I find myself going through what I call "horny phases." There may be a few days, sometimes a week, when I have just no desire to masturbate. Then these "phases" hit me, and I find I can't masturbate enough. The only explanation I can come up with is that men go through phases much like a woman goes through her monthly cycle. Something in our bodies tells us it's time to release. It sounds stupid, but I think it's a better explanation than "men are just horny pigs."
- age 31, New York
This Week's Wackiest Response:
Once in a while I don't have the urge anymore. It usually lasts about 3 days. It happens because my bedroom is right beside my parents' room, and sometimes they go "at it," and I get really grossed out by the fact that it's my parents. Sometimes I feel like I'll never masturbate again because I get these gross images in my head. (Like, who wouldn't?) But after a couple of days, I get over it and I'm back at it.
- age 13, Ontario, Canada
I go through periods of 3 or 4 days when I just don't think about masturbation. Usually it accompanies periods of time when I am really wrapped up in work or school and just plain don't have the time or desire to masturbate. These occurrences are unpredictable and last from as little as 2 weeks to a few months or more. But when I return to my usual routine of 5 or 6 times a week, the first time after saving it for a few days is phenomenal.
- age 24, California
No. Usually after I have finished masturbating, a few hours later, I need to do it again. I think I have a big sex drive.
- age 17, New Zealand
I go through cycles. Every now and then I have a day when I'm not really in the mood to masturbate – but what happens more often is I'll find myself going through a period when I have trouble sustaining an erection, and even if I do manage to keep going, it takes forever to reach orgasm, if I don't give up first. Sometimes when this happens the desire to masturbate is lessened and I'm best off abstaining for a couple of days. Eventually things return to normal and I'm able to easily get erect, and usually my first masturbation session after this abstinence period results in a more stimulating period of stroking and a stronger, more satisfying orgasm (not to mention thicker semen, and more of it).
- age 44, Tennessee
It doesn't happen often, but it usually happens when I've had a hectic week where I've had no time to myself, such as exam time at school. I'm so stressed out that even when I have time to myself, I don't feel like masturbating. As soon as the cause of the stress has passed, I masturbate like I had done before.
- age 17, United Kingdom
No – I'm hornier than ever! If I could, I would probably lie around all day masturbating.
- age 36, Pennsylvania
Yes, it happens. Whenever I get really busy, I just forget to think about masturbation on a daily basis, so I forget to get horny on a daily basis. It's strange, and whenever I get un-busy, I remember, "Hey, I should masturbate today." Pause. "Whoa! I haven't masturbated in a while!" It normally lasts a week, sometimes as much as 2 weeks. This is usually the tactic I use whenever I want to stop masturbating – make myself busy!
- age 15, Mexico
When I have a spell when I don't want to masturbate, one of two things has happened: I either spent some quality time with my girlfriend and got to release a lot of sexual tension, or I have masturbated too much and my penis is raw. The raw penis happens about once every 2 months. Getting some from my girlfriend occurs about once every 2 weeks.
- age 21, Indiana
This happens to me quite often – at least after every masturbation session I have. It usually lasts 2 or 3 days – I really have no idea why it happens. It started about a year ago when I went on holiday and couldn't masturbate much. Ever since then I have lost a lot of my desire to masturbate, although I still do it at least 3 or 4 times a week.
- age 16, South Africa
This happens to me most often if I've been through something difficult in life which has consumed me – like a tough decision, a huge project, or a death. Also, if I'm on vacation or something of that nature, I'm too busy to think about masturbating. Other times, if I have a really intense masturbation session – one of those ones that seems to go on all day – after that I am so totally spent I might not do it for a couple days.
- age 18, Ontario, Canada
No way! I'm lucky if I go through a period of at least a couple of hours when I have little desire to masturbate. I'm happy that way. The only annoying thing about it is not being able to masturbate that often.
