Masturbation in Adolescents: a Systematic Review

Abstract

Masturbation is the development of sexual behavior with self-satisfaction to the point of satisfaction, which is mostly accompanied by daydreaming and often increases in adolescence and after puberty. The present study aims to review the observational studies performed in The field of masturbation in adolescents. First, a systematic review of all observational studies conducted in and outside the country in the period of 2010 -2020 and with language restrictions (English and Persian only) Search in Google Scholar, Irandoc, Embase, Science dire, Elsevier, Pub Med, Scopus was created using the keywords "masturbation," "teens" and using the appropriate operator such as AND, and all related articles are searched and collected. Articles were selected based on Strobe criteria, and items with a score of Twelve or higher were selected, and the results were reported. The results of 10 studies were summarized in four main categories: Prevalence of masturbation according to gender, Causes of masturbation, Side effects of masturbation, and Attitude towards masturbation. In most studies, the prevalence of this behavior is higher in boys than girls due to anatomical and hormonal differences. Both negative psychological effects and negative physical effects were reported as Side effects of masturbation. But still, the views of people of different religions about this practice are completely different. Due to the insufficiency of studies, it is necessary to recommend a study on this issue. Observing the existing studies, it can be concluded that proper education inappropriate sexual behaviors can put adolescents on the path to sexual health and physical problems and Reduce their morale.