Can Masturbation Injure My Hymen?

What Is the Meaning of Masturbation?

Masturbation is a healthy sexual activity that involves touching the external reproductive organs (genitals) for pleasure and sexual arousal. People touch the sensitive areas of the body to the point of sexual arousal (climax). In simple terms, masturbation is a method of exploring the body for pleasure and relieving sexual tension. Masturbation is mainly done by touching, stroking, or massaging the penis or clitoris until the person achieves an orgasm. It is a common and natural behavior in men and women and has a lot of health benefits associated with it. The biggest misconception associated with masturbation is that it harms the life of a person. Masturbation is a healthy and fun way to stimulate the genitals, and there is no harm in doing it.

Who Does Masturbation?

Masturbation is the method of stimulating the genitals by touching or massaging them. Everyone in this world is free to masturbate. Earlier it was seen that single people love to masturbate. Nowadays, the scenario has changed, and people who have a sex partner also love to masturbate. Studies have reported that 95 % of males and 89 % of females have masturbated at some point in their lives. Masturbation is not only done by adults but also by children. It is because children undergo a lot of changes in their bodies as they grow up. So, they want to explore their body, touch the organs and feel them. Some people continue to masturbate throughout their lives. They consider masturbation as the first sexual act and derive a lot of pleasure out of it.

Why Do Some People Masturbate?

Some people remain stressed because their partner is unwilling or not available for sex. These people love to masturbate because it gives them pleasure, and they are relieved of the sexual tension. Masturbation is also a good alternative for the ones who do not wish to get pregnant and refrain from sex because of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Males are advised to masturbate when they have to give a semen sample for infertility testing. People suffering from sexual dysfunction are advised to masturbate to experience sexual arousal or climax.

Is Masturbation a Normal Process?

Earlier masturbation was considered abnormal sexual behavior and a mental problem. People used to feel embarrassed to discuss masturbation because there were so many myths associated with it. It was considered a dirty act, and people were reluctant to accept the fact that they masturbated. However, the scenario has changed, and masturbation is considered a safe, pleasant, and healthy sexual activity. It is absolutely normal to masturbate, and it depends upon the person whether he wants to masturbate or not. It is not necessary that people who are unmarried or do not have a sexual partner only have the right to masturbate. Even married people can masturbate, and in most cases, the partners understand and respect their decision to masturbate. The problem arises when masturbation is done in public, interferes with daily activities, and inhibits sexual activities with the partner. People should know when to masturbate and make sure that it does not interfere with their routine lives.

What Are Some of the Benefits of Masturbation?

Masturbation improves the physical and mental health of a person. Not much is known about the benefits of masturbation, but data suggest that sexual stimulation by masturbation helps the person in the following ways:

1. It helps to relieve stress.
2. Boosts mood.
3. Improves sleep.
4. Helps to prevent depression and anxiety.
5. Relaxes the mind of a person.
6. Relieves pain and muscle cramps.
7. Relieves the sexual tension.
8. Improves the confidence of a person.
9. Allows one to have better sex.
10. Helps the person understand his needs and desires.
11. Good for vaginal health as it increases vaginal blood flow.

What Are Some of the Side Effects of Masturbation?

Every coin has two sides, and the same goes for masturbation. Too much masturbation causes the following side effects:

• Routine Disturbances - Some people love to masturbate a lot and become addicted to it. As a result, they skip their daily activities, do not get involved in social activities, and only think about pleasing themselves. If the child has a habit of masturbation, he does not like to go to school and just wants to enjoy exploring his body. The relationship of the person gets affected to a large extent, and the person needs to consult a sex therapist for the same.

• Guilt - Some people start feeling guilty because masturbation is unacceptable in their religion or culture. Masturbation is not a shameful act, and the person can talk to his doctor or friends if he feels guilty.

• Reduced Sexual Sensitivity - If men have the habit of aggressive masturbation, like holding the penis tightly, sexual sensitivity gets reduced. Consult a sex therapist to know about the correct masturbation techniques.

• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) - The risk of sexually transmitted diseases increases if the person uses sex toys during masturbation. Make sure to wash the sex toys before using them to prevent bacterial infection.

What Is a Hymen?

The female reproductive system consists of organs that are designed to carry out their specific functions. One such organ is the vagina, which receives the sperms from the male reproductive tract and maintains the reproductive cycle of a female. The vagina is covered by a collar of tissue known as the hymen that is present at the entrance of the vagina. It is a cluster of tissues that stretch during intercourse or when a woman wears tampons. After the pressure is removed, the tissues return to their original position. Hymen has different shapes and sizes according to the body of the person. Some people have a ring-shaped, or a half-moon-shaped hymen, while some have notches at the edge of the hymen. There are a lot of myths associated with the hymen, and people consider the hymen as a symbol of virginity.

