# Are There Any Dopers Who DON’T Masturbate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228 "2003-02-19T23:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/41 "2003-02-20T21:27:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Belrix \* > \*\*Attempting to whoosh? Sperm that are not ejaculated are can be reabsorbed by the body and discarded. There is no biological imperitive to ejaculate somehow. \*\* THANK YOU!!! I was amazed when I saw that Belrix! There are many excellent books available about human sexuality, please read one instead of spreading misinformation. ---
**Author:** ![avery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@avery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/avery)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/42 "2003-02-20T21:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samarm \* > \*\*If you didn’t masturbate, then it would come out in your sleep. > > Women on the other hand only produce an egg once a month, and that is taken care of when it is flushed out by the body. \*\* 1st: So how often do non-masturbating men (as we’ve established, there are few) have wet dreams as adults? While masturbation seems a biological imperative, the question remains as to the relationship between the frequency of masturbating and reproductive fitness. If we trust the body’s “mind”, the frequency of wet dreams for men who do not masturbate should give us an indication of how often it is necessary to shed one’s seed in favor of a fresher batch… Also, handy was right about the fact that women do not produce the eggs each month. A lifetime supply is included at birth. They are just of the time release variety. Hence the “biological clock”/issue of older women giving birth to messed up kids due to genetic mutations and such. An important thing to understand! ---
**Author:** ![hyperjes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df705f/32.png) [@hyperjes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperjes)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/43 "2003-02-20T22:15:27Z")
Thanks for the compliment, **Ethilrist**! 😃 **d\_redguy** and I are no super-couple, but we like to think we’re happy! ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/44 "2003-02-20T23:14:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by avery \* > **1st: So how often do non-masturbating men (as we’ve established, there are few) have wet dreams as adults? While masturbation seems a biological imperative, the question remains as to the relationship between the frequency of masturbating and reproductive fitness. If we trust the body’s “mind”, the frequency of wet dreams for men who do not masturbate should give us an indication of how often it is necessary to shed one’s seed in favor of a fresher batch…** The fact that there is celibate men who do not masturbate seems to counter the idea that masturbation is a biological imperitive. The easiest way to counter the “fresh batch” idea is to point out that vasectomized men cannot ejaculate sperm, yet we continue to produce them. Over time, the little critters die off from age, are absorbed and discarded as waste materials and new ones are made. They’re just cells after all - albeit with a cool tail & a rather single-minded manner focus, but the body does know what to do with the dead ones. We don’t have to cut ourselves & bleed out the old dead red cells before new ones are produced, right? There seems to be some evidence that long-term celibacy may lead to fertility problems (“early male menopause”) if the man attempts later to become sexually active. Also, prolonged erections without ejaculations may lead to “congestive prostatitis”: [The Master Speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_195b.html) Also, Q & A from this vasectomy [FAQ](http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3711). > [@](#): > > Q. Will I still make sperm after my vasectomy? > > A. Yes, sperm continue to be made in the testes after a vasectomy. After time, however, production of sperm is often reduced. > > Q. After my vasectomy where do the sperm go? > > A. The sperm, which are made in the testicles, cannot pass through the vas deferens once they have been cut and tied, so they are reabsorbed by the body. ---
**Author:** ![Lezaza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Lezaza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lezaza)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/45 "2003-02-20T23:23:20Z")
I don’t, as a matter of fact. I’m asexual, that is, not interested in sex in any way at all. But still, my body continues to produce sperm (obviously, since it’s a mental “sickness”), so I have wet dreams. My shrink says I’ll be normal sooner or later. But to answer the question: I have not masturbated, and as of now, will not either. ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/46 "2003-02-21T00:53:58Z")
How could you not? ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/47 "2003-02-21T04:35:59Z")
