Sexual Health and Masturbation

Cardiovascular Health

For patients with heart failure, sexual activities including masturbation may be safely engaged in when heart failure is optimally managed and condition is stabilized, and the patient is not in decompensated or advanced (NYHA class III or IV) heart failure, according to the European Society of Cardiology 1
Masturbation may be a useful alternative for heart failure patients who cannot tolerate the exertion of intercourse, as suggested by the European Society of Cardiology 1
For patients with implanted cardiac devices (ICDs), masturbation is generally safe, as stated by the European Society of Cardiology 1
Healthcare providers should provide guidance to patients with cardiovascular conditions, including information about the relative safety of masturbation compared to other sexual activities, as recommended by the European Society of Cardiology 1

For men with delayed ejaculation (DE), masturbation patterns may be relevant to assessment, according to the American Urological Association 2
The American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines for the medical management of premature ejaculation consider masturbation as part of the patient's sexual history 3
Physicians should evaluate the frequency and type of sexual activity, including masturbation, in patients with premature ejaculation complaints, as recommended by the American Urological Association 3

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend mutual masturbation as an activity that reduces the potential risk of infection 4
Health counselors advise patients to be aware of lower-risk activities, such as mutual masturbation, compared to higher-risk activities, such as anal/vaginal intercourse 5
Guidelines for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases recommend that health professionals provide risk reduction counseling to individuals at high risk, including information about sexual activities that pose a lower risk of transmitting infections, such as masturbation 4, 5, 6

In some individuals, particularly those prone to obsessive-compulsive disorders, masturbation can become a compulsive behavior 7
Frequent use of pornography accompanied by masturbation can create a potentially addictive system 7