Masturbation: Nothing to be afraid of ladies. Guys do it all the time – in fact 23.4% of men against 7.9% of women masturbate according to a national survey from the University of Indiana.
Now, these percentages might not be exactly the same for Aussies (more or less, do you think?), but if you know you do it once in a while, after reading the benefits that go with it you might think about doing it more.
Dr. Lauren Streicher, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University and author of Sex Rx: Hormones Health And Your Best Sex Ever told Huffington Post that masturbation can help you sleep and relieve stress. It is also said to relax you both mentally and physically. Well, well, well, who knew?
Here are some other benefits gained from masturbation:
- It makes you happy! After pleasurable acts like sex and orgasms, endorphins such as dopamine and oxytocin are released which in turn creates a natural high for you.
- Explore your body ladies! If you want to know what you like and what feels good for you – it’s time to masturbate. In that way you know what you like and where to go to achieve an orgasm.
- Masturbation makes you sleepy. Streicher said this is because orgasms physically and emotionally release tension. After calming hormones such as oxytocin are released, you feel sleepy and relaxed and in that can get a good night’s rest.
- Sexual tension what? You’ll never feel sexually frustrated if you take care of business yourself.
- You’ll feel more sexual. Streicher told Huffington Post that when you have more sex you think about it more, and the more you’ll want to have it. “It follows that the more you masturbate and become comfortable being sexual with your own body, the more you’ll want to be sexual with your partner.” Masturbation can therefore, definitely expand your sex life with your partner.
- Women don’t have to stop at one orgasm like men. Why not explore and reach multiple orgasms?
- If you don’t like doing it yourself, you can get a vibrator. There are a lot of sex toys for you to try out. Mix it up a little, why don’t you?
- In a number of studies it’s been found women who masturbate have a greater resistance to coronary heart disease (CHD) and type-2 diabetes. According towomenshealthnetwork.com this resistance is due to more orgasms and frequent sex.
- Another reason womenshealthnetwork.com points out is that masturbation can prevent urinary tract infections and cervical infections. When women masturbate and orgasms, the “tents”, as they call it, opens the cervix. In the case of urinary tract infections, women often decide to masturbate to relieve the pain. It also helps to lubricate the vagina and flushes bacteria from the cervix.
- Connect with yourself and unwind. Forget about chores and work and give it to yourself ladies. You definitely don’t need a man to help you out ! Plus you can’t get pregnant or catch a sexually transmitted disease…so there’s that.
In Australia, the Victoria state government also declares that masturbating is healthy. Check out what their ‘Better Health Channel’ has to say about it.
This feature originally appeared here
