Two Day Magazine

May is National Masturbation Month...So, give yourself a hand!

Be honest. Masturbating is fun, easy, no awkward conversations when it’s over, and it is a pretty cheap date. Plus, there are a lot of healthy benefits, as well.

So, how often do you talk about (or admit to) masturbating?

Guys have no qualms about telling their buddies about a recent fling — sometimes with details best left to smutty romance novels. Mention that you masturbated last night and your friends go from giving you high fives to, “Don’t shake his hand!”

Not one to shy away from any taboo topic, I often challenge my friends to discuss their masturbating techniques. After all, statistics show that 95 percent of men masturbate. My guess is that the other 5 percent answered the question in front of a significant other or their mother?

The conversation I have with friends might not be what you think, though. When we’ve talked about self pleasure, it isn’t a conversation filled with slang terms and middle school snickers. It’s as if we’re discussing current events or any other academic topic. Mainly because masturbating is a grown-up, mature topic — one that should be given a chance.

Sure, the act of masturbating generally is a private matter, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it.

Helping our society become more comfortable talking about solo sex is the Good Vibrations sex toy business, who, in 1995, started National Masturbation Month. Each May since, sex counselors and experts (and adult stores all around the country) celebrate National Masturbation Month in a variety of ways — including education. The month grew following the firing of then-Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders, who came under fire by, of all people, President Clinton for comments she made suggesting masturbation should be taught in schools.

While masturbating — or whatever slang term you prefer — seems to send panic to some who find it to be a sin, there actually are many healthy benefits to pleasuring yourself.

For instance, masturbating can increase sexual stamina, says LiveStrong.com writer Ashley Farley.

“Masturbating can help you gain control over your orgasms and teach you how to delay the onset of an orgasm,” she wrote. “Pay attention to your how your body feels before, during and after an orgasm.
Consider the changes in your genitals and the sensations you feel as you get closer to climaxing.”

Masturbating a few hours before sex also can help with premature ejaculation, another LiveStrong.com article says.

Like sex, masturbating releases natural endorphins that offer a euphoric state, allowing you to feel restful (and, in some cases, tired).

If you’re single (and even if you’re not), regular masturbation can help keep you healthy. By regularly pleasing yourself, you’ll be able to identify if you’re experiencing any possible erectile dysfunction issues, in which case you should get to a doctor. You’re also able to keep tabs on any other issues that might feel different over time or from the last time you explored. And, it could lead to an enjoyable way of checking for testicular cancer.

Solo satisfaction also helps charge your sex life, allowing men to get to know their likes and dislikes, and to better explain to their lover how and where they like to be touched. So, rather than just having sex and calling it a day, men can feel more comfortable about their body, which would lead to a better feeling of being satisfied with their lover.

And, it goes without saying, masturbation keeps you free from sexually transmitted diseases.

So, why does masturbation remain a taboo topic in a society where sex sells? Religious beliefs, societal ways and a general lack of knowledge and understanding amount to a lot of the reasons masturbating isn’t one of the things that comes up often for discussion.

Masturbation has been in movies for at least 30 years, beginning in 1972 with “Last Tango in Paris” and continuing through 2010 with “Black Swan.”

Of course, the scene most of us in our 30s and late 20s probably remember is “American Pie.” That movie (and it’s sequel in 2001), might be one of the reasons people around my age are a bit more comfortable talking about masturbating.

Scenes like that get us talking, which is a great step toward becoming more familiar with issues we feel uncomfortable talking about.

With myths that guys who masturbate will go blind, and government bodies like Turkey banning sexual words and phrases online — leaders there banned the number “31” because it is Turkish slang for masturbating — it’s no wonder people can feel shame pleasing themselves.

Often, what happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom. And, while we don’t need to know every detail of one’s sex life, sometimes, it’s good to share what works (and what doesn’t) with others. Talking about masturbation with your friends not only makes your sex life better, it lets you become more open and comfortable with them.

So go ahead and enjoy the moment. And, whatever you do, don’t feel ashamed by it.

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Can't get enough of our new weekly columnist, Bobby Cherry? Keep up with Bobby on his website www.gobobbo.com!