Good Lord! I never would have thought that so many people didn’t masturbate! Especially Dopers! In high school I used to hang out with this guy who claimed to never masturbate. I wasn’t sure I believed him, but one thing he said was that he had a wet dream about once a month. So I, being of a scientific bent, tried to reproduce his results (I had never had a wet dream up to that point… I think I’d been jerking off since I was about eight years old (and boy was my hand tired)) so I mustered up all my self-control, and didn’t masturbate for a month. I still don’t know how I did it, but sure enough, after four weeks, I had an interesting dream. I was vacuuming the living room and watching Murphy Brown. She was holding hands with an anonymous mother-figure, and the implication was that they were about to go at it. I woke up soaked through my jockey shorts. The point is that I believed my friend after that, because how else would he have known about the one-month buildup period for the wet dream? I guess he could have read it in a book, but he used to talk about it like a monthly gift, a little blessing that would arrive every month like clockwork and give him the strength to live another day in hopes that he might one day have sex for real. I doubt he could have found such inspiration in a cold, clinical book about sexuality. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/48 "2003-02-21T05:27:09Z")
I started a thread about this about a hundred years ago, asking if I was weird because I didn’t masturbate. Ah-ha! Found it…here it is: [So I don’t masturbate–does that make me a freak?!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=34370&highlight=masturbation) The response, IIRC, was essentially “Yes,” or “Pfft, of course you do, you’re lying!” But I do have wet dreams, and since getting married, have learned to…um…perform for my hubby. But I’ve never masturbated on my own solely for me. Just hasn’t crossed my mind, really. Boy am I boring. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/49 "2003-02-21T05:36:53Z")
Hmm. The “IIRC” I refer to above\* isn’t\* recalled correctly. There was a pleasant “You’re not weird” welcome…hooray! ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/50 "2003-02-21T06:48:04Z")
Again I would like to ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/51 "2003-02-21T08:28:19Z")
Mmm…rocking on heel. Best darn way to masterbate during class ever! ---
**Author:** ![spathiphyllum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@spathiphyllum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spathiphyllum)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/52 "2003-02-21T09:23:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lezaza \* > **I don’t, as a matter of fact. I’m asexual, that is, not interested in sex in any way at all. But still, my body continues to produce sperm (obviously, since it’s a mental “sickness”), so I have wet dreams. My shrink says I’ll be normal sooner or later.** It’s interesting to see some self-described asexuals posting here. I’m not asexual myself, but I find the topic interesting because one of my closest friends is asexual (he too says he has no interest in masturbation). Although I concede that asexuality can sometimes be associated with mental disorders (I’ve read that “asexuality” can be a trait among those with schizoid personality disorder or Asperger’s syndrome), I’d be concerned if you’ve been made to feel “sick” or abnormal **just** because of a lack of sex interest. Personally, I am of the opinion that, just like homosexuals, asexuals are a normal part of the spectrum of human sexuality…not very common, but not necessarily “abnormal”, wrong, or in need of changing. It’s well-established that, even among people who have “normal” sex drives, sexual interest waxes and wanes at different stages of life. If you care to find support from others who identify as asexual, you might want to visit [http://www.asexuality.org/info.htm](http://www.asexuality.org/info.htm) or [http://www.livejournal.com/~asexuality](http://www.livejournal.com/~asexuality) (the discussion forum on [asexuality.org](http://asexuality.org) is more active though) Incidentally (something I found surprising at first), according to [http://www.asexuality.org/bigfaq.htm](http://www.asexuality.org/bigfaq.htm) , some asexuals _do_ masturbate: > [@](#): > > Most asexuals are physically capable of sex. Some masturbate and some don’t. … > The distinction between sexual and asexual people is that, if asexuals think about other people during masturbation (many asexuals don’t think about anything specifically sexual) it is only as fantasy. If they actually were given the opportunity to be sexual with that person there would be no attraction, or the drive would be so low as to be completely ignorable. > > Some asexuals may be considered autosexual, they have the drive to take pleasure from their own body. Other masturbating asexuals do not have a sexual drive motivating them, they just do it because it’s nice. The common factor is that all asexuals, masturbating or not, have little or no attraction to other people. The diversity of human experience is sure interesting. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/53 "2003-02-21T12:42:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by even sven \* > \*\*Mmm…rocking on heel. > > Best darn way to masterbate during class ever! \*\* I used to work with an attractive young woman who had a particularly hot-blooded look to her, and I’m convinced she sometimes masturbated in the office believing that no-one realized it. At any rate, she used to sit at her desk with her slim legs crossed right over left, and she would rest the ball of her right foot on a rail (part of the desk) just above floor height, and wiggle her foot so her leg bounced up and down. It was the rhythm that caught my ear from a chair or two away, and I think her mouse-clicking was purely random and designed to make it look as if she was working. The clincher, for me, is the way she fondled a banana with her left hand. No, really - I mean, why else would you sit there rubbing your thumb over and over on the blunt end of a banana, unless your thoughts were on lower things? May it please the court, the prosecution rests. Xochi, in the hugely unlikely event you’re reading this - I caught you at it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/54 "2003-02-21T19:28:52Z")
In the third year of my psychology study, I did a survey among my fellow-female-psychology-students. Among other questions, we asked them if they masturbated, (bravest thing I ever did, handin out that survey). We got a 70 % return answers. Of those, 30 % said they never masturbated. