Masturbation or Love Making - Which Has More Benefits?

The act of pleasuring oneself is one topic, which has always been questioned by the society at large, but in reality it offers a number of benefits. Masturbation refers to the act of inducing sexual arousal and deriving pleasure from it by stimulating the genitals. This may be done using your own hands, sex toys, fingers or grouping together the effect of these. Mutual masturbation among partners is also a fairly common phenomenon. There are varied opinions on the topic, whether actual sexual penetration gives more pleasure or masturbation. Read on to find out what effect each has on your body and which one is more preferred by most people. 

1. Health benefits: Studies reveal that engaging in sexual intercourse is associated with a lot of health benefits like controlling your blood pressure level, keeping the prostrate and heart healthy for men, acting as a pain reliever etc. Masturbating may not affect your health in the way sex does, but it certainly has a different set of benefits, which includes preventing cancer, boosting immunity, reducing risks of premature ejaculation etc. 
2. Associated risks: Sexual intercourse often comes with various risks like STDs IF PARTNER IS INFECTED or chances of unwanted conception IF UNSAFE SEX. Masturbation has comparatively lower health risks than sex, though it is not entirely free from drawbacks. You can get skin irritations and in rare cases, even penile fractures due to excessive masturbation. 
3. Effect on relationship: The quality and frequency of the sexual intercourse you have with your partner has a direct effect on your relationship. However, masturbation mostly does not involve your partner's participation and so doesn't visibly have a reflection on your relationship. 
4. Role in knowing your sexual preferences: In case of both men and women, masturbation helps people to identify their sexual preferences and things which give them greater pleasure. This usually leads to a more satisfying sex life and is considered to be easier than figuring out what pleases you while having sex. 

Even after considering the above points, which one (either sex or masturbation) gives you more pleasure, completely depends on your personal preferences.