Masturbation does not make men go limp when they attempt sex. Most men masturbate, whether they are sexually active or not. Masturbation is very healthy.

Men often go limp before sex when they are nervous. You will probably notice that you do just fine when you are completely relaxed and comfortable with the situation whether you masturbate or not.

Technically this is 100% correct. After all many people have sex every day and this doesn't affect their performance in any way.

But reality can be different. And I am speaking out of experience. Just check my first posts on the forums. I've come a loooong way since then. I will say it again, if you feel the least bit guilty about how often you masturbate, what you masturbate to (in my case it was porn, which I stopped completely) then I personaly believe you should take action. YES, there is nothing wrong with masturbation. But psychologically speaking, I have a strong feeling that it can affect your performance. In all cases, having sex after many days of "abstinence" is an incredible experience. Your sex drive will be boosted and this guilt related to masturbation won't be there anymore, so even if the only problem you have is psychological in nature and related to masturbation, then voila, it will be solved.

Both the above replies are great advice, but I can't help but notice that niether seemed to answer your request. of "how do I stop masterbating." Well when I was single last I did this alot. Well beyond your one or two times a day and I also found it difficult to quit even when I started having sex again.

My advice is to cut back slowly and put limits on how many times a day/week you allow yourself to masterbate. If you simply cannot seem to stop yourself then I advise spending a few days deliberatly staying away from the places you do it most often. In other words limit you oppurtunities to enage in masterbation. Then after a few days test your will power and see if you can resist the temptation, then work from there. It may take some time, but it WILL take some effort.

Llewellyn or one of the other advisers/moderaters may have more information on the health aspect of it all as I admitedly don't know the pros and cons of stopping all together. I myself still do it a few times a week even though I have a live in girlfriend that I engage with frequently.

As far as the up side of stopping altogether, there really isn't one unless the person feels very guilty about masturbation because they feel it is against their religion, or if they feel it is interfering with their life for some reason.

The down side of stopping altogether for men who have no other outlet (in other words do not have a partner they are sexually active with) is that frequent ejaculation when a man is young decreases his chances of getting prostate cancer late in life. So if a man stops masturbating without having another outlet, there are health benefits he is missing out on.

"The protective effect is greatest while men are in their twenties: those who had ejaculated more than five times per week in their twenties, for instance, were one-third less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer later in life"
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id= dn3942

"Are there benefits to masturbation?
Yes. Masturbation can help relieve stress and:
Relieve menstrual cramps
Help for insomnia (i.e. when a person is having trouble falling asleep)
Stimulate the immune system to help build up resistance to common infections.
Release mood elevating hormones
Reduce embarrassing spontaneous erections for teen males
Reduce the number of unwanted wet dreams for young men"
http://www.coolnurse.com/masturbation.htm

"CAN A PERSON BECOME ADDICTED OR MASTURBATE TOO MUCH?
People often wonder about the normal amount of masturbation. Each person must decide for himself or herself how much to masturbate. Professionals agree that there are no physical or mental implications for frequent masturbation, unless it is symptomatic of an obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD). Symptoms of OCD are repeatedly performing a behavior to the extent that it interferes with daily functioning, professional responsibilities, or personal relationships.

Behaviors that are performed to reduce stress or alleviate tension, including masturbation, are not considered symptomatic of a disorder unless they interfere with a person’s daily personal or professional life or hinder a person from fulfilling their responsibilities and commitments."
http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/handouts/mast urbation.html

Here is a link to an interesting article about the benefits of sex: http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/08/cz_af_100 8health.html

i'm addicted too...it's a daily occurrence for me. sometimes, i do it just because i'm bored. i've read and know there are no real negative side effects...what about using testosterone, and my daily masturbation affecting how well i can perform when exercising (lifting weights, etc.)? or...erm...i don't know the proper term for it.. when i feel myself about to ejaculate, i pinch my urethra closed to keep from actually 'shooting' my semen, while still technically ejaculating, then finding something (say, an empty bag) nearby to deposit it.

are there any negative effects to this method to "keeping clean"?

~the_fries_guy