At least he's not going blind!

Subject: Traumatic Masturbatory Syndrome

I am a 23 year old guy, and I recently came across a website that talks about "traumatic masturbatory syndrome". Supposedly this syndrome is caused by masturbating prone (lying face down), and can cause multiple dysfunctions. This is starting to worry me, as that is the way I tend to masturbate. Is this a problem that really happens are is there nothing to worry about?

Signed,
A worried guy

Dear Worried,

When I saw your subject line I thought this was going to be about repeatedly getting caught by your mother.

But now you made me do some reading out there on the internets, and there are definitely mixed opinions ranging from "it will definitely screw up your sex life" to "don't worry bub."

The issue is evidently that for some guys who jerk off in a prone position, they have difficulty having an orgasm when having sex with a partner, and may even have trouble getting an erection. Those guys have to stop masturbating this way and retrain their sexual response, which can be done successfully. So the experts are not saying you are physically damaging your ding-dong.

If you have a sex life with someone other than yourself and it is just fine, I would say you shouldn't be concerned, but be aware of any changes.

If you only "tend" to masturbate this way, that is probably a good thing as you have not trained yourself to respond to only one form of stimulation.

What I found interesting in this reading was the claim that most men masturbate while lying on their backs. That's how I first tried it and I found it does not work for me. My point is that we're all different.

If you have not been in a sexual relationship since you started masturbating in this fashion, I would encourage you to vary your routine, just as a precaution. You might discover some fun ways to make yourself happy that can eventually carry over to such a relationship. Try standing. See if looking at yourself in a mirror helps. Use your extra hand in different ways -- stimulating your nipples, balls, or any part of your body that wants it. See what the difference is whether you do or don't use lube. Also, even in the prone position, if you are lying on a hard surface such as the floor, try something softer like a bed.

Al