• What is masturbation?
Masturbation is the act of touching your genitals for the purpose of reaching or achieving sexual pleasure or simply for feeling good. Our bodies are made in such a way that we may have one or more pleasure centers in them. For boys these pleasure centers are found in the genital area such as the penis and the testicles. For girls the pleasure centers are found in the breasts, nipples, clitoris and/or the vagina. Touching and stimulating these pleasure centers that hold very sensitive nerve endings in them, can result in a feeling of general well being and pleasure as their name suggests.

In some cases masturbation can evoke a feeling of extreme excitement and pleasure that can result in reaching orgasm.

By stimulating the pleasure centers a series of intense pleasurable contractions is provoked in the genital muscles and orgasm is reached. In males this results in ejaculation that is the release of sperm from the penis and for females the release of a watery discharge from the vagina.

• Is it O.K. to masturbate?
Masturbation has in many cultures and for many years been a very controversial issue.
It has been badly interpreted and many myths have been born around these misinterpretations. You have probably heard many of these stories yourself.

Masturbation is medically safe; it is not harmful in any way. It is a normal aspect of a person’s sexuality. For young people masturbation is a natural process of self-exploration and sexual expression. It is also much safer way of releasing sexual tension, which is usually high during puberty and adolescence, than engaging in sexual relations with others and all the health risks that could be associated with it.

• Popular Myths
- It is not true that masturbation can cause blindness.
- It is not true that masturbation will give you hairy palms.
- It is not true that masturbation is only for losers.
- It is not true that masturbation will cause the penis to grow.
- It is not true that if you masturbate you can use up all your sperm.
- It is not true that if you masturbate you will not be able to have children.
- It is not true that if you masturbate your growth and development will be interrupted.
- It is not true that if you masturbate you will develop acne or suffer from hair loss.

None of these myths are true and you have possibly heard others. Different cultures and societies invent different myths.

• How Frequently?
Like anything else in life, excess is always undesirable and can have negative effects. The same applies to masturbation. If you find that you are resorting to masturbation too frequently and that it is interfering with your daily life, schooling and regular outings with your friends then masturbation has developed into a negative and disruptive aspect of your life. It is important that this method of sexual expression does not control your life, like anything else it should always stay within the beneficial borders.

Sexual tension is energy that can be developed and channeled in constructive and creative ways. If you find that you have excess energy, engaging in other activities can be very useful in channeling this energy and reaping beneficial health results for your general well being.

- Engaging in sports is a healthy way of releasing tension.

- Reading is also one way for releasing tension and soothing your mind and putting it at ease. Reading a novel, sports magazine, or youth newsletter is always advisable.

- You might consider joining youth clubs, such as the Lebanese Red Cross Youth section. You would become a volunteer, meet many people your age who do the same, and participate in social events to help people in your society. (Will provide contact number).

- You might be particularly talented in any creative artistic domain such as drawing, painting, writing poetry or music. Take the time to explore your likes and talents and indulge in an activity that expresses your personality and that you could excel at. You never know you might be the next Mozart or Picasso, or a great athlete. Remember at this point in your life you start making decisions that can affect the rest of your life and finding out exactly what you are good at is a great way to start.