Masturbation is a great way to get to know your body. It’s totally healthy and normal — most people masturbate at some point in their lives.
There are tons of myths meant to scare you into thinking masturbation is wrong or bad. The truth is, it’s perfectly safe. Masturbating won't make you blind, crazy, or stupid. It won’t damage your genitals, cause pimples, or stunt your growth. It doesn’t use up all your orgasms or ruin other kinds of sex.
Here are some masturbation tips:
Wash your hands before touching your penis, vulva, vagina, or anus.
Use a good lubricant. It lowers friction, which helps prevent small tears in your skin and makes things more comfortable.
Clean your sex toys. Otherwise bacteria can build up and cause an infection. The best way to protect sex toys is with a condom that you change whenever the toy is passed from partner to partner or from one body opening to another — mouth, anus, or vagina. If you don’t use condoms, clean sex toys before and after every use. Read the instructions on the package for how to clean your toy.
Don’t share sex toys with multiple partners without cleaning/using new condoms every time. They can pass along STDs.
