In Defense of “Da Fap” Why Masturbation is Healthy and Normal

Ahoy Sailors today we are discussing masturbation. Masturbation is a loaded topic, but at the end of the day it is important to remember that it is healthy and normal. Masturbation has documented physical, emotional and psychological benefits for both penis and vagina havers. In terms of Risk-Reduction masturbation is the safest sex possible. With no possibility of sexually transmitted disease, or of unwanted pregnancy masturbation has a ZERO risk factor. It's a great way to relieve stress, and orgasm releases a nice flood of mood boosting endorphins. Masturbation is both a natural energizer, and a good way to help you sleep better. Masturbation helps to build stronger pelvic floor muscles, which can improve sexual performance and enjoyment. And it is FREE, although toys can be a blast they are by no means required for most folks to masturbate to the point of orgasm.

If you need more evidence for the naturalness of masturbation look to our ancestors. Dildos are not a recent invention, in fact there are sex toys that have been discovered in archaeological excavations of every era of human existence. The Egyptians, the Mayans, the Greeks: they all had dildos. The term dildo was first coined in around 1400 AD and originated from the Latin for ‘dilatare’, which means ‘open wide’, and the Italian for delight, which translates as ‘diletto.’ Recently an ancient phalluses made from stone and dried camel was discovered in Germany and carbon dating verified it as over 28,000 years old. “A 7.8-inch (20cm) long, 1.1-inch (3cm) wide stone object (pictured) was found in the Hohle Fels Cave near Ulm in the Swabian Jura. The prehistoric ‘tool’ is made from 14 fragments of siltstone and dates back 28,000 years”. It has been hailed as the oldest sex toy ever discovered!

Even others creatures in the animal kingdom masturbate. Most whales and dolphins will engage in tribadism (sexual rubbing) as will some species of birds and reptiles. Masturbation has also been observed in elephants, camels, ferrets, bears, porcupines, walruses, bats, dogs, sheep, and many other animals. And of course anyone who has been to the primate house in the zoo knows that our closest relatives just love to masturbate. Bonobos are the primate humans are the most closely related to and their entire social structure is based on sex. They will use mutual masturbation as a way to bond and as a way to diffuse conflict. I’m not trying to make the argument that we should look to animal husbandry for our answers to what makes a healthy sex life, I’m just making the argument that masturbation serves a natural and healthy function. In fact recent medical finding concluding that masturbation improves the quality of human sperm supports the notion that it's an evolved trait and not merely a byproduct of our physiology.

So if masturbation is so healthy for our bodies why do we have so much shame related to it? Well, not to get too Freudian but most infants explore their genitals, not in a sexual way, just for the same reasons they put their feet in their mouths, they are trying to figure out their bodies. And here’s where the psychology comes in: even though this exploration is non-sexual many parents will react in a negate fashion when they see their infants behaving in what looks like masturbation. So many folks are left with early messages that genitals are not for touching. A healthier message to send kids is masturbation and body exploration is normal and healthy but that the appropriate place to do it is privately in their own bedroom. An easy analogy is “We don’t eat on the toilet, we don’t explore our bodies outside the privacy of our own rooms.” The only time masturbation may be unhealthy is if you are doing it to a level that it impedes on your daily life, if it becomes a point of obsession in your thinking or if it is causing excess chaffing.

So as long as you are masturbating either alone or only with other consenting parties there is nothing wrong with masturbation, it is a healthy and normal sexual activity so feel free to Go F Yourself to your hearts content!

-Sailor Jerri.