Doing handiwork for health and fun
January 28, 2026 9:19 AM
“Earlier this week, about 120 parents met at a church near Fredericton [New Brunswick] and vowed to fight for changes to the [sex education] program because they believe it is too explicit.
Erection, vaginal secretion, ejaculation, masturbation...these are children in Grade 6,” said Mary Thurott, executive director of Christian Action Federation on Monday.”
CBC News file
November 2004
November 2004 seems like yesterday, but it would have placed most students in late middle to early high school. Quite convenient then that my home province was actively debating sex education at a time when most of us needed it most. Perhaps if they had offered us more, fewer amongst us would have taken matters into our own hands and decided to write columns about sex. Many apologies, NB.
At this point, I should remind myself that I am lovingly digressing into a bitch-session about how much sex education blows in our glorious country.
I would like to point out the interesting tendency to group masturbation with erections, vaginal secretions and ejaculation by Ms.Thurott.
Masturbation is a topic with two very different lives, both super and alter egos. While most people prefer to not discuss it casually, its benefits are touted by doctors and sex therapists in more official settings.
Indeed, Ms. Thurott’s argument in many ways compliments my argument; she suggests that masturbation is as natural as arousal and bodily fluids. The “explicit” nature of the four subjects she lists off are important to discuss openly because they allow youth and adults to understand not only healthy sexual expression but general health.
Whether “explicit” or not, it is a fact that most boys begin to ejaculate at around 12-14, and may experiment with masturbation far before that.
Women, due to pervasive double standards of sexual expression often begin to self-pleasure at much older ages. Interestingly, most women I have talked to in the past week also ascribe the beginning of masturbation with increased self awareness, and feelings of bodily empowerment.
Despite narratives of positive effects, bodily exploration and celebration is subject to a strong taboo against masturbation, most especially in female cases, although men haven’t been left alone either.
The argument in many cases is that teaching students about masturbation “pushes them towards sex.” This was argued by select groups of parents and even doctors in the case of New Brunswick. Does masturbating turn us all into insatiable sex-robots? While I would hope that our MDs would realize that it did not, many would also argue that not educating students about the intricacies of masturbation actually sets youth up for a life time of shame over their sexual gratification.
While official Canadian stats were elusive – I can’t really picture stats Canada writing “how often on average do you masturbate?”- the rough numbers suggest that 90 per cent of men and 65 per cent of women masturbate regularly.
Masturbation is normal and healthy, although often it is repressed by scandalized parents and educators. Many children touch themselves, and many of us are guilty of snapping “get your hands out of your pants” without the ideal disclaimer of “...until you’re in private.”
I highly doubt I need to convince the population of StFX of the benefits of masturbation; male and female self-pleasure has become less taboo of late, and freedom to experiment sexually in a variety of ways is common, masturbation being among the tamest.
That being said, not everyone has a desire to masturbate, and that is fine as well. What alarmed me most in my informal research was the amount of nonchalance with which professionals deal with masturbation, refecting its commonality while many of our peers, both male and female, simple stand around awkwardly when the topic is broached.
Whether or not we wish to publicly and personally discuss our sexual practices, the benefits attributed to masturbation abound. Chances are no one needs to give you reasons to masturbate, but incentive never hurts either.
Possibly the worst excuse for not having sex is “not tonight, I have a headache.” Popping pills to cure every ailment isn’t doing your liver any favours, and there is mounting evidence that orgasm actually helps get rid of headaches. Granted in a small portion of the population sex and orgasm can aggravate migraines, but the opposite is also true. In one study, 50 per cent of participants noted that their headaches completely vanished after achieving orgasm.
Menstrual cramps are the result of hormonal irritation of the uterus lining; cause aside, women who get menstrual cramps spend time in significant pain each month. Many women find that orgasm (read- masturbation) is a quick and safe fix for their pain. This solution is often recommended by both alternative health practitioners and doctors looking to supplement pharmaceuticals with more traditional treatments.
For both men and women, familiarity with the body often makes sexual activity with a partner more enjoyable. Masturbation generally represents a youth’s first venture into exploring sexual pleasure and comfort with one’s own body is crucial to subsequent healthy relationships with partners.
An array of other health benefits have been suggested, including reduced stress, pain relief, increase blood flow, increased oxygen circulation, decreased risk of contracting cold and influenza, healthier cardiovascular system, lowered LDL (“bad cholesterol”), increased levels of HDL, (“good cholesterol”); it has also been reported to raise bone density and give you suppler skin.
Amounts of research supporting each of these assertions vary, but there is no doubt that most health professionals recognize and celebrate the benefits masturbation and orgasm brings.