- age 15, Australia
For me it's the other way around. I don't masturbate regularly – maybe a few times a month, less when I have a boyfriend, and maybe a little more when I don't. But I go through periods of at least a couple days when I have a STRONG desire to masturbate. This usually happens when I am single. For instance, if I haven't had sex for a while and then have a one-time encounter, I start to crave the sex more and so will masturbate a lot for a few days. Sex is like a drug: If I don't have it for a while, I don't really miss it – but if I have it and then can't get any more, I crave it. That is when I have the desire to masturbate. Maybe it's just different for girls.
- age 21, California (female)
I recently moved to go to college. These past few weeks I have had absolutely no desire to masturbate anymore. It used to be almost once a day. I have never gone through a streak like this. I suppose it's just the stress of being in a new place. Although, now that I'm getting more comfortable here, I'm starting to feel that familiar urge.
- age 18, Arizona
After about a week of masturbating every day, I have a little "recharge" period of 3 or 4 days when I have no real urge to masturbate. After that I'm horny as ever. I guess I have some sort of hormone cycle.
- age 15, Georgia
I occasionally go for 2 or 3 days not feeling like masturbating (although there have been longer periods when I was under great stress, of course). But usually, I have to do something no less often than every couple of days, even if I have a cold or am otherwise not feeling well. (In these cases it's not very satisfying, but I have to do it.) The longest I ever went was 3 weeks, when I had a urinary-tract infection. When I finally satisfied my urge, I absolutely drenched myself – the first shot actually went over my head and hit the wall over my bed!
- age 36, Texas
The only time when I DON'T want to masturbate is right when I've started a new relationship with a girl I really like. For some reason it feels weird masturbating while I'm really into a girl. Odd.
- age 15, Minnesota
About once a month or so, I have a day or two when masturbating doesn't cross my mind. I'm usually too tired at night even for a "nightcap." When I do pick up the habit again, it's usually a better experience than usual. The only thing I can think of that might cause this is some male variation on PMS.
- age 21, Missouri
Sometimes I get masturbated out. Other times I just don't feel like spanking it. This probably happens for 2 reasons: One, I have a day off from school and I spend all my time in my room, under my covers. When that happens, I generally lose interest for about a week. The second situation is if I have a very unsexual thought stuck in my head. Then I lose interest in it for maybe a week or so.
- age 15, Wyoming
I frequently masturbate or find myself thinking about sex the most during the days leading up to the onset of my period. However, after it ends, I experience a period of elation where sex is furthest from my mind. I have little or no desire to seek out sexual contact. Also, the longer I go without having sex with a man, the less I find myself turned on without direct stimulation.
- age 23, Indiana (female)
My parents are getting a divorce, and sometimes I get depressed for a day or 2 and masturbating does not even cross my mind. That only happens about once a month. On regular days I masturbate 1 to 2 times, always. I love masturbation, so the depression gets in the way, though not very often. My dad knows I do it, and he even buys lube for me! So that keeps me with an open mind about the subject, which can beat the depression.
- age 13, Illinois
I masturbate fairly regularly, at least once a day (in the morning). But if my girlfriend and I have been particularly sexually active during the week, my desire to masturbate is less. Even if we have had sex in a day, though, I still like to masturbate while thinking about the day's activities.
- age 20, United Kingdom
Hell, no! The only reason why I might not masturbate on a certain day is because I never found a few minutes to sneak away from view. And that never happens, because I always have the time in the shower or while going to the restroom.
- age 13, New York
I think everybody goes through periods when they have little desire to masturbate, but mine are probably fewer and further between than most. I probably masturbate much more frequently than most guys, especially guys my age. Most days, I masturbate at least once. Sometimes I go 3 or 4 days, but I seldom go more than a week without doing it. I'm happily married and have a great sex life, but I get the urge to masturbate quite frequently – especially in the morning after a wild night of sex. (My wife admits that she does, too, but that's probably the only time she does it.) Whenever I get naked I almost always want to masturbate. In fact, I think I'm going to go masturbate right now.
- age 33, Massachusetts
Sometimes when I masturbate a lot or have an absolutely huge orgasm during a session, I go through a period when I just don't feel like masturbating. That usually lasts only about a day, though – 2 at the most. I can't go any longer than that.
