How much is too much masturbation?

Robyn Bell masturbation, penis and balls, pleasure, vagina and vulva

Masturbation is safe and fun! But how much is too much?

Masturbation is a fantastic way to get to know our own bodies. That goes for everyone. Regardless of your gender or sexuality, whether you’re in a relationship or single, we all tick in different ways and it’s fun to explore what works for you.

There’s no correct way to masturbate. Regardless of gentials and body parts, there are lots of different ways to explore your body. Once you begin to understand what feels pleasurable for you, it often feels easier to communicate with partners. It’s a natural way of working out our own boundaries and what we want.

It’s often described as simple: to know what we want. But it gets a bit more complicated when there’s a lack of sex education in schools, when sex is usually defined as penis-in-vagina penetration, when pleasure is often penis-focused, and when mainstream pornography becomes a sex ed resource (porn is not realistic and should not be a how-to for any sexual intimacy!). Understanding our own boundaries, and what we like and dislike sexually, is really important. Masturbation can help with this process.

So, hurdling the stigmas around masturbation is the first big step. We’re exploring our own bodies and it feels fantastic. We’re discovering what feels good, so why stop?!

What about when it’s too much? Am I masturbating too much?

Don’t panic! Perhaps you and your body are in the honeymoon stage and you’re exploring a lot. That’s especially normal during puberty when there are so many hormones flying around. Someone’s urge or want to masturbate will change as they develop through puberty and get older. How you masturbate, and how often you masturbate is a personal choice. Everyone is different.

The only point at which masturbation becomes ‘too much’ is if it’s significantly getting in the way of your everyday life. Are you enjoying masturbating, or doing it for the sake of it? If it’s preventing you from going to school or college, or going out to socialise with friends, then it might be becoming a problem. That goes for anything! Just like social media or gaming, if it’s getting in the way of education, work or socialising, you might be doing it too much.

As long as masturbation isn’t stopping you from going about your daily life, you’re doing just fine. But if you’re worried, reach out to a trusted adult or (if that feels too uncomfortable) reach out for support. You don’t have to manage this alone.