Twentieth-century attitudes toward masturbation

Abstract

This article demonstrates the progress that medicine, psychiatry, religion, and anthropology have made toward a variant perspective, of masturbation. Researchers documented the suffering and damage caused by classically ingrained religious and medical distortions.The "secret sin" of Judeo-Christianity and the "social disease" of nineteenth-century medicine has paradoxially become the therapy for various forms of psychosexual dysfunction. Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish denominations polarize opinions from rigorous orthodoxy to unconditional acceptance of this psychosexual behavior as a source of emotional homeostasis.

Abstinence from Masturbation and Hypersexuality

“…Individual motivation for abstaining from masturbation has been diversely scattered across recent history. It is present in religious arguments, discussions surrounding the fear of physiological or psychological consequences, and efforts to avoid feelings of guilt or loss of control (Patton, 1986). Until the early modern age, moralists and theologians considered masturbation a "sin against nature" (Stolberg, 2000), whereas medical professionals left it largely unnoticed (Laqueur, 2003).…”

“…In one edition of this work, Tissot (1781) elaborated on the concept of a "post-masturbatory disease." He regarded the loss of semen and the mechanical manipulation of the genitals as possible causes of infection, sexual dysfunction, and insanity (Patton, 1986;Stolberg, 2000). Complementing religious arguments, fear of pathological consequences became an incentive to abstain from masturbation (Kontula & Haavio-Mannila, 2003).…”

“…Abstinence from masturbation also reached political significance as "Victory over the 1 3 sexuality of young men was symbolically necessary to provide the legitimacy for their capacity to carry forward the national or imperial project" (Hunt, 1998, p. 589). After the "masturbation panic" reached its peak in the beginning of the twentieth century (Kontula & Haavio-Mannila, 2003), progressive evaluations by medicine and psychology were on the rise (Patton, 1986). For example, Freud viewed masturbation as a natural developmental component in childhood and adolescence that should nevertheless be discarded in adulthood (Laqueur, 2003).…”

“…For example, Freud viewed masturbation as a natural developmental component in childhood and adolescence that should nevertheless be discarded in adulthood (Laqueur, 2003). Around the end of World War II, masturbation was regarded as a treatment option rather than a cause of psychosexual dysfunction (Patton, 1986). Finally, the "Kinsey Reports" (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948;Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953) contributed to a normalized view of masturbation by revealing how widespread the behavior was across all strata of the population.…”

Sex and Sexuality in Women’s Prisons

“…Although myths surrounding masturbation permeate society, it has become "accepted" as a natural aspect of human sexuality (Patton, 1986). McGaughey and Tewksbury (2002) indicated that ".…”