Jacking Off Has Evolutionary Benefits Going Back 40 Million Years, Study Says
Masturbation is an "ancient trait" in the world of primates, including humans, according to a study that looked at how self-pleasure helped us evolve.
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Masturbation is an "ancient trait" in the world of primates, including humans, according to a study that looked at how self-pleasure helped us evolve.
As well as feeling darn good, masturbation may also help protect against sexually transmitted infections by flushing out the genital tract, at least in male primates, new research suggests.
While previous studies suggested that masturbation was a by-product of sexual arousal, the team from UCL claims that the behaviour actually served an evolutionary purpose - at least in men.
Self-pleasure occurs all across the animal kingdom, but it’s still unclear why primates in particular evolved autosexual behavior.
Masturbation in male primates seems to have evolved to boost reproductive success and cut the chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection, but the picture isn’t so clear for females