December 13, 2002
Masturbation is the name given to sexual stimulation of oneself. Medical terminology of previous decades used the term 'self abuse.' The term is not far off the mark if one considers that abuse of anything is the use of it in a manner not intended, or not reflecting its nature. Badminton racquets are not designed to hit baseballs. This is abuse of the racquet.
Modern medical authorities and others frequently suggest masturbation as a manner of releasing sexual tension. This "masturbation-is-harmless" attitude was most famously endorsed by the fraudulent reports of one Alfred Kinsey in "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male" (1948) where he argued that repression of sexual desire was dangerous and unhealthy. Prior to that, the uniform opinion of physicians was reflected in the term "self abuse."
Over the years, something that was once hidden or reserved for sexually explicit magazines is now openly joked about on network television.
Some sexual libertines promote masturbation as just one of many methods of sexual fulfillment which they encourage us all to seek as often as possible. After all, if repression is harmful, unfettered expression must be good. Other more thoughtful people also support masturbation. It is their answer to reduce unmarried teenage pregnancy. The idea is that self-stimulation and "fulfillment" will somehow cut down on actual sexual activity.
The evidence does not bear this out. Sexual interest is heightened rather than reduced. If masturbation is established as a 'norm' and as a legitimate topic of school conversation, sooner than later the natural drive for human relationship will lead to 'mutual masturbation.' To call this a "slippery slope" is probably too much of a double entendre.
Self stimulation relies heavily on the use of pornography. Pornography and graphic imagery fuel the desire to act out sexually rather than repressing it. As evidence, witness the spate of child sexual murders committed by adults. Over 85 percent of the crime scene investigations discover pornography, according the United States Department of Justice.
Masturbation is addictive. The capturing of the imagination during self stimulation is habit forming. As a result, some people come to prefer self stimulation to actual intercourse. This explains why even married people often continue in a pattern of pornography and masturbation. Certain biochemicals are produced, including endorphins which are naturally produced opiates with similar addictive potential. Epinephrine is also released by the adrenal glands. This enhances the sense of excitement. Orgasm rewards the activity -- a "positive reinforcement" in psychology jargon. Activities that get positive reinforcement are repeated.
It is very easy for teens to get into a habit of masturbation that precludes them from doing more productive things that will add to success in their lives. Masturbation is a dead end. It wastes time that could be dedicated to more productive pursuits. At the same time, the body is being trained to respond to self rather than a spouse. Sex is a physical and spiritual exchange between two people, a progressive bonding experience, and an expression of intimacy. The marriage will not endure if one is more interested in one's self than one's spouse. One does not have to be nice to the images in magazines or computer screens. No conversation, no exchange, no investment. No person. The risk is run that at some point fantasy will be preferred to reality.
John R. Diggs, Jr., MD