cortisol is probably the most important on a physical level,” explains Sergio Julve, educator and sex therapist. And he adds: “Undoubtedly, knowledge about your own body is very important in order to use pleasure beyond orgasm and, moreover, to be able to share this knowledge with sexual partners.” Trains the pelvic floor, thereby reducing erection difficulties and urinary incontinence. Strengthens our immune system. And it improves relationships, contrary to what you might think.”
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In this case, why are there still voices against this practice? Perhaps we can look for the answer in the origins of myths that have more to do with morality than science. In ancient civilizations, male masturbation was considered a normal sexual activity. So much so that, for example, for the Egyptians, one of the myths about the creation of the universe is the proclamation of the god Atum. Considering he was alone to begin with, it doesn't take much speculation to imagine how he got the sperm.
Because of the uniquely restrictive connection between sexual activity and reproduction, anything left out was considered at first a sin and later a disease. From here on, various complaints arise, from physical (upset stomach, vomiting, weakness…) to mental (memory loss, tantrums, epilepsy…) to masturbation. And these sludges are created from these dusts. Julve adds a capitalist component: “In a consumer society with strong religious customs and traditions, in addition to terrible educational deficiencies in matters of sexuality, it makes perfect sense that a method of pleasure, even free, should suffer from a bad reputation.” “
NoFap movement
A simple search on social networks like TikTok or Instagram for the term “NoFap” returns many results highlighting the benefits of stopping masturbation: from greater self-esteem and easier muscle growth to stopping failure. Fap is the onomatopoeia used in manga comics to describe the sound of male masturbation and with “no” in front of it to denote a movement also seen as a challenge that emerged in 2011 to stop masturbation.
Masturbation could be negative if it is associated with compulsive behavior, but in this case the negative is not the practice itself but the addiction.Satjawat Boontanataweepol (Getty Images)
It all started with a study that linked lack of ejaculation to increased testosterone levels. In this study, conducted on a total of 28 people, a high peak of this hormone was observed after the seventh day without ejaculation, but levels did not fluctuate after that. And although there are several studies that link sexual activity to an increase in testosterone levels or simply say that there is no connection between one and the other, this other piece of information was enough to launch an entire movement against masturbation . “The greatest power that these groups wield is suggestion, which is why education plays a fundamental role in this matter,” says Sergio Julve. “There are mainly two profiles among NoFap fans: egomaniacs who act as leaders and people with very low self-esteem, feelings of guilt and emotional deficiencies.”
Although men are the main recipients of this movement, you can also find some videos of women commenting on their experiences with giving up masturbation. The evidence in them of the benefits of abstaining from self-pleasure is the same as in their case: none.
Can masturbation have negative effects?
Masturbation could be negative if it is associated with compulsive behavior, but in this case the negative is not the practice itself but the addiction. It's not about the quantity (it's not about a lot or a little), but about the attitude you take. When masturbation occurs from a need rather than a desire, it begins to take away from the pleasure of orgasm and becomes a method of relieving anxiety. If the inability to indulge in self-pleasure at a given moment makes the person more nervous or irritable when it interferes with daily life, these could be signs of potentially problematic behavior.
The evidence for the benefits of abstaining from masturbation is the same for women as for men: none.David Pollack (Getty Images)
In any case, there is no clear data on how many people are addicted to masturbation, which suggests that it is not such a widespread problem. It is associated with porn consumption, and it is not easy to determine a percentage of how many people would use this sexually explicit content inconsistently.
It must also be taken into account that what may be useful for some people may be harmful for others. “Everyone has a different sexuality and the desire to generalize means sacrificing diversity. For addictions, gradual reduction or adjustment in time and space may be sufficient. However, in these cases, it is best to seek out a suitably qualified professional before the situation gets out of hand. Sexologists are no longer so difficult to find,” says Sergio Julve.
Arola Poch She is a psychologist at the University of Barcelona, a graduate of audiovisual communication at the UOC and a sexologist at the University of Camilo José Cela. She is an expert in sexual education and dissemination and has published several books. Offers sexological counseling and couples therapy.