Masturbation

Masturbation is a form of autoeroticism in which a person sexually stimulates their own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. Stimulation may involve the use of hands, everyday objects, sex toys, or more rarely, the mouth. Masturbation may also be performed with a sex partner, either masturbating together or watching the other partner masturbate, known as "mutual masturbation".
Masturbation is frequent in both sexes. Various medical and psychological benefits have been attributed to a healthy attitude toward sexual activity in general and to masturbation in particular. Masturbation is considered by clinicians to be a healthy, normal part of sexual enjoyment.
Masturbation has been depicted in art since prehistoric times, and is both mentioned and discussed in very early writings. Religions vary in their views of masturbation. In the 18th and 19th centuries, some European theologians and physicians described it in negative terms, but during the 20th century, these taboos generally declined. There has been an increase in discussion and portrayal of masturbation in art, popular music, television, films, and literature. The legal status of masturbation has also varied through history, and masturbation in public is illegal in most countries. Masturbation in non-human animals has been observed both in the wild and captivity.

Etymology

The word masturbation was introduced in the 18th century, based on the Latin verb masturbari, alongside the slightly earlier onanism.
The Latin verb masturbari is of uncertain origin. Suggested derivations include an unattested word for penis, *mazdo, cognate with Greek μέζεα mézea 'genitals', or alternatively a corruption of an unattested *manu stuprare, by association with turbare 'to disturb'.

Terminology

While masturbation is the formal word for this practice, many other expressions are in common use. Terms such as playing with oneself, pleasuring oneself and slang such as wanking, jerking off, jacking off, fapping and frigging are common. Self-abuse and self-pollution were common in early modern times and are still found in modern dictionaries. A large variety of other euphemisms and dysphemisms exist which describe masturbation.

Techniques

General

Masturbation involves touching, pressing, rubbing, or massaging one's own genital area with the hands, fingers, or against an object such as a pillow; inserting fingers or an object into the vagina or anus ; and stimulating the penis or vulva with an electric vibrator, which may also be inserted into the vagina or anus. It may also involve touching, rubbing, or pinching the nipples or other erogenous zones while masturbating. Both sexes sometimes apply lubricants to reduce friction.
File:Édouard-Henri Avril.jpg|thumb|One of the illustrations to De figuris Veneris by Édouard-Henri Avril. It portrays a male masturbating by manually stimulating his own penis while sexually fantasizing.
Reading or viewing pornography, sexual fantasies, or other erotic stimuli may lead to a desire for sexual release such as by masturbation. Pornography is also used to assist with masturbation and to improve the experience of masturbating. Some people get sexual pleasure by inserting objects, such as urethral sounds, into the urethra, a practice known as urethral play or "sounding". Other objects such as ball point pens and thermometers are sometimes used, although this practice can lead to injury or infection. Some people use sex machines to simulate intercourse.
Men and women may masturbate until they are close to orgasm, stop for a while to reduce excitement, and then resume masturbating. They may repeat this cycle multiple times. This "stop and go" build-up, known as "edging", can achieve even stronger orgasms. Rarely, people quit stimulation just before orgasm to retain the heightened energy that normally comes down after orgasm.

Female masturbation

Manual stimulation (fingering)

Manual stimulation for masturbation among females involves the stroking or rubbing of the vulva, especially the clitoris, with an index or middle finger, or both. Sometimes one or more fingers may be inserted into the vagina to stroke its frontal wall where the G-spot may be located.

