from About.Com – National Masturbation Month Comes of Age

“It was back in 1995 when a group of political sex shops came together to do what they always did best: combine consciousness raising with politics with pleasure. National Masturbation Month (NMM), and the month’s main event the Masturbate-a-Thon were inspired in part as a response to the firing of Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders for daring to suggest that masturbation might be something that should be mentioned in school based sex education.” (Click for Complete Article)

“Masturbation Talk”

Everyone must masturbate.

And almost everybody does, too, but masturbation is still not typically openly discussed. Instead of embracing it an act of self-exploration, many times people keep it hidden back in the bedroom. But masturbation should be at the forefront of discussion when it comes to sexuality, because it allows people explore their own bodies at their own pace, to whatever feels good.

Masturbation many times is frowned upon more than sex itself is. But how does this make sense? Since masturbation is typically a solo act, why are people more hesitant to discuss masturbation before sex? (Read Complete Article)

‘Submissions wanted,’ says Guangzhou scholar seeking work on masturbation

The rules are simple: submit your videos, poems, plays, or songs that explore the topic of masturbation – and then wait until you hear about the reward.

With the top winner getting some10,000 yuan (HK$12,000) prize, those coming second, third and fourth will receive 5000, 3000, and 1000 yuan each in cash.

This isn’t a porn competition, according to Pei Yuxin, organiser and sociology professor at Guangzhou’s renowned Sun Yat-sen university. Instead, the “New Media Contest on Masturbation” is a serious project, which aims to tap into the imagination of its research subjects. (Read Complete Article)

“What Would Happen If You Masturbated At Work?”

Last year at this time I was embarking on my 101 Days of Self-Pleasure, which turned out to be an incredible learning experience.  I learned a lot about my body, a lot about my pleasure and orgasm, and a lot about empowering myself as a woman and a sexual being.  Yes, I get to Masturbate at work, but other’s may not be so lucky!

A recent case in Brazil ruled that Ana Catarian Bezerra, a Brazilian Accountant, would legally be able to masturbate on the job.  She suffers from anxiety that is relieved by masturbation, which I am assuming ends with an orgasm.  While this  extreme need to masturbate may not be the norm, I have many clients who have admitted to masturbating on the job in order to relieve tension.

Personally, I don’t like the word “masturbation,”which translates to “to pollute one’s self.” I prefer to use the word “self-pleasure” or “solo-sex”.

Self-pleasure has many benefits. More and more awareness has been coming out about masturbation into the mainstream.

What are the some of the benefits to solo sex?

1) Stress Relief –  Maybe Ana Catarian Bezerra is on to something and we simply need to have a few orgasms everyday if our job has us all tied up in tension knots.   Perhaps we’d all be a little more relaxed during our next meeting.

2) Learning About Your Body –  Self touch can be a wonderful way to learn about what pleases you most and it helps you get in touch with your body.

3) Keeps your Pelvic Floor Healthy – Orgasms cause the muscles of your pelvic floor to contract, thus keeping them healthy, which means good urinary health.

4) Rejuvenates your Youthful Glow – Self-Pleasure can help you produce “feel good” hormones that keep you looking and feeling more alive.  Just look at Betty Dodson, the grandmother of masturbation, she’s over 80 and she looks amazing!

Touching yourself does not cause you to go blind, get hairy palms, or even deplete your body of vital nutrientsThere is no link between masturbation in moderation and major health issues.  So go ahead, you have permission to rub one out, just don’t try it at work – I doubt that U.S. courts would give you the same benefit!

Written by Jaiya, world-renowned sexologist, author of Red Hot Touch, and founder of New World Sex EducationFind out more about Jaiya on her www.sexisyou.com.

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Alien Masturbation

Do aliens masturbate? I wonder if UFO’s experience pleasure like us? It’s hard to imagine but it may be possible that masturbation to aliens is, well, alien. I saw the new film Paul at the LA Film School in Hollywood. The writers, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg were both present for a Q&A. The Science Fiction comedy starring Seth Rogen addresses issues of homosexuality and religion – yet – only “touches” upon masturbation.

In the film, Simon Pegg’s character warns his new love interest, played by Kristen Wiig, to push aside the tissues surrounding his bed, if she doesn’t want to catch his cold. Another comedic reference to the world’s most popular taboo left unexplored. In many ways, the movie Paul pulls no punches when it comes to sexual taboos. We also learn that on Paul’s planet everyone is bisexual. This is as far as it goes. The viewer is left to wonder if on Paul’s planet it is taboo to masturbate, too.

I did some research. Well, a few cursory searches on Google to be more precise. The only thing I found was a one man band by the name of Alien Masturbation, some spoofy youtube videos, and  a rare neurological disorder called Alien Hand Syndrome.

In 2000, the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation contained an article about a seventy-three-year-old male who suffered from Alien Hand Syndrome. This condition also known as AHS is not to be confused with the American Home Shield or The American Headache Society. As the journal explains, this poor wanker had a condition in which he chronically masturbated without knowing it. This would often mean that he would involuntarily and unconsciously masturbate in public (talking about “alienation”). One could only imagine him as the life at the funeral.

Despite the plethora of blogs, articles, books, and videos about aliens, there were zero references to alien masturbation. Are we to assume that Aliens have evolved in such a way that they no longer need pleasure as an incentive? This is almost impossible to imagine.

Aliens must masturbate! The pursuit of pleasure and the desire to reduce suffering keep all living organisms on this planet active. This basic biological drive has got most of us bouncing around like balls in a pinball machine. We stop at nothing to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain.

Some people claim they never masturbate. This is hard to believe as well. There are photos in utero of babies masturbating. Masturbation whether it’s right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy, is very, (dare I say) human. As for aliens (supposing you even believe in them), I have my own theories. What’s yours?

Written by Nicholas Tana.

College Masturbation: Go Team

When I first moved into a college dorm (back in the stone age, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and Keith Richards was but a boy) I pretty much decided that my masturbating days were over for a while. I mean, I was sharing a room with someone else that had nothing but a desk in the middle, and there was no way I was going to masturbate with someone else in the room, no matter how quiet I could be.

You see the flaw in this logic.

I think I lasted about three months, but eventually something had to be done. I started working in some relaxation during my roommate’s nightly shower, or when she was down at the library studying. I assume she got her respective “relaxing” in too, since our friendship didn’t have too many rocky spots. Trust me, no one wants to share a room with someone who’s not having any orgasms. That’s just cruel.

By the time we were in our second year as roommates, we’d worked out a not-so-secret code:

“Are you studying down the hall tonight?”
“No.”
“Oh.”
“Do you need me to?”
“Uh…it would be nice.”

Not very subtle, but you know. Whatever gets the job done and keeps you from killing your roommate. I was reminded of all this while reading an article in American University’s Eagle, which discusses solo sex life in college and addresses some of the societal stigma still attached to female masturbation.

A Little Something for the Ladies

Hannah Cutts over at EmpowHer has written up her Top 7 Reasons to Masturbate, and I couldn’t agree more. She mentions how masturbation relieves stress, burns calories and boosts immunity by flooding the body with Oxytocin, a chemical that helps white blood cells fight infection. I’m also a big fan of reason #5, which mentions how the path to true sexual satisfaction is first knowing your own body. This is a must-read for all the ladies, and maybe some of the guys!