Does masturbation lead to madness—or does it?

Once upon a time, masturbation was said to make you blind, drive you insane or even kill you—at least according to some eighteenth-century writers. Masturbation was not only taboo; it was regarded as genuinely dangerous.

Today we know that masturbation is a natural part of human sexuality. It can also support wellbeing. Although it is easy to laugh at eighteenth-century scare stories, some of their ideas still survive in different forms. In different parts of the world, masturbation has been—and sometimes still is—portrayed as a threat to the body, the soul or social order.

Eighteenth-century medicine was based partly on the ancient theory that the body’s fluids—blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile—had to remain in balance for a person to stay healthy. Semen was considered a vital part of these fluids, and losing too much of it was thought to weaken the body severely. It was believed that semen should be used only for reproduction. According to this thinking, “wasting” it through self-stimulation could lead to blindness, mental illness, insanity and even death. The influential book Onania, published in England in 1712 and widely circulated, claimed that masturbation—or “self-pollution”—caused a long list of terrible physical, psychological and moral consequences for both men and women. It described fatigue, loss of vitality, blindness, impotence, pain, tuberculosis, insanity and death. Because Onania was presented as a work of medical education, its claims were treated as truth and used as scare propaganda for both religious and scientific purposes.

Different supposed effects on men and women

In the eighteenth century, female masturbation was thought to awaken uncontrollable desire that could lead to hysteria, promiscuity and moral ruin. A woman who touched herself was portrayed as at risk of becoming unreliable, wild—or even disobedient.
While men who masturbated were said to become weak and dying, women who masturbated were instead portrayed as dangerous and hysterical.

Masturbation had to be stopped!

History offers many examples of attempts to prevent masturbation: metal belts, restraints, beds fitted with spikes, medical interventions including removal of the clitoris or testicular surgery, and moral instruction warning that “self-pollution leads to death”. All of this was used to stop people from exploring their own bodies.

What does current research say about masturbation?

Today we know that masturbation may support wellbeing in several ways. Studies suggest that it can reduce stress and anxiety, ease menstrual cramps and other pain, improve sleep and strengthen sexual self-esteem.

It was not masturbation that caused madness in the eighteenth century—it was the fear surrounding it

The real harm has come from fear of desire, independence, the body, and the pleasure of women and men.

The next time someone warns you about “wasting energy” through masturbation, remember that this theory has been tested for 300 years—and blindness has not become a public-health problem despite the fact that many people masturbate regularly.