Masturbation among young Portuguese males

Introduction: Male masturbation has been seen as taboo behavior, and there is a lack of systematic research in Portugal regarding this topic. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the masturbatory practices of a group of young men in Portugal, as well as to compare differences in these practices between particular groups (age, onset of sexual activity or sexual orientation). Materials and methods: A sample of 2020 young men (mean age = 20.60, standard deviation [SD] = 2.73) who completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and a questionnaire of masturbatory practices participated, and these measurements were disseminated on the internet. Results: The vast majority of men had already started their sexual life (81.3%) and identified themselves as heterosexual (91.6%). The results indicate that on average, men masturbated 3.69 times per week (SD = 3.05), whereas only 10.9% said that they never masturbated. Significant differences (F = 2.743, p=0.047) were found between sexual orientations; gay men masturbated more often. The age of the first time they masturbated was 12.95 years (SD = 2.01, ranging from 5 to 18 years). Most men (35.4%) said that they masturbated when aroused by pornography and 60.4% said they felt like masturbating before sleeping. It was found that the majority of men said they do not practice mutual masturbation touching their partner (61.7%), and 59.2% of men claimed that they did touch their partner. Conclusions: Professionals should recognize that young men masturbate broadly and should discuss masturbation as an integrative activity of human and sexual development. (C) 2014 Asociacion Espanola de Andrologia, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.