The benefits of masturbation they are quite well known. It is known that it helps to improve self-esteem and to know our body. In addition, it helps to alleviate stress and insomnia and can even help reduce pain and, in the case of men, prevent prostate cancer. All this we know. But why do we masturbate? I mean, is there any evolutionary benefit that we’ve continued to do as a species for, generation after generation?
This question has been asked by many scientists when verifying that it is a very widespread behavior in other animals, but especially in primates. It doesn’t matter if it’s with your hands or with objects, like a bottle. They love. But does it bring them something more than pleasure? Are there evolutionary benefits of masturbation that have passed from a common ancestor among primates to present-day humans?
To answer this question, a team of researchers from the University College London has carried out a bibliographical review in which the sexual behaviors of different species of primates and their relationship with the hypotheses that exist about the benefits of masturbation. Thus, they have seen that there are two hypotheses that could be the answer. At least when it comes to male masturbation. For the feminine there are not so many answers because it has hardly been studied, to the surprise of no one.
Benefits of masturbation, from the first primates to humans
There are many hypotheses about the evolutionary benefits of masturbation. Although there are two stronger than, after this study, will enjoy new evidence.
The first points out that masturbation is an advantage when the same female copulates with two males. This can occur in two ways. On the one hand, non-dominant males who will have little time before being interrupted may masturbate immediately before, without ejaculating. That way, when push comes to shove, they’ll finish much faster.
Those who have more time, on the other hand, can masturbate before, but ejaculating. Thus, the spermatozoa from the lower tract are removed and those used during intercourse are much fresher. This supposes a evolutionary benefitsince the freshest sperm will have a better chance of fertilizing the egg when they have to compete with other males.
As for the second hypothesis, it is the one that indicates that it helps to prevent sexually transmitted infections. In fact, it is something that other species do, such as squirrels.
These animals have been observed they masturbate very regularly, especially in the mating stages. That eliminates the possibility that it’s due to sexual tension, since they’re much more served than when they don’t masturbate. Nor does it seem to be to improve the quality of their semen, since they do it too many times. Observations show that they do after mating, so it is most likely to prevent sexually transmitted infections. And it makes sense, because they rub the external part of the sexual organs and, at the same time, they ejaculate quickly, cleaning what may have been attached to the internal part. They are all advantages and it would not be unusual for primates to do the same.
In fact, if you look at his tree of life, comparing species, you can see that this sexual behavior has been transmitted between species at the same time that new sexually transmitted diseases have done so.
Not all primates are the same
All of this applies to all apes, which include humans. It’s not so clear whether these benefits of masturbation apply to other primates as well, including lemurs, lorises and tarsiers.
This is so because there are not so many studies on these species, but it could be that it can be extrapolated.
In any case, whether or not it can be extrapolated, does the fact that masturbation is evocatively beneficial mean that we would become extinct without it? Not really. In addition, humans today do not have multi-male sex (at least not regularly or to procreate) and we have other ways to avoid sexually transmitted infections. What is certain is that, among our ancestors, the good masturbators they would have a better chance of surviving and selecting for the continuity of the species.
The benefits of female masturbation need to be further studied
If we talk about the benefits of female masturbation on a physical and mental level, they are similar to those of the male one. Better self-esteem, pain reduction, stress relief and insomnia… But what happens at an evolutionary level?
The females of many animals, including other primates, also masturbate. but his masturbation much less has been studied. This is not something that should surprise us, since the sexual health of females and everything that concerns it has been greatly neglected for years.
In fact, the clitoris of female dolphins was only recently studied for the first time, despite extensive research on the penis of males. And unfortunately, the same thing happens with humans. The women’s sexuality, especially the one concerning his masturbation, has been a taboo for many years. That men did it was normal, but that women did it was seen much worse. Yes, it was conceived as a solution to a false disease: the hysteria. Of course, it was not worth masturbating, the massage had to be given by a doctor.
Today, luckily, female masturbation is much less stigmatized and the taboo around it is not so great. But women are still a step behind when it comes to their sexual health. The same goes for female primates. Therefore, to know the benefits of masturbation for which this has been conserved evolutionarily, it will be necessary to look towards the females. It’s about time.