Patient's question:
I have been masturbating since I was 14, and now I've heard that masturbation is very harmful to health, so I don't want to do it anymore. But I just can't stop. I'm already 22 years old. Can you tell me how to stop this, doctor?Doctor's answer:
Hello:Masturbation, also known as self-pleasuring, is, in a narrow sense, the act of stimulating one's external genitalia with the hands to achieve psychological satisfaction and reach a state of self-pleasure.
In a broader sense, any behavior involving self- or mutual stimulation of the genitalia or other sensitive areas to seek sexual pleasure and satisfaction can be considered masturbation. Masturbation is an act of self-exploitation of sexual desire during moments of sexual arousal.
Masturbation is a common phenomenon, present across all ages, from young to old. However, it is most prevalent among adolescents.
Masturbation is a behavior that exists from childhood. During this period, it is often due to unconscious, occasional genital play, wearing tight clothing, or friction from activities like climbing, which stimulates the genitalia and induces pleasure. Regardless of gender, during adolescence, physiological changes in the body naturally lead to the emergence of sexual urges and desires. This period is marked by sexual tension, curiosity, and fantasies about sexual matters. As an instinct, they begin to engage in conscious masturbation under the drive of sexual physiology and psychology.
Since sexual arousal is not controlled by the brain but determined by sexual hormone levels in the blood, it is a natural phenomenon that cannot be influenced by human will. From sexual maturity to the legal satisfaction of sexual needs—marriage—people generally have to wait 7 to 8 years or even longer. During this time, sexual energy is at its peak, and individuals must find ways to relieve sexual tension. In such circumstances, masturbation is likely the most convenient and safest method, as it does not involve the opposite sex or emotional entanglements, nor does it lead to sexual assault or even sexual crimes.