Men's Health: Scientific Understanding of Masturbation – From Releasing Physiological Tension to Adjusting Mental Health
The Issue of Masturbation
"Masturbation" is the Chinese term. Although the English word "masturbation" is often translated as "手淫" in Chinese, its meaning differs significantly from the Chinese "手淫". The renowned American sexologist Kinsey defined masturbation as "any act of self-stimulation, including not only hand stimulation and friction but also stimulation by other objects." Some also consider this self-stimulation a form of releasing sexual energy or tension. It should be said that this self-stimulation is a natural physiological and social phenomenon, neither inherently good nor bad, normal nor abnormal.
After puberty, both normal men and women inevitably experience sexual desire and urges. Throughout life, they continuously release this sexual excitement and tension generated by endocrine hormones. Masturbation, also known as self-stimulation or masturbation, is one form of releasing sexual excitement and tension. However, this form of release is not yet as widely accepted by society as the forms of sexual release between men and women.
In human practice, self-stimulation takes many forms, and using only "masturbation" is somewhat narrow-minded. Furthermore, "masturbation" is a neutral term in English, without any positive or negative connotation. The Chinese word "masturbation" (手淫) contains the character "淫" (yin), which carries connotations of evil and confusion, with a clearly derogatory meaning. Therefore, using "masturbation" to refer to "self-stimulation" is not entirely accurate and can easily lead to unavoidable misunderstandings, viewing this natural sexual behavior as evil and immoral. The condemnation of masturbation as a sin originated from religious fanaticism in the early days of Western European and North American civilization. Churches constantly indoctrinated people that masturbation was a sinful act of the flesh, one of the most serious crimes. Masturbation was considered more serious than adultery; adultery could be forgiven, but masturbation could only be severely punished. In China, masturbation was also considered a sign of moral depravity and shamelessness, and juvenile delinquency and social spiritual pollution were linked to it. This propaganda about the sinfulness of masturbation instilled fear and panic in most people who masturbated, leading to a series of problems affecting their physical and mental health. It was also believed that masturbation would severely damage one's vitality and health.
Some young men and women with a masturbation habit carried a heavy mental burden. After each act, they felt they had done something wrong and tried desperately to control themselves, but to no avail. This left them in a state of extreme contradiction and pain; some contemplated suicide, while others became mentally exhausted. Many social surveys show that many people start masturbating from a very young age. Some start due to long-term separation from their spouses, while others begin after divorce. Some people maintain a marital relationship while simultaneously relying on masturbation to satisfy their sexual desires. Some people have successfully quit masturbation after a period of strict control, but often relapse when faced with certain stimuli. Like a habit, once sexual desire arises, it's difficult to achieve calm and concentration without masturbation. Excessive sexual desire can also affect a person's mental state, mood, and temperament. Therefore, for some, masturbation is a way to release sexual desire and find emotional balance, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Many people who start masturbating often feel deep self-blame and guilt, carrying a heavy mental burden, and repeatedly try to quit. However, they often give up halfway, the habit is hard to break, and they gradually "self-rationalize," finding various reasons to excuse themselves.
Opinions on masturbation vary widely among sex education books. Some believe it leads to severe mental stress and burdens, advising people to resolutely abandon this bad habit. Others argue that masturbation causes abnormal sexual arousal, harming the body and easily leading to forgetfulness, fatigue, and metabolic disorders, thus advocating abstinence from a physiological perspective. Still other books warn that masturbation is primarily a psychological issue; it itself does not harm the body, but the abnormal psychological state it causes. Furthermore, when heightened libido affects appetite and sleep, masturbation can be a viable way to adjust, the key being to let go of mental burdens.
Some people are indeed trapped in a state of deep depression and loneliness due to masturbation. Others, busy with work and unable to engage in normal sexual activity, use masturbation as a means of adjustment, allowing them to focus on their work once their sexual needs are met. Therefore, masturbation avoids necessary troubles and even allows one to abandon the desire to find a female or male partner and have sexual relations with the opposite sex. Some masturbators experience various strange associations during masturbation, achieving a strong state of sexual arousal and enjoying a wondrous state that is difficult to experience even in normal sexual intercourse. For some people with sexual experience, masturbation often involves immersing themselves in memories, and they can visualize their closest sexual partners. The clearer, more vivid, and richer the imagery, the stronger the arousal, and to a certain extent, it satisfies emotional and psychological needs.
Many masturbators say that masturbation is harmless to themselves and others. Since they cannot immediately engage in normal sexual intercourse, they might as well rely on masturbation to solve their own problems. They find peace, satisfaction, and self-regulation. In this way, they avoid doing anything immoral when sexually aroused. Some even argue that people without normal sexual activity should be encouraged to masturbate more. This would reduce social instability, sex crimes, and the various problems arising from complicated sexual relationships.
According to a survey of tens of thousands of teenagers by Professor Kinsey, a renowned American andrologist, 92%–97% of men and 55%–68% of women in the United States have a history of masturbation. Statistics from the Soviet Union and Poland show that 93%–96% of healthy men masturbate. Japanese literature reports that 30% of students entering junior high school have a history of masturbation, increasing to 80% by age 15. In a nationwide survey in my country, approximately 63% of men and 33% of women had a history of masturbation. These reports are significant, suggesting that the actual number of people who have masturbated is substantial. Many respondents in these surveys considered masturbation a personal secret and were unwilling to readily reveal the truth. Therefore, the actual number of masturbators is likely far greater than the reported figures. In his book *Psychology* (1974), Dr. Brno stated that "the widely accepted opinion among psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, and others engaged in mental health and physical well-being is that masturbation is neither abnormal nor harmful." Eddie, in *Sex and Youth*, pointed out that "if masturbation leads to negative consequences, it is certainly a result of fear. Because masturbation itself never produces negative effects or causes disease, but the self-blame, guilt, and fear caused by masturbation are the root of all negative consequences." Currently, some pamphlets still promote the harmfulness of masturbation, making it seem extremely terrifying and harmful, like a "demon" tormenting thousands of teenagers.
Masturbation itself is not harmful, just as a "demon" does not exist. However, the terror of the "demon" has been passed down from ancient times to the present, and so has masturbation. It can be argued that masturbation is a common phenomenon after puberty. Masturbation itself is not harmful to the body; the harm lies in the series of abnormal psychological states it causes. Of course, saying masturbation is harmless does not mean it is necessary, much less that it can be done indiscriminately. It is good to not want to masturbate or to quit. The key point is to "not feel guilty or fearful about masturbation; it's best to let it happen naturally."