- age 17, California
I just recently got a girlfriend, and I have noticed I don't want to wank as much as I used to. We aren't sexually active or anything; it's hard to explain, but I just don't feel the need. Her company is satisfying enough. I've gone from being a 2-or-3-times-a-day man to 2 or 3 times a week!
- age 19, New Zealand
"It happens when I am feeling guilty.
Is masturbation wrong or not?"
Yes! It happens when I am feeling guilty. I have this big conflict with being a Christian. Is masturbation wrong or not? But then I can't resist the urge, and it overcomes me. It feels great, too. When you go for a long time without ejaculating and then you finally do, it is the best feeling. I have been fighting it for about 5 weeks now, and it is going to be awesome when I masturbate again.
- age 17, Oklahoma
Rarely. The last time I did not have a desire to masturbate was in 1995, when for 2 days I was not horny at all. It seemed very strange, because I was masturbating about 4 times a day at that time. I guess my body just needed time to recuperate and "recharge," so I didn't panic about it. Two days is usually the longest time I would go without masturbating.
- age 31, Pennsylvania
No desire to masturbate? God, no! What an awful thought.
- age 18, Australia
Yes. It bothers me, too. It happens about once a month, and I am not sure why – maybe because I drink more heavily or just get stressed out. It usually wears off in a couple of days, but I feel I am losing out on some "prime time." I wish I knew why it happened so I could stop it. I really enjoy masturbating, and when I don't want to do it, I get kind of depressed that maybe I won't ever do it again (even though I know that's not likely).
- age 30, North Carolina
Usually in the morning I have NO desire to touch my penis. It just revolts me. But later, when I think about it, I think "Why did I think that?"
- age 15, California
It happens to me quite frequently. It usually lasts for about a week. It's probably due to the medication I'm on (an anti-depressant). My mind says, "Go for it!" – but when I do, I feel as though my equipment is saying, "Boring...read a book instead!" It's a form of self-rejection – not even me wants me.
- age 24, Ohio
A lot of times I'm just not into it, and I don't like to "force" myself to masturbate when I don't want to. This is probably because after I get up at 6:00, go to school and swim practice, do homework, eat, and shower, I'm just too exhausted and don't really want to do anything. I usually end up masturbating 3 or 4 times a week, mostly on weekends. Besides, this way, when I do masturbate, the experience is much better.
- age 14, Florida
I go to college and have 2 roommates, so I can't always masturbate. I lose the urge because I want privacy and can't always get it. This happens quite frequently and lasts only a few days, because after a while, when my roommates finally leave, I get an erection and masturbate to a great orgasm. I never get the urge to when they are around, even though I know they wouldn't mind if I did.
- age 20, California
I usually have periods like this. It usually lasts 3 or 4 days, and I find that on the last night of this period I have a "wet-dream," and after that night I have the desire back again. I don't know why it happens, but sometimes it seems to be related to the underwear I'm wearing. I usually wear boxers, but if I go for a few days wearing briefs I tend to lose the desire to masturbate.
- age 15, United Kingdom
I tend to be very unhorny just before my period. I'm very regular, and I can count on the 36 hours before I menstruate being a no-sex or no-masturbation time. I feel achey, and my breasts tend to get very sensitive and sore. It's just not a great time for me. Conversely, I tend to be very, very horny 24 hours after I start.
- age 26, Alaska (female)
I went through an 8-week Masturbation Rebellion. It happened because someone instilled in my head that masturbation was wrong, dirty, ungodly, etc. So I thought I was going to hell for doing it – but I got over that pretty fast. I really don't think God cares if you please yourself once in a while.
- age 15, California (female)
I went through a long period (over a year) when I just wasn't interested in masturbating. When I forced myself because I was afraid that I would lose it if I didn't use it, it was difficult and unsatisfying. I think it was a combination of factors: I was depressed, I hadn't found JackinWorld yet and my technique was poor, and finally, I was suppressing my sexuality because I was afraid I was queer (making it difficult to enjoy my fantasies). I now love the way I am and have orgasms and feel great about them. I actually even feel bad if I don't masturbate every day. (I still don't want to lose it!)
- age 22, Hawaii