Sex myths are the biggest menace ever. A contagious infection spreading from one ignorant person to another. It’s essential to cure this infection before it turns into an epidemic. So here's another in our Sex Myth Buster series!

This week, let’s bust myths about masturbation. Does it give you acne? Do girls masturbate? Can you get pregnant by doing it? All this and more. Read on...

A friend of mine suggested yesterday that men are “bigger masturbators” than women.

“A man holds the world record for masturbation – nine hours and something,” he said defiantly. “Men are just hornier than women. And so they’re more keen on masturbating,” he added. Is that true? If it is, is it the only reason why are women missing out on the safest, easiest form of sex?

I first found out about sex when I was 11 years old.

I don't know how most people get to know about it but for me it was a series of things that were happening all at the same time. That year, we saw a woman nude on screen for the first time. And we discovered a favourite pastime: masturbation.

Q: Auntyji, I really need your help. I’m 18 years old and I masturbate at least once a day.

I’ve been told this is an illness and that I can make myself sick. One friend warned me that if I carry on I won’t be able to satisfy a woman. What can I do to stop? I feel worried and guilty but I can't help myself!
Nishant, Hyderabad

Last week a friend of mine gave me a distress call. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t manage to orgasm when I pleasure myself,” she said.

Oh my, that is indeed reason to be distressed. So what has been going wrong? And how long had it been? “I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. It’s been a month or two,” she said desperately. 

“I discovered masturbation by accident,” says Bangalore-based Marion.

Till the age of 16 she didn’t even know that what she was doing was considered masturbation. “I mean I knew what ‘masturbation’ meant when boys did it, but honestly I didn’t think girls could do it.”

Sex toys… They’re no long just for people with an abnormally high sex drive who can’t help but duck into every sex shops in search of ever kinkier products.

Sex toys are being increasingly used by more regular folk to aid masturbation or to add some excitement when having sex with one’s partner. Here's our Top Five Facts number eight.

It’s a disease which mainly seems to affect conservative men. The symptoms may seem alarming, but there’s a simple cure: more masturbation.

We talk to Dr. Hussein Ghanem, sexologist at Cairo University about this surprisingly common “illness” and how he deals with it.

Q: I am 24 and have troubles getting erections. I used to have a proper erection, but now it can’t get up even during intimate sexual encounters or masturbation.

The situation seems to be getting worse and I am distracted much of the time about what may be wrong with me. I need help, Auntyji! Pawan, Manipur