Human beings have a long and complicated history with masturbation. Although it was originally pursued without care or consequence, self-pleasure eventually came to be seen as a pathway to disease and one of the gravest sins you could commit. In today’s show, we’re going to explore the wacky history of masturbation, which is a timely topic because we’re currently in the midst of a social media fueled war on self-pleasure.

I am joined by Dr. Eric Sprankle, an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and the co-director of the Sexuality Studies program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He’s also a licensed clinical psychologist and AASECT-certified sex therapist affiliated with the Minnesota Sexual Health Institute. His latest book is titled, DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation.

Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:

Where did the idea of masturbation as a sinful activity originate?
What are some of the ways religious leaders have tried to discourage self-pleasure over the years?
When did masturbation start to become a public health concern, and why?
Why does self-pleasure continue to be a controversial topic to this day?
How has the rise of social media coincided with a rise in negative views on masturbation?

Make sure to check out Eric’s website to learn more and follow him on the socials @drsprankle.

Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology.

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Thank you to our sponsors!

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.

N4N028: The Wide World of WANs