Question

Hello, I have been masturbating for three years now. My age today is 15 years. I have some questions to ask you about this habit of mine, since I don’t know whom to ask otherwise.

(i) What is its limit? I masturbate on an average of twice per day, and there are no side-effects? Can I increase the frequency, because I feel the urge more sometimes?

(ii) Will my habit cause me any problems in the long run, like when I get married?

(iii) My friends who have longer cocks than mine tell me they have got them because they masturbate in a particular way. Is there a way to increase the size through it?

(iv) Some of my friends have also told me to preserve the semen since it is a waste of energy to ejaculate. So I have devised a method of squeezing it just before I ejaculate so that the semen doesn’t run out. Is that healthy? And hygienic?

(v) Sometimes I fondle my organ when it is limp. It does not get erection, but I can masturbate and ejaculate. Is that normal? Why don’t I get an erection sometimes?

(vi) Also, I urinate too much. Is that due to this?

Even if you tell me to stop doing it, I will not be able to, at least not till I find a girlfriend I think. So, please don’t give me that advice. - - - André Souza

The Expert's Answer

Hello André, you have been pretty succinct with your questions, I appreciate that. I will also try to answer in the way you have asked them.

(i) There is no limit for masturbation as such. There are boys your age who do it as much as four times a day and those who do not masturbate at all. Seemingly, there is no physical difference between such boys at your age. But, there may be mental issues. Boys who do it too much are not able to keep their focus on their lessons, for example. But that does not happen with all the boys, also. So, there is nothing definite. However, you must have heard that too much of anything is always bad. The same is the case with it also. No one has set any limits on it but if you ask me, I would say, doing it about twice or thrice a week is already too much, and you are doing this per day. So, clearly you are well above the safe limit. You must cut down on your habit. There is no question of doing it more than you are already doing.

(ii) Yes André, doing it excessively can cause several problems in the long run. You could have problems such as PE, weak erections, shrinkages of the organ and even loss of libido. There is a danger that you may begin to like masturbation so much that you may detest actual penetrative sex when the time comes.

There are several mental complications that can occur too. Each time you masturbate, your brain has to release several hormones just to keep you aroused. This can damage the parasympathetic nervous system and eventually your brain itself. Normally, it does not happen if you masturbate within limits, but an excess can certainly cause mental problems.

(iii) There is no way that it can increase the size, contrary to whatever your friends say. It does not have any muscle that you can grow by exercising. It is made up of a hollow tissue, and there is just no possibility that it can increase its size. On the contrary, OM can cause shrinkage in the long run. This can happen when you damage some of the tissues that make up the organ.

(iv) Your friends are partially true. Your semen is indeed a source of bio-energy and if you are expelling it out of the system, there is a loss. You can feel that every time you ejaculate. But it is a myth that you can hold back the semen by squeezing your organ. Sperm is produced in the seminiferous tubules in the testes and is stored in a tube known as the epididymis. When ejaculation is to occur, this sperm is mixed with fluids from several glands, including the prostate gland, and this becomes your seminal fluid. The seminal fluid is discharged through the urethral tube. But when you squeeze the organ, the flow of the seminal fluid is stemmed. It then goes to the urinary bladder where it is retained, and not back into the testes. Next time when you urinate, the seminal fluid will be discarded with the urine. So, there is no way to 'store' your seminal fluid just by squeezing the glans when you reach orgasm.

On the contrary, some of the seminal fluid could be retained in the urethra and could cause you a sharp tingling sensation, which is very irksome. Also, if some of the seminal fluid has found it way out of the penis head (which always happens, you can effectively stop the seminal flow), then it will soil your underwear and could become an unhygienic condition.

(v) Boys at your age are very sexually curious. Touching the organ frequently is not uncommon. It is normal that you feel the urge to do it even your organ is not aroused, because your brain has become aroused. But the thing to ponder on is, why don’t you get an erection? When you brain is aroused, it must send a signal to your organ to become erect. If that is not happening, there are chances something has already gone wrong with your nervous system. Do not worry, you can mend it by just reducing your habit. However, since you are reaching at an orgasm and getting an ejaculate, it is still a healthy sign.

(vi) The only explanation I can give for your increased urination is that OM has damaged your urethral valve, which is known as the urinary sphincter. You will need to go easy on your habit and get medical attention if the situation continues even after that.

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