Happy Masturbation Month
Why are the Yanks the only ones to have all the fun? May is National Masturbation Month, which was started on the shores of the USA, but I think it’s about time we adopt it down under as well.
So before I go any further there was one minor oversight that I might have made. Up until 2005, National Masturbation Day was celebrated on the 7th of May and then was apparently moved to the 28th. I had spent most of yesterday gearing up for the one day I thought could be labelled as a Sexologist’s Christmas, only to realise it was not the correct date. Oh well, its still Masturbation Month and why wait to celebrate? Lets celebrate all the way till May the 28th!
Masturbation Month began in 1995 in San Francisco as a response to the forced resignation of the then U.S Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders.During a speech for World AIDS Day in 1994, a question was asked to Elders about masturbation’s potential for discouraging early sexual activity in which she answered, “ I think it is something that is part of human sexuality and part of something that perhaps should be taught.” This statement ended Elders career as America’s first black Surgeon General and Masturbation Month was created in response by local sex shop Good Vibrations to keep the focus on the unjust firing and to bring talk about masturbation into the mainstream.
The focus of this month is to promote masturbation as a healthy, safe and natural way to express one’s sexuality, thereby removing much of the shame and stigmas that have for so long negatively influenced this act.
Masturbation is one of those acts that is controversial and sometimes taboo but also holds so many benefits. You can’t get pregnant, can’t catch an STI, can’t cheat on your partner, can release tension and stress and explore your sexuality all in one act.
And it doesn’t stop there. For men it has been proven that masturbation may help improve immune system function, build resistance to prostate gland infection, promote overall prostate health and lower a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. As if you guys needed any more encouragement.
But for women, who I do feel need a bit more encouragement in this department, masturbation can increase resistance to a yeast infection, help release pre menstrual tensions and other physical discomfort associated, increase blood flow to the pelvic region, which helps to reduce pelvic cramping and related backache. It can also alleviate chronic back pain and increase a women’s overall pain threshold. ( And it’s also free!).
With benefits like these and more you have to ask yourself why not and why it is that we still have such negative stigmas towards this beautiful act? And also why is there is a gender imbalance with this act too? We tolerant and even make jokes of little boys discovering the act of jerking the turkey but what about little girls? Is it fair that we tell little boys it’s ok but tell little girls that their sexuality is something to be given away when the “right” man comes along?
So to keep the messages of Masturbation Month going in the mainstream, I am holding a little competition to encourage you to spread the message. For one day on the 7th of May ( the day I am celebrating or more like launching my month long celebrations), simply instagram a pic of the message “ I support masturbation for National Masturbation Month” with the tag #NationalMasturbationMonth and of course include me in @Dr_nikkig so I see all the action. Make sure you like my FB page too Dr Nikki Goldstein and at 8pm on Tuesday evening, the person who has the most likes on their status on instagram and has also liked my FB page will win either a boy masturbation pack ( A Tenga Flip Hole and an 8 pack of Tenga Eggs) or girl masturbation pack ( A Gigi Lelo Vibrator ) valued each at $ 180, to help them get through the month. And hey, I’m just asking you to share a message, in San Francisco they participate in a Masturbate-a-thon!
Start sharing and start masturbating ( just not both in the same act please).
Xoxox
Dr Nikki
