The percentage of married people who masturbate is higher than that of single people who do so, a survey showed yesterday.
Masturbation is a natural behavior, with 96.3 percent of men and 65 percent of women in Taiwan saying they have masturbated, said Chen Yu (陳煜), chief of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Division of Andrology and Female Urology.
The survey showed that 84 percent of married people masturbate, higher than 76.3 percent of single people, he said, adding that the percentage of married people who masturbate increases with the number of years they have been married.
The main reason that they masturbate might be because their partner cannot or is unwilling to have sex, Chen said, adding that the causes can be complicated, including distance, age, stress, children or diseases.
“Like having sex, masturbation is just one of the ways to fulfill natural sexual desires, but conservative values and lack of discussion can lead to misconceptions about masturbation,” he said.
A 13-year-old boy was recently brought to the hospital by his father for masturbating, Chen said, adding that because the father often scolded his son for masturbating, the boy exhibited stress that affected his sleep and performance at school.
Masturbation does not cause premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, Chen said, adding that premature ejaculation is associated with serotonin levels, emotional factors and lower frequency of sexual activity, while erectile dysfunction is often associated with aging or chronic disease.
“Masturbating does not cause infertility, and can improve sperm mobility and quality, leading to better chances of conception,” Chen said, adding that masturbation does not cause testicular cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia or baldness in men, and might reduce the risk of prostate stones and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
“For some people, masturbation is an easier way to satisfy their sexual needs than considering whether their partner is satisfied with their sexual activities,” said Yang Tsung-tsair (楊聰財), a clinical psychiatrist and chairman of Taiwan Association for Sexuality Education.
The survey showed that only 7.8 percent of men and 17.2 percent of women said they seldom or never reached orgasm during masturbation, he said, adding that the release of oxytocin and dopamine during orgasm can reduce stress, allowing the individual to feel more relaxed and sleep better.
Although the frequency might differ from person to person, people should enjoy the emotional relief from masturbation as long as they choose a proper place and timing, and pay attention to safety and hygiene, Chen said.
The survey was conducted by a Japanese sex toy company among 1,200 people aged between 18 and 49.
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
RSS