Human Sexuality Assignment: Being Sexually Active

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Part A.
Question one.
The first question I chose from the website goasalice.com is the question about the correlation between masturbation and being sexually active. The question of masturbation has raised a lot of concerns with many people having divergent opinions towards it. Some people even shy away from discussing issues related to masturbation and sexual activity while some studies indicate that many people masturbate. Also, the confusion on whether to answer “yes” or “no” to the question - “are you sexually active?” pulled my interest towards the topic. Physicians, most of the time ask us if we are sexually active, a question that always leaves us not only shy and embarrassed but also, wondering why they ask such a question. In most cases, the doctor asks this question to determine the sexual practices of the individual. Sexual practices of a person help in assessing their level of risk to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and pregnancy – for women.
Masturbation can be best defined by an individual basing on how he or she views it. However, medically, masturbation is not considered to be sexually active. According to the healthcare provider, a “sexually active” individual is typically one who is involved in the actual sexual intercourse where vaginal, oral and anal sex is involved (excluding masturbation). Therefore, reasoning from medical perspectives, you are not right when you say that masturbating equals being “sexually active.” On the contrary, “sexually active” might mean something entirely different for various people outside their healthcare provider's office. Whether one want to consider himself or herself as sexually active or not, basing on masturbation is solely his or her decision (Darby 2008).
Like the actual sexual intercourse, masturbation has benefits similar befits. It improves the body image and the mood of an individual, relieves stress and enables one to understand better his/her body – that is, what makes him/ her feel good, likes and dislikes. In women, it relieves the menstrual cramp pain and reduces their risk of endometriosis. For men, it notably improves their prostrate health, thus, reducing their chances of getting prostate cancer. Unlike sexual intercourse with another person, masturbation significantly reduces an individual’s chances of getting STIs and pregnant for women.
This health benefit is due to masturbation – the solo sexual romp does not involve the contact of oneself with another’s mucous membrane and sexual fluids – such as from the mouth, anus or even the vagina. However, when masturbation involves the use of sexual toys, objects, and the vibrators, there are chances that an individual can get infected with the STIs if the sexual objects, toys and the vibrators are shared. Therefore, to reduce the risks of infections transmission, it is encouraged to use a condom when sharing the tantalizing tools and also wash them regularly.
Finally, when you masturbate and consider yourself as sexually active or not, masturbation has not been associated with any adverse health effect. Sexual activity is healthy and considered as a regular...