Masturbation

Masturbation means touching your own body for sexual pleasure. It usually involves stimulating the genitals — the penis, clitoris, vulva, or surrounding areas — but it can involve any part of the body that feels good. Most people do it at some point in their lives, many do it regularly, and it's a completely normal, healthy thing to do.

• Masturbation is touching yourself for sexual pleasure. It's normal, safe, and very common.
• People of all genders masturbate. There's no "right" age to start, and not doing it is also fine.
• It's a way of learning what your body enjoys, which is useful information whether or not you ever have sex with someone else.
• It doesn't cause any physical harm — despite what myths might suggest.
• It's private. As long as it's done in a private space, there's nothing wrong with it.

Why people do it

Masturbation feels good — that's the main reason. It can lead to orgasm, release tension, help you relax, or just be something enjoyable to do. For many people, it's also how they first learn about their own body: what feels pleasurable, what they like, and how their arousal and orgasm work.

This is genuinely useful. Understanding your own body makes it easier to communicate with a partner later on — if and when you want to. If you know what feels good for you, you can share that information, which makes sex better for everyone involved.

When it starts

There's no set age. Some people start masturbating during puberty when sexual feelings kick in. Others start earlier — young children sometimes touch themselves because it feels nice, without it being sexual. Some people don't start until much later, and some never do. All of these are normal.

During puberty, hormonal changes increase sex drive and make the body more responsive to touch. This is when a lot of people become more aware of masturbation, whether they discover it on their own, hear about it from friends, or encounter it online.

The myths

There's a long history of people making up scary consequences of masturbation — that it causes blindness, hairy palms, infertility, mental illness, or makes your genitals shrink. None of this is true. These myths come from a time when sexuality (especially self-pleasure) was treated as shameful. Medically, masturbation is harmless.

The only situation where masturbation could become an issue is if it's so frequent that it interferes with your daily life — missing school, avoiding friends, or causing physical soreness from doing it too roughly or too often. This is rare, and if it happens, it's more about the pattern than the act itself.

Things people get wrong

"Only boys masturbate." People of all genders masturbate. The idea that it's mainly a "boy thing" comes from the fact that male masturbation is talked about more openly (and joked about more) than female masturbation. But surveys consistently show most people do it regardless of gender.

"Masturbating too much is bad for you." There's no set amount that's "too much." If it's not interfering with your life or causing physical discomfort, it's fine. Your body will tell you if you need a break.

"If you masturbate, you won't enjoy sex with a partner." Not true. Masturbation and partnered sex are different experiences. Knowing what you enjoy actually tends to make partnered sex better, not worse. Some people do find that a very specific masturbation habit (like always using a strong grip or a vibrator on a high setting) makes it harder to orgasm in other ways — but that's about variety, not about masturbation being harmful.

"Masturbation is only for people who aren't having sex." People in relationships masturbate too. It's not a replacement for partnered sex — it's its own thing.

Things people ask about masturbation

Is it normal to masturbate every day?

Yes, for many people. Some do it daily, some weekly, some rarely, some never. There's a huge range and all of it is normal.

Is it normal to NOT masturbate?

Also yes. Not everyone is interested, and there's no requirement. Some people don't enjoy it, some aren't curious about it, and some choose not to for personal or religious reasons. Not masturbating doesn't mean anything is wrong with you.

Can masturbation affect my periods or fertility?

No. Masturbation has no effect on your menstrual cycle or your ability to have children.

What if I feel guilty about it?

Guilt around masturbation is very common and usually comes from cultural or religious messages rather than anything actually being wrong. If it's causing you distress, talking to someone you trust — or a counsellor — can help you work through those feelings.

Masturbation means touching your own body in a way that feels sexually good. It usually means touching the private parts between your legs, but it can be any part of the body.

Most people do it at some point in their lives. It's completely normal and it doesn't cause any harm. All the old stories about it being bad for you — causing blindness, hairy palms, or anything else — are made up. None of that is true.

People of all genders do it, not just boys. The idea that it's mainly a boy thing is wrong.

There's no right age to start. Some people start during puberty when they begin feeling sexual feelings. Others start later. Some never do it, and that's fine too.

One good thing about masturbation is that it helps you learn what your own body enjoys. This is useful because if you ever have a partner, you'll know what feels good for you and you can tell them.

Some people feel guilty about it. That guilt usually comes from things they've been told, not from anything actually being wrong. If you do it, there's nothing to feel bad about. If you don't, there's nothing wrong with you either.

It's a private thing. As long as you do it in a private place, it's fine.