Masturbation
Risks

Masturbation is generally safe, and complications are rare. When issues do occur, they are generally due to methodology or underlying psychiatric illness.

Those who insert objects as aids to masturbation risk them becoming stuck (either due to size, technique, or anatomy; including rectal foreign bodies and urethral foreign bodies), causing damage. Such risks can effect both men and women, with a multitude of case reports available, including that of a female who pierced her urethra after inserting two pencils during masturbation, and the case of a male who required extensive treatment after inserting a pair of headphones into his bladder.

A male whose penis is bluntly traumatized during intercourse or masturbation may, rarely, sustain a penile fracture or develop Peyronie's disease. In these cases, any energetic manipulation of the penis can cause discomfort or further damage.

A small percentage of males experience postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS), which can cause severe muscle pain throughout the body and other symptoms immediately following ejaculation, whether due to masturbation or partnered sex. The symptoms last for up to a week. Some doctors speculate that the frequency of POIS "in the population may be greater than has been reported in the academic literature", and that many cases are undiagnosed.

Compulsive masturbation and other compulsive behaviors can be signs of an emotional problem, which may need to be addressed by a mental health specialist. As with any "nervous habit", it is more helpful to consider the causes of compulsive behavior, rather than try to repress masturbation.

Alongside many other factors—such as medical evidence, age-inappropriate sexual knowledge, sexualized play and precocious or seductive behavior—excessive masturbation may be an indicator of sexual abuse.

According to DSM-5-TR, "Delayed ejaculation is associated with highly frequent masturbation, use of masturbation techniques not easily duplicated by a partner, and marked disparities between sexual fantasies during masturbation and the reality of sex with a partner."
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