Is There A "Normal" to Masturbation?
Self-pleasure can be a stimulating, relaxing time you use to reclaim a very important part of yourself. We feel you are definitely justified in partaking in any kind of “me time” that helps your wellness in this busy world of ours.
Indeed, masturbation is certainly stimulating and recharging, however, do you ever worry that you are doing it too much, or even if you should masturbate more? Have you been wondering how often you should masturbate? Or for that matter, how often do other men wank? Overall, perhaps at some point you may have even wondered if there was actually a "normal" level of masturbation.
Many of these questions may have entered your mind at some time. It's natural to worry about your physical well-being, and masturbation plays a large part of it for many people. Some are worried about "keeping up with the Joneses'" (or, in this case, "keeping up with the Johnsons”) and knowing what others are doing may help reassure that you are doing just what others are as well.
If you have any concerns about your masturbation routine, we hope to help you answer some of these questions in this article.
Contents
Dispelling the Misconceptions and Pointing out the Benefits
First of all, let's dispel some common misconceptions about the act of masturbating itself. Some of you may have had concerns, while having a self-pleasure routine, that have not been addressed.
Myth: Semen retention produces health benefits
Semen retention is basically abstaining from ejaculation, either by not engaging in sexual activity or stopping before an orgasm. However, with semen retention, there are no known benefits to it. Sure, it also does not appear to be harmful, but if you hear of someone telling you on social media that either retention is good or ejaculation is harmful, be wary. Check to see if they even have any factual evidence.
Myth: Ejaculating reduces your testosterone levels
The quick answer is no. There is some research that notes a small association between masturbation and very small fluctuations in free testosterone, but those levels return quickly after ejaculating.
On the contrary, we have written a number of times on how ejaculation provides several benefits to your health and overall well-being.
Myth: Masturbating causes erectile dysfunction (ED)
And the answer to that is a resounding NO. If you do suffer from ED, this may be caused by issues related to your age, health, or testosterone levels. Some erectile dysfunction issues can also involve mental health concerns. If you do think you have ED, you should consult with a medical professional as soon as possible.
One of our other companies, TENGA Healthcare has also been working with professionals in this area over the past several years in Japan, and is recently spreading its knowledge and information to other countries.
Myth: Masturbation causes infertility
Will masturbation lower my sperm count (lower fertility rate)? After ejaculation, the sperm count drops, but fortunately the body is constantly producing new sperm. Normally the full cycle of creating new sperm and having it ready to go takes about 64 days. In general, each ejaculation releases anywhere from 20 to 300 million sperm cells in a single milliliter of semen. But don’t worry, on average most males carry about 8 billion sperm. So there is little possibility of running out.
HUGE Myth: Masturbation will make me go blind
Seriously, do we really need to address this? No, no, no. You won't go blind from masturbation. Although you probably shouldn't ask any dogmatic religious person. They may also tell you that not only will you go blind, you might also develop hairy palms and go insane(Weird fact: did you know graham crackers and cornflakes were invented to curb masturbation?).
Differences Among Men and How Often Are You Able to Masturbate
Is there a recommended number of times for how often should you masturbate? What do other guys do? In a nutshell, how often should you wank?
The quick answer is it depends.
How many times you are able to masturbate not only depends upon your physical condition, but also your mental state as well. If you are less experienced at self-pleasure, it can be overwhelmingly stimulating at first and you may ejaculate earlier than you desired. On the other hand, if you've been overstimulated, say for example, masturbated a number of times where you've gotten used to the sensation a bit, it may cause your next orgasm to take a little longer.
We are all different, and even on different days we may feel differently about self-pleasure. Depending upon our moods at certain times, or our level of energy (e.g. being tired after work), our level of desire to masturbate, or our libido, may be higher or lower.
Even after we have ejaculated, our recovery times are different. There is a period of time called the refractory period, which is the time after you have had an orgasm and ejaculated, a sort of recovery period until you can do it again. It is when your penis returns to a limp state and your level of interest in sex usually goes from intense desire to “why don’t we watch a little television”. Everyone’s refractory period is different, so not everyone will feel like masturbating again soon after they have ejaculated.
But if the urge comes up again in an hour, fantastic! If it is the next day, then that’s fine as well. There is no normal here. Your decision to masturbate and when to is perfectly normal. So stop worrying about what other people do. Relax and let the process flow. Knowing your own body and feeling good about what you do is everything!
How often other men masturbate is always going to be different with each person. There’s no set minimum or maximum number of times. The only rule we should consider is whether your routine does not harm you or anyone else, or affect your lifestyle in a negative way. If all is good with you, we also think that it’s perfectly fine.
Are You Still Curious?
Despite what we have said so far about there not being a "normal" masturbation rate, some of you are still not going to be satisfied with the answer. Fine, let's spill the beans!
Over the years,TENGA has conducted surveys from people all over the world, called the TENGA Self-Pleasure Report. In the 2020 Report, our findings surveyed 1000 Americans (500 men and 500 women), revealing that out of those surveyed, about 11% said they masturbated daily, almost 37% said they masturbated weekly, and nearly 21% of the respondents said they masturbated monthly.
Hopefully, this helps satisfy your curiousity. Which do you fall under? Again, we want to stress, how often should you wank or need to is never a question you need to ask others. Just ask yourself.
When Does It Become Excessive Masturbation?
Masturbation can be considered excessive if it harms you, harms someone else, or has a negative effect on your lifestyle. If it becomes a masturbation addiction, and you cannot control where and when you do it, you may wish to seek some professional advice from someone with specialized knowledge near you. Some issues that may arise which could be signs of excessive masturbation may include:
Again, if any negative consequences do arise from your masturbation practice, we urge you to seek professional help as soon as possible.
Creating Your Healthy Balance
Many people do not like to discuss their masturbation and make it a very private subject. Partly because of this, there are many questions that will be left unanswered. One questions is how often should you masturbate.
As we have been trying to stress, essentially there is no rulebook for masturbation frequency or judging what is "normal". So if you find someone telling you that you should masturbate a certain number of times a week, for whatever purpose, walk away. It's up to you to decide.
Some may find it pleasing to try once a week, others several times a week, even some other people may find it comforting for them to masturbate once a day. So long as you do not find yourself harming yourself or others, then chances are you’ve got a good thing going!
Of course, it’s never a bad thing to experiment and try different styles and methods of safe masturbation. TENGA offers a wide variety of different styles and textures for those who would like to feel many kinds of pleasure depending on their moods. We offer a safe, secure way of finding your peace.
