Admit it or not, you have done it before and probably still doing it now. In fact, studies on the subject show that a significant number of people from their teens way past into their senior years do masturbate. Alongside this fact, there are myths about male masturbation that are absurd and with no scientific basis to back them up or to prove otherwise.
Masturbation is a normal physical function. It’s as normal as breathing air. And yet, there is still a stigma about masturbation that has led to misinformation and masturbation myths.
There are so many masturbation myths out there, but here we will discuss the most common and famous ones. Don’t bring out your tissues just yet and read on.
MYTH 1: Masturbation Will Make You Go Blind
The grandfather of all male masturbation myths. How many times have you seen sitcoms or movies when a teenage boy is caught in a compromising scene where the one who catches the “solo player” says “keep doing that and you’ll go blind.”
The history of this phrase is from way back when people believed that sex was only meant for procreation. And because masturbation doesn’t lead to procreation, it was considered taboo and sinful.
Along with going blind, it was also believed that masturbation could lead to insanity, hairy palms, tuberculosis, or even death. Of course, NONE of it is true. Because if it is, where are all the blind people at? Or, have you ever shook hands with someone with a hairy palm?
MYTH 2: Male Masturbation can cause… or fix Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Now here is where it gets a bit wonky. Two opposing myths where one says it causes ED and one that says it fixes it. In reality, male masturbation cannot cause ED nor fix ED.
What happens is, if you masturbate frequently, your “royal staff” gets used to the sensation of how you touch it. If that happens, the only difficulty you might have is it will take you longer to have an orgasm.
As for fixing ED with masturbation, the best treatment for ED is going to come from a medical professional. Chances are, masturbation will not be part of their recommendation to fix your ED. However, it can be used as a diagnostic test to better understand your ED. If a man can maintain an erection during self-stimulation but has difficulty during sex with a partner, it’s highly likely that the problem has a mental rather than a physical cause.
MYTH 3: People in a Relationship do not Masturbate
Whether in a relationship or not, people do masturbate. Some do get jealous when they catch their partners masturbating because they feel that it’s cheating, or that they think the reason why their partners masturbate is that they are inadequate to satisfy their partner in bed. But this is not necessarily the case. What we have to realize is that people have different levels of sexual desire.
If you are in a relationship and still masturbate, it does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with you, your relationship, your partner, or even your sexual intimacy. The fact is, masturbation is a part of many couples’ sexual play.
MYTH 4: Masturbation Causes Acne
Most people tend to discover masturbation in their teen years during puberty. During this time, hormone levels in our bodies tend to produce more testosterone and androgen. This will mean that your body tends to produce more sebum, an oily substance secreted from our sebaceous glands. Sebum protects our skin, but overproduction of it clogs our pores and, voila, acne develops.
Masturbation does not affect how much sebum your body produces. Perhaps the reason why this myth is prevalent and been linked to masturbation is as a deterrent older people say to young ones to prevent them from engaging in premarital sex.
Depending on your body chemistry, you can still have acne breakouts regardless of your age, whether you masturbate frequently, or even if you have sex often.
MYTH 5: Male Masturbation Makes Your Penis Shrink
Let’s get this one out of the way fast – NO! Male masturbation has no impact on your penis size. And no, it does not make it go larger either. There is no single origin to this myth, but people most definitely have theories that cannot “stand up” to any scientific inquiry.
One possible source is that ejaculation reduces a man’s testosterone levels. And since many are ill-informed that testosterone levels correlate with making your penis grow or shrink, so by extension, having less testosterone means a smaller penis. But that’s just wrong.
Fact is, testosterone levels go up during sexual arousal (including masturbation) Then, it goes back to normal levels after you ejaculate. Another fact is, testosterone has nothing to do with your penis size. Whether you have a big or small “joystick,” you have your genes to thank for that.
MYTH 6: Masturbation Will Stunt Your Growth
Most definitely false. Masturbation will NOT in any way interfere with a person’s growth.
Though it is true that testosterone is associated with the initial phase of puberty which causes growth spurt in adolescents, it is also associated with various physical changes during puberty. In males, such physical changes include, increase in height, muscle growth, pubic hair, and enlargement of the male organs.
As mentioned in Myth 4, testosterone levels do go up during sexual arousal, but after ejaculation, the level goes back to normal. Ejaculated semen after masturbation is NOT the primary source of testosterone.
MYTH 7: Masturbation Can Make You Go Bald
There is no scientific evidence that masturbation can cause hair loss. This myth stems from the idea that semen contains high levels of protein, therefore each ejaculation causes the body to lose proteins that it needs for hair growth.
Yes, semen does contain high levels of protein, approximately 5.04 grams of protein per 100 milliliters of semen. Each ejaculate contains a measly 3.3 to 3.7 milliliters of semen which is comparatively small.
Another possible culprit to this myth is again connected with testosterone. Yes, during masturbation, testosterone levels do rise, which in turn increases a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that is linked with hair loss.
This may probably work out IF the subject male over masturbates, however, there is no direct evidence to support that masturbation increases DHT levels. Yes sir, you can beat your Johnson all you want, but you will not definitely go bald. Unless of course, going bald runs in your family or any other factor not related to masturbation.
The Takeaway
Masturbation alone doesn’t have an impact on any of the myths presented above, nor does it have a long lasting impact on your testosterone levels. Hormonal changes associated with masturbation do cause some short-term effects, but ejaculation caused by masturbation will not have long-term impact on your sexual health or overall being.
You may now reach for your tissues.
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