An Expert Tells Us 7 Reasons We Should Be Masturbating More

By Dr. Fran Walfish

Updated on 5/3/2015 at 9:00 PM

Everyone loves a sexy solo bed session, but what many people don't know is that masturbating is actually good for your health. Dr. Fran Walfish, Beverly Hills family and relationship psychotherapist, author of The Self-Aware Parent, and costar on We TV's Sex Box, is giving us even more reasons to take pleasure in playing with ourselves. Read on for expert insight!

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  1. Masturbation reduces stress and facilitates better sleep. The reason for this is based on science. Exciting yourself lowers blood pressures and raises endorphins, the chemicals responsible for helping to ease stress and increase relaxation.
  2. Masturbation prevents prostate cancer. Toxins build up in the urogenital tract, leading to disease. Masturbation flushes those toxins out of the body. Men who ejaculate more than five times a week are one third less likely to develop prostate cancer.
  3. Masturbation alleviates urinary tract infections. In addition to drinking cranberry juice, UTI sufferers can get relief from masturbation, which helps flush out old bacteria from the cervix.
  4. Masturbation can relieve depression and lead to a higher sense of self-esteem. This is particularly useful when one partner wants more sex than the other in which case masturbation provides a balancing effect and can lead to a more harmonious relationship.
  5. Mutual masturbation can be a useful learning tool. When two partners stimulate themselves in the presence of each other, it allows a couple to reveal the "map to their pleasure centers." By watching, one finds out the methods their partner uses to please him or herself. They can then generalize the magical information and utilize it when engaging in sexual activities with each other.
  6. Masturbation boosts your immune system. Ejaculation releases the hormone cortisol. It's a stress hormone, but in small doses it can help strengthen and maintain your immunity.
  7. Masturbation improves sex. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Keep on keepin' on!