Other methods

Masturbation aids such as a vibrator, dildo, or Ben Wa balls can also be used to stimulate the vagina and clitoris. Many women caress their breasts or stimulate a nipple with the free hand and anal stimulation is also enjoyed by some. Personal lubricant is sometimes used during masturbation, especially when penetration is involved, but this is not universal and many women find their natural lubrication sufficient.
Common positions for female masturbation include lying on one's back or face down, sitting, squatting, kneeling, or standing. In a bath or shower, a female may direct water via a handheld showerhead at her clitoris, vulva, or perineum. Lying face down one may use their hands, one may straddle a pillow, the corner or edge of the bed, a partner's leg or some scrunched-up clothing and "hump" the vulva and clitoris against it. Standing up, a chair, the corner of an item of furniture, or even a washing machine can be used to stimulate the clitoris through the labia and clothing. Some masturbate only using pressure applied to the clitoris without direct contact, for example by pressing the palm or ball of the hand against underwear or other clothing. In the 1920s, Havelock Ellis reported that turn-of-the-century seamstresses using treadle-operated sewing machines could achieve orgasm by sitting near the edge of their chairs.
Women can stimulate themselves sexually by crossing their legs tightly and clenching the muscles in their legs, creating pressure on the genitals. This can potentially be done in public without observers noticing. Thoughts, fantasies, and memories of previous instances of arousal and orgasm can produce sexual excitation. Some women can orgasm spontaneously by force of will alone, although this may not strictly qualify as masturbation as no physical stimulus is involved.
Sex therapists will sometimes recommend that female patients take time to masturbate to orgasm, for example, to help improve sexual health and relationships, to help determine what is erotically pleasing to them, and because mutual masturbation can lead to more satisfying sexual relationships and added intimacy.

Male masturbation

Manual stimulation

The most common masturbation technique is to hold the penis with a loose fist and then move the hand up and down on the glans and the shaft of the penis. This type of stimulation can result in orgasm and ejaculation. The hand motion and the speed of the action may vary throughout the masturbation session. Some men may use their free hand to fondle their scrotum and testicles, the perineum, and other body parts, or may place both hands directly on the penis. Common positions include standing, sitting, lying on one's back or lying face down, squatting, or kneeling. In some cases, to avoid friction and irritation or to enhance sexual sensation, men prefer to use a personal lubricant or saliva. Men may also rub or massage different areas of their glans, like its ventral surface, the left and right sides, the rounded rim, known as the corona, and around the frenulum. Some men lie face down in prone position and gently rub their penis against a comfortable surface, such as a mattress or pillow, a technique known as prone masturbation''.''

Other methods

is one other technique used for sexual stimulation, often to reach orgasm. The prostate is sometimes referred to as the "male G-spot" or P-spot. Some men can achieve orgasm through stimulation of the prostate gland, by stimulating it using a well-lubricated finger or dildo inserted through the anus into the rectum. Men who report the sensation of prostate stimulation often give descriptions similar to females' accounts of G-spot stimulation. In some men, prostate stimulation might produce more intense orgasms than penile stimulation. Stimulating the prostate from outside, via pressure on the perineum, can be pleasurable as well. Anal masturbation without any prostate stimulation, with fingers or otherwise, is also a technique that some men enjoy. The muscles of the anus contract during orgasm, thus the presence of an object holding the sphincter open can strengthen the sensation of the contractions and intensify orgasm.
Some men keep their hands stationary while pumping into them with pelvic thrusts to simulate the motions of sexual intercourse. The nipples are erogenous zones and vigorous stimulation of them during masturbation can result in enhanced sexual arousal. Others may also use vibrators and other sexual devices for sexual stimulation. The device can be used to stimulate the penis and other areas, like the scrotum, the perineum or the anus. Other sexual toys for men are artificial vaginas such as fleshlights. In a bath or shower, a male may direct water via a handheld showerhead at his frenulum, testicles, or perineum. An ejaculation control technique is to put intense pressure on the perineum, about halfway between the scrotum and the anus, just before ejaculating. This can, however, redirect semen into the bladder.

Mutual masturbation

involves two or more people who either masturbate at the same time or sexually stimulate each other, usually with the hands. It can be practiced by people of any sexual orientation, and can be part of other sexual activity. It may be used as foreplay, or as an alternative to sexual penetration. When used as an alternative to penile-vaginal penetration, the goal may be to preserve virginity or to avoid risk of pregnancy.
Forms of mutual masturbation include:

Non-contact mutual masturbation – Two people masturbating in the presence of each other but not touching.
Contact mutual masturbation – One person touching another person to masturbate. The other person may do the same during or after.
Non-contact group – More than two people masturbating in the presence of each other in a group but not touching each other.
Contact group – More than two people physically touching each other to masturbate as a group.
Mutual masturbation foreplay – The manual stimulation of each other's genitals where the session eventually leads to sexual intercourse.
Remote mutual masturbation – Some mutual masturbation occurs between individuals in different locations, facilitated by internet enabled devices, sometimes referred to as teledildonics.