Is there such a thing as masturbating too much?

Sometimes a bit of self-pleasure down there is necessary. You've had a long day at work or you're bored at home or..is there even really need for justification? Masturbation remains part of society's many taboos so maybe you've never been able to talk about it openly enough to get an answer to a very valid question: can one masturbate too much?

How many times does the average man masturbate?

First things first, shaking hands with the milkman is perfectly normal, sex positive and it has even been proven to be highly beneficial to your health. One study has shown that ejaculating 21 times per months lowers the risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer when compared to men who only ejaculate four to seven times per month.

Another study conducted by the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behaviour found that 20% of an unspecified sample of men between the ages of 25-29 masturbated more than four times per week while 17% of respondents stated not having masturbated in the past year. The rest of those who participated answered having masturbated somewhere between a few times per month to a two to three times per week.

So as you can see, the disparity is wide and reflects the reality of the frequency in which people masturbate. Simply put, there is no objective amount of times one should or should not pleasure themselves. Sex and relationship therapist, Shadeen Francis explains that:

There is a ton of variation in how much people masturbate, and it fluctuates throughout our lives due to things like health, stress, schedule, desire, partnerships with others, and so forth.

When can masturbating become a problem?

However, there are circumstances where masturbating can be harmful and this is purely contingent on whether or not masturbation has taken control of your every day life. This can manifest itself in the following ways:

• When it feels like a need rather than a choice.
• If it starts to physically hurt, feel numb or the pleasing sensations have ceased to exist.
• Your masturbation habits are interfering with your interpersonal sex life and/or your everyday responsibilities.