There is a widespread rumor that excessive masturbation or a masturbation addiction can lead to sexual dysfunctions such as ED. However, as backed by scientific data, masturbation should not affect an individual's ability to develop or sustain an erection. But, there could be an association - unrelated to cause and effect - between excessive masturbation and sexual dysfunction.
Men who excessively masturbate become habituated to being stimulated in that specific way. This then makes it difficult for them to be stimulated during sex with a partner, or any other form of stimulation causing disrupted erectile function in those instances. Another fact is that sometimes individuals are unable to get an erection after excessively masturbating. This, however, has everything to do with the male refractory period — the recovery time a man goes through before he can get an erection again.
- Masturbation should preferably be for pleasure-seeking and should not be driven purely by other reasons such as stress relief or wanting to get better sleep.
- Men are advised to avoid a pattern of rushing through masturbation - such as “Start and get done soon” where their only goal is to ejaculate. This can lead to early or rapid ejaculation when they are engaging in sexual intercourse with a pattern.
- Some men start and continue to masturbate by rubbing their genitals on a pillow or matter in a hard manner. This becomes a learned behavior that can lead to them struggling to climax when engaging in sexual activity with their partner. The pressure they experience here may not be enough for them to ejaculate
- Males are also encouraged to engage in fantasy and its variations while masturbating. If they continue to only associate one scenario or fantasy with pleasure and climax they may struggle later with their partner.
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Erectile Dysfunction is defined as the inability to sustain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. The condition can affect anyone at any age.
Remember - the blood flow (BF), the nerve supply, and the balance of sex hormones - a concern in any of these can lead to Erectile Dysfunction. Erectile Dysfunction can be caused by a physical (a ‘hardware’ problem) or psychological (mental health effects) - mental health can play a huge part.
Did you know that Erectile Dysfunction can be an indication of cardiovascular concerns? Chronic health conditions affecting blood flow can lead to Erectile Dysfunction.
If a man lasts less than 2 minutes after penetration (all or most of the time), and/or if it leads to frequent dissatisfaction for him or his partner, he may have Premature Ejaculation.
The causes of Premature Ejaculation include:
(1) Physical Factors: Medical conditions, chronic health conditions, or sexual disorders are some physical causes of Premature Ejaculation.
(2) Psychological Factors: Depression, Anxiety
Did you know that Erectile Dysfunction can be a cause of Premature Ejaculation?
Premature Ejaculation can lead to other sexual dysfunctions, but that is not a wide-known fact.
Vaginismus is a condition in which the muscles in the vagina tighten up during penetration.
Vaginismus is commonly caused by psychological factors. Women don't have control over the tightening, and it can be uncomfortable. Due to the physical discomfort, the anxiety or fear response gets worse, and this can lead to a cycle of avoidance.
Did you know that there are four types of Vaginismus?
(1) Primary Vaginismus
(2) Secondary Vaginismus
(3) Situational Vaginismus
(4) Global Vaginismus
Low sexual desire, commonly referred to as low libido, is a decrease in sex drive.
Individuals that experience low sexual desire due to various causes are impacted physically, mentally, and emotionally by the symptoms the condition can cause.
Like other most common sexual disorders, low sexual desire can be influenced by many aspects, such as hormonal imbalance, increased age, side effects of medications, chronic illnesses, and addictive or compulsive behavior.
This would include concerns with infertility and/or conception. Sexual disorders such as Erectile Dysfunction, Premature Ejaculation, and Vaginismus can lead to challenges with pregnancy attempts.
There could be various causes of infertility, such as sexual dysfunctions, chronic illnesses, and mental health conditions leading to low sexual desire and a low sperm count. A sexual health professional should evaluate the causes of failed pregnancy attempts because there can be a variety of causes.
Porn addiction refers to a person becoming excessively dependent on pornography leading to a disruption in their everyday life. This could include their job, relationships and at times, their day-to-day lifestyle.
The causes behind porn addiction could be:
(1) Negative sexual experiences
(2) Incorrect understanding of porn and its uses
(3) Initially trying to learn about sexual experiences, resulted in dependency
(4) Experiencing mental health disorders such as OCD (an anxiety disorder) or depression
Watching porn isn’t a bad thing, nor should it be associated with any shame. However, compulsive porn watching can have negative effects on your sexual, physical and mental health.
