Masturbation Or Sex - 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 self-pleasuring offers a number of benefits. Masturbation refers to the act of inducing sexual arousal and deriving pleasure from it by stimulating the genitals and erogenous zones. This may be done using hands, fingers, sex toys, 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 stress-busting, controlling your blood pressure level, keeping the prostate and heart healthy, acting as a pain reliever etc. Masturbating does the same to your health to some extent, and certainly has a different set of benefits, which includes preventing STDs, cancer (ex: prostate cancer), boosting immunity, helping overcome premature ejaculation and the like. 
2. Associated risks: Sexual intercourse may come with various risks like genital infections and STDs, if your partner is infected or chance of an unwanted conception, if unsafe sex is practiced. That way, masturbation has comparatively fewer health risks than sex, though it is not entirely free from drawbacks. You can get skin irritations and in rare cases, even penile fractures (rarely though) due to aggressive 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 acts which give them greater or lesser 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. 

Notwithstanding the above points, which one (either sex or masturbation) gives you more pleasure, completely depends on your personal preferences. If you wish to discuss any specific sexual problem, you can consult a specialized sexologist and ask a free question.