Fridae

I think the first time I realized I was gay was when I began to masturbate. What really got me excited was thinking about other guys in my class. I eventually met other gay people and came out of the closet, but I still enjoy beating off to this day.

Intro

Masturbation is the act of stimulating your penis for pleasure. It's a physical response to normal urges that begin around puberty. This is the time when your testicles kick in and produce mass quantities of testosterone, the hormone that triggers the growth of body hair, the thickening of your vocal chords (which produce a deeper voice) and feelings of sexual desire (libido).

You may have heard that masturbation causes blindness or hair to grow on your palms. Don't worry, these are just old wives' tales. The truth is, masturbation is a normal and healthy expression of your sexuality, and it's nothing to feel guilty about.

Physiology

A natural part of being sexually aroused (or "turned on") is getting an erection (or "woody"). An erection occurs when blood flows into your penis and engorges your penis' spongy tissue (making it grow long and stiff). Meanwhile, the veins around your penis constrict, keeping the blood from flowing out of your penis until your erection subsides.

For adults and older teenagers, masturbation usually results in ejaculation (when semen, which contains sperm, shoots from the opening at the head of your penis, or urethra). It is possible -- and in the case of younger adolescents, likely -- to have orgasm without ejaculation.
Ejaculation works in three phases: the emission phase (when you have an erection and pre-cum seeps out of your penis), followed by the closure of your bladder (so semen won't shoot back into your bladder) and the propulsion of your semen out of your body (shooting cum).

Complications

Getting caught. Chances are, you don't want others walking in on you while you masturbate. So when you get the urge, use your discretion. Or else steel yourself for an embarrassing moment or two!

Sexual Addiction. Sexual addiction is the compulsion to have sex, to the point that you put your personal relationships and career at risk. Feelings of guilt, shame, sadness and loneliness, as well as devastatingly negative mental, emotional, physical or social consequences accompany sexual addiction.

However, sexual fantasies and frequent masturbation are not signs of sexual addiction in and of themselves, especially for younger guys.

The more frequently you masturbate the less semen will come out. The character of your semen will change from time to time. Many men continue to masturbate while having a relationship with a significant other -- this isn't a sign that anything is wrong.

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Masturbation can also help you discover the pleasures of your body, and can help you teach your partner how to better please you.

Cybersex Addiction. Cybersex addiction is more than an occasion e-fling. If you masturbate to pornography on your computer or have "live" online sex with other users for dozens of hours per week -- to the point that you put your personal relationships and career at risk -- you may suffer from the disorder.
Cybersex addicts find it hard to stop their behavior, and many are in denial about their problem until their lives are in shambles. It's important to note that single people are not the only cybersex addicts. Those in committed relationships are addicts, too.

Again, if you frequently masturbate while cruising the net, this is not a sign of cybersex addiction in and of itself. If your desire to masturbate causes you to lose your job, fail out of school, or gives you extreme emotional discomfort, you may have a problem. Consult a doctor or therapist whom you trust.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV. If you masturbate by yourself, you are not at any risk of transmitting HIV or any other diseases.

If you masturbate with another guy and you touch each another's penis, you probably won't transmit HIV. However, if you or your partner have STDs, you may transmit them to each other. STDs that can be transmitted through masturbation include gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, molluscum and HPV. These STDs can be spread by skin to skin contact -- penetration or ejaculation is not necessary for transmission. Keep in mind, hands and fingers can carry STDs between partners.

Wearing condoms while masturbating with others will decrease your risk of catching an STD. If you do catch something, get treatment immediately. Don't give the infection time to get out of hand.