What Changes Occur in the Hymen During the Life of a Woman?

The hymen is a collection of tissues that undergo changes during the life of a woman. The hymen undergoes the following changes:

• The hymen is thin and sensitive before the girl hits puberty.

• After puberty, the estrogen levels increase, and the hymen becomes thick and stretchy.

• At the time of pregnancy, the hormone levels change drastically, making the hymen more stretchy to allow childbirth.

• Childbirth is also responsible for a change in the shape and size of the hymen.

• The hormone levels decrease due to aging and menopause. As a result, the hymen and the vaginal tissues become thick.

Masturbation and Hymen - What Are Some of the Most Common Myths?

There are a lot of myths associated with masturbation and hymen, and people are confused about the two. The common myths associated with masturbation and hymen are listed below:

1. Virginity Is Related to the Hymen - The hymen is a thin layer of tissue that is present at the entrance of the vagina. There are a lot of misconceptions among the people about the hymen. They feel that the hymen is an indication of virginity. For example, the girl having a hymen is considered a virgin; otherwise, she is a nonvirgin. One must remember that virginity has nothing to do with the presence or absence of hymen. Virginity is a quality that is possessed by all, but people believe that only those who did not have sex in their lives are virgins. Every person is in charge of his body, and no one can lose his or her virginity to others. It is a personal choice and depends upon the person whether they want to get engaged in sexual activity and share their virginity with others. Some people are born with little hymen tissues, while some have a large hymen that allows them to use tampons. Activities like bike riding, exercising and putting fingers or sex toys in the vagina also stretch the hymen. So, it is impossible to comment on the virginity of a person just by looking at the hymen.
2. Masturbation Can Break the Hymen - Masturbation is an activity that is done for pleasure, to relieve stress, and to experience orgasm. Both males and females love to masturbate. Females insert fingers, sex toys, or massage the vagina for masturbation. Some females are born with hymen that contains fewer tissues, so they find it difficult to insert objects or fingers. However, some have a large number of tissues in the hymen and can masturbate. Hymen might get stretched during masturbation, but it never breaks.
3. The Hymen Is Like a Wall, and It Breaks - The hymen is not a wall or a barrier that breaks during masturbation or other activities. It contains tissues that guard the vaginal opening. Sometimes, the hymen is large while in some, the hymen is too small to be recognized. Not only masturbation but sports activities, exercises, and bike riding stretch the hymen.
4. Masturbation Causes Sexual Dysfunction - Masturbation and sexual dysfunction are in no way related to each other. During masturbation, the woman touches her vagina, vulva, or clitoris several times and becomes used to her touch. So, she might find it difficult to experience orgasm, but that has nothing to do with the hymen.
5. Fingering Breaks the Hymen - Inserting a finger into the vagina for sexual stimulation or masturbation only expands the hymen and does not break it. Some women consider masturbation as their first sexual experience. Studies have also proved that it does not have any effect on the hymen.
6. A Gynecologist Can Identify the Hymen Easily - A hymen is a bunch of tissues that cover the opening of the vagina. The size of the hymen varies, and not all women are born with a prominent hymen. Sometimes the hymen is visible easily, while sometimes, it might not be visible. It is difficult for gynecologists to determine the exact location of the hymen just by a physical examination. The appearance of the hymen changes with age and might become stretched due to various activities. So, it is useless to refer to a gynecologist to check whether the hymen is stretched or intact.
7. Women Should Not Masturbate - It is a common belief that a woman should not express her sexual desires because it is an unethical and dirty act. As a result, women are unaware of their sexual needs. Masturbation is very useful for women as it gives them an idea about their sexual likes and dislikes. It helps them to understand their bodies. They can express their sexual desires to their partners for a better sexual experience.

Conclusion:

Masturbation is a sexual self-stimulation activity that is done by both males and females to explore their bodies. Some people consider masturbation a disgusting and shameful act and refrain from doing it. Earlier, people were ashamed to discuss it and were unaware of their sexual desires. Nowadays, the scenario has changed, and people love to masturbate. The hymen is a tissue layer that is present near the vaginal entrance. The biggest misconception in society is that masturbation breaks the hymen and affects the virginity of a female. The hymen is a bundle of tissues and not a barrier that will break upon touch. The presence or absence of a hymen is in no way linked to the virginity of a person. Virginity has different meanings for different people, and it is a common myth that people who did not have intercourse in their life are virgins. So, people need to understand that masturbation does not have any effect on the hymen. Consult a sex therapist to know more about masturbation and hymen.