(EXCLUSIVE)--Grown men who've never masturbated reveal why they prefer an orgasm-free life

Every day, numerous individuals engage in it, a behavior with roots going back forty million years to our primate ancestors. However, a few men who have abstained from masturbation are now sharing their personal experiences. Anonymously discussing this topic on Reddit, these men explain their reasons for not exploring self-pleasure. A 27-year-old man states that he's never experienced the desire to masturbate, attributing it to staying consistently occupied and physically active. He also expresses aversion to the concept of 'doing it with hands' and views masturbation as a type of infidelity. He elaborates: "Regarding abstinence from sex, there were times of temptation, but I remained committed to the conviction that engaging in sex with someone would be seen by my mind as cheating on my future wife... I hold to the belief in sex after marriage." Likewise, a 19-year-old man discloses that his stringent religious background underlies his resistance to self-pleasure. He says, "I have never masturbated, not even once."

A 2023 Indiana University study found the four most common reasons people gave for abstaining from masturbation were: disinterest, being in a relationship, moral/value conflicts, and religious objections.

My incredibly conservative Christian parents stigmatized the idea of any kind of sexual activity, so I spent most of my life not even knowing how to masturbate.' He claimed his abstinence from self-stimulation stemmed from disinterest, but college life is pressuring him to reconsider. He finds dormitory discussions about masturbation awkward and contemplates trying it to alleviate that discomfort. A 2018 *Journal of Sexual Medicine* study indicated that approximately 92% of men report masturbating at least once in their lives. Regarding frequency, a National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior study showed roughly 25% of men aged 18-59 surveyed masturbated a few times monthly to weekly. About 20% reported doing so two to three times a week, and under 20% self-stimulated more than four times a week. Older men were more likely to report no self-stimulation in the previous year. Experts from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia note that boys typically begin self-stimulating around ages 9-11. One college-aged Redditor cited a religious upbringing as his reason for avoiding masturbation, deeming it "dirty" and "undignified." He later developed a "weird sense of pride knowing that I'm like, one of the very few heterosexual males that has never masturbated." He also feared developing an addiction due to a lack of willpower. A 2023 Indiana University study found the most common reasons for not masturbating were disinterest, being in a committed relationship, moral or value conflicts, or religious objections. While some men discuss their abstinence, others on Reddit confess to daily or even multiple-times-a-day masturbation habits. One Redditor expressed concern about a potential masturbation addiction. He explained that he started regular self-pleasuring and pornography use as a teenager 10 years ago and now self-stimulates daily. At its worst, he masturbated up to five times per day. Experts from the telehealth company Hims stated that obvious signs of excessive masturbation include "visible symptoms like skin irritation and injury." They specified symptoms like raw penile skin, redness or bleeding, and painful erections. The Redditor with the potential addiction said it has always been "a coping mechanism to try and drum up some cheap dopamine to combat health issues including anxiety and depression." He has attempted to quit several times, but his urges proved too strong.

Maximus, a men's sexual health website, informed DailyMail.com that masturbation may help with erections, but too much of it, or watching too much porn, could lower sex drive with a partner. Similarly, a 22-year-old Indian man, who started masturbating at 12, now does it up to three times daily. He claims this habit has negatively affected his studies and made relationships difficult. The Maximus expert clarified that masturbation has both pros and cons. Specifically, it can help maintain and potentially improve sexual function. 'Regular sexual activity, including masturbation, may help keep the sexual response system active and healthy. 'However, excessive masturbation or pornography use could potentially lead to issues like decreased sexual desire with partners or difficulties with arousal and orgasm during partnered sex. It's important to maintain a balance and listen to one's body's needs.' People state that the number of times a person masturbates doesn't have a single, correct answer because it differs for each individual. The key factor is that the act doesn't negatively impact your everyday activities or your interactions of a sexual nature with others. 'It's worth noting that testosterone levels can play a role in sexual health and function. 'Some studies have shown that optimizing testosterone levels can lead to improvements in libido, erectile function, and overall sexual satisfaction.'