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/55 "2003-02-21T19:36:29Z")
I started masturbating when I was about 7 or so. I can’t imagine not doing it. It just seems like the natural way to get to know your own body. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/56 "2003-02-21T20:25:40Z")
Rocking on the heel? Well, I never knew about that! You learn something new every day! ---
**Author:** ![Winsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Winsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winsling)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/57 "2003-02-22T01:06:08Z")
I don’t masturbate. Male, 24, virgin. Not asexual either, as defined by [asexuality.org](http://asexuality.org). I do have wet dreams, but there’s no real pattern to the frequency. I certainly can’t prove it if anyone calls me a liar. Hal ---
**Author:** ![MrTuffPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MrTuffPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrTuffPaws)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/58 "2003-02-22T02:25:31Z")
I don’t masturbate, I MASTURBATE!!! So for the ones that don’t masturbate, do you feel guilty when you have a wet dream? ---
**Author:** ![ratty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@ratty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratty)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/59 "2003-02-22T03:49:12Z")
This question has come up surprisingly often in the course of conversation, and I’m always loath to tell the truth- I don’t masturbate. I’m female, which I guess at one time would have made this “okay”, but I tell people this now, and I get a few very specific responses: 1. You are the biggest liar in the world. 2. You are seriously repressed and have major issues. You need professional help. 3. Ohmygodareyouserious!?! That is SO weird! How do you live? How do you love? 4. You are a strange creature, one to be pitied and reviled by all normal individuals. Jeez. You’d think I’d confessed to chronic booger-eating. I just don’t masturbate. I don’t see the point. I’ve tried, out of curiosity and a sort of “left-out” feeling, but it just doesn’t do anything for me. My fiance even offered to “teach” me how, which I sincerely appreciated, but felt was somewhat misplaced. He even bought me a nice vibrator, and we did some experimentation, but no dice. I think the thing is that for me, sex is almost completely cerebral. Sure, physically it feels good, but it’s the whole psychological package that makes me enjoy it: the bonding between two individuals, the intimate relationship, the love I feel for the other person and the love they feel for me, the feeling of wanting to be that close to another person, knowing they want to be that close to me, the whole give-and-take partership aspect. For this reason, I’ve never had casual sex. I have no religious or moral prohibition against it; (I’m an atheist) I just seriously doubt I’d enjoy it because that feeling of love and ‘togetherness’ is not there. Without that feeling, sex for me is just a biological act divorced from any deeper meaning, like taking a crap. So masturbation is a big bust: I don’t feel any love or bonding towards myself, at least not in the way I want for a sexual relationship. I’d like to enjoy it, I just don’t. Eh, it’s like certain foods- I wish I liked chocolate, too, but what can you do? I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with being asexual. If it’s part of a complex of other behaviors like a personality disorder, then it might be a problem. But simply not being interested in sex does not automatically make one a buttoned-down psychopath who could blow at any second. Sex (well, reproduction) is a massive part of the life of any organism. (Some biologists would argue it’s the only part.) But as humans we’re able to exert more control over our genetic impulses, and thus have time for other stuff. Asexuality kind of fascinates me. It seems like a sort of intellectual freedom that most of us don’t have access to. When I think of all the time I’ve wasted over the years trying to convince that hot guy that mingling our DNA would be a wondrous thing for posterity…I weep for all the things I could’ve been doing instead. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228/60 "2003-02-22T05:02:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuauhtemoc \* > **In high school I used to hang out with this guy who claimed to never masturbate. I wasn’t sure I believed him** I don’t find that hard to believe. I was 18 and in college before I masturbated. In fact, I lost my virginity before I masturbated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-dopers-who-don-t-masturbate/156228.md?page=4)