Why You Masturbate The Way You Do : A History Lesson

Why do so many people struggle with masturbation? Why do so many of us feel a little bit ashamed of solo sex, treating it like a dirty chore rather than a self-love practice that can bring tremendous pleasure and health benefits? How you masturbate – how much pleasure you give yourself, how creative you are in your solo sex, what parts of your body you allow yourself to touch, how you feel emotionally about masturbation – has everything to do with the past 3000 years of punitive sex culture. We are just barely emerging out of a culture that punished masturbation and forbade sexual pleasure of any kind. We have to take this history seriously before we can fully embrace the sex-positive idea of May as Masturbation Month! For more about the history of sex culture and how it has influenced your sex life, check out one of my favorite books:  Sex and Punishment: Four Thousand Years of Judging Desire  by Eric Berkowitz Hear more about how corn flakes and graham crackers were invented as part of the anti-masturbation crusade Check out a gallery of anti-masturbation devices here