Should I Be Worried if I Never Masturbate?

I Don’t Masturbate for Religious or Cultural Reasons

My first response to this is to ask whether or not you fully understand the various positions your religion takes on masturbation. Within all religions, there is a diversity of opinion, and you may want to research how different members of your community or faith interpret teachings about sexuality and masturbation. If you don’t masturbate because of cultural pressure, I would ask whether there are other things you do that give you pleasure but are frowned on by your culture, and if so why masturbation doesn’t qualify as one of those kinds of behaviors. Masturbating and feeling guilty about it is not the answer here, but many people who are deeply religious and come from anti-masturbation backgrounds manage to fulfill both their sexual desires and their religious convictions. It’s not impossible, even if it requires more consideration than others have to give it.

I Keep Trying to Masturbate, but It Doesn’t Work, so I've Given Up

There are plenty of people who aren’t able to masturbate for pleasure. The reasons for this are varied, and they are worth thinking about. There may be a physical issue or condition that’s getting in the way of you enjoying masturbation; affecting either the way your body responds to stimulation or your desire and interest for sex in the first place. There could be psychological and emotional obstacles; pressure to perform, negative sexual experiences in the past, early messages about masturbation that you can’t seem to ignore. Often the reasons are a combination of mind and body issues. On a simpler level, you might be physically and psychologically ready for it, but you lack technique. Both women and men sometimes need to learn how to masturbate before they get any enjoyment from it.

If you think that the obstacles could be physical, psychological, or emotional it may be worth talking to a professional about your concerns. That might be a family doctor you trust and feel comfortable with, visiting a sexual health clinic, or seeing a sex therapist.