Scarleteen

When I was growing up, the common myths around masturbation were that it would make you go blind or that it would "wear out" your genitals (I remember this one going around my middle school). Because I read good books on sex and sexuality, I knew that wasn't the case.

So, what myths did/do you all hear about masturbation that you now know to be false?

that you'll just run out of semen one day. another that at least sounds plausible on the outset is that if you don't use both hands one arm will be super ripped and the other will be weak and lanky

Hi Sam.

One of the weirdest myths I read is that masturbation will make hair grow on the palms of your hands. Lol. How did people come up with that one?

that it prevents you from having a healthy fulfilling sex life

Strangely enough I didn't even know masturbation was a thing until I was 14 ago, years after I started doing it! But since I've gone on I've heard the typical "you'll grow hair on your palms/go/blind/etc.", that you'll make sex less enjoyable with a partner because you'll have "used up" all your sexual energy or whatever, and apparently "prone masturbation" makes it harder for men to enjoy "normal sex" (whatever that's supposed to mean!) It's even funnier (and sad/weird) when you look back several decades ago and see the things people believed - for instance, the Kellogg's guy thought that kids eating cornflakes would stop them from masturbatory urges (Somehow I'm doubt it work

All the myths are created to reduce masturbation...lol

One of the widely accepted scripts about masturbation still seems to be that it is something only people with penises do and that it is something to be ashamed of...false on both counts!

I remember hearing in high school that if you masturbate you might get too used to it and not enjoy "normal sex." Aka don't get too used to clitoral stimulation because that's not a big part of intercourse.

Looking back on that, it's so silly! For many reasons. It's assuming a lot about who you are going to have sex with and what kind of sex. Even if you are having heterosexual intercourse, it's assuming what will and won't be a part of that. It also makes it sound like sex is this one, immutable thing--where you can't bring in what you find pleasurable. At the heart of it, the logic is: don't try something you might enjoy because then you when you don't have it, you will know what you are missing out on...

I heard myths similar to what Alice mentioned. And, related, that people who masturbate a lot do it because they're not having sex — or not enjoying sex — with other people.