A German doctor has recently raised the alert about the risks of death linked to the apparently harmless practice of masturbation. The expert estimates that 1 or 2 people (per the millions of inhabitants) die every year in Germany due to masturbation.
To start with, remember that masturbation, in women as well as men, is no longer a taboo subject in Western societies. However, although it would appear that there is nothing “safer” than this practice, there are in fact people who die from it every year. So how is this possible?
German medical examiner Herald Voss recently gave an interview to Bild. He explained that between 80 and 100 Germans die every year from masturbation. On the other hand, he also specified that these deaths generally happen when the victims take undue risks to intensify their pleasure.
The most common causes of death linked to masturbation are the following two practices: electric shock and autoerotic asphyxiation. In most cases the latter is caused by self-strangulation, a practice some people use to intensify pleasure, but which causes a lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Although sexual euphoria is the goal, the consequences can be fatal.
The doctor explains that the blockage of the two carotid arteries, which carry oxygen to the brain, can lead to loss of consciousness in just 30 seconds. Death is one possible outcome, but it could also cause irreversible brain damage in the case of survival.
Herald Voss also explained that men of all ages are more affected than women. However, it may be the case that the data is skewed, as loved ones often prefer to hide the facts, passing the death off as suicide or a different type of accident.
There is also another method of masturbation that carries significant risk: masturbation using a vacuum cleaner. A study published in the review Urology in 1985, led by American researcher Benson RC Jr., aimed to study injuries linked to this practice. The conclusions indicated that such injuries were not uncommon with this practice and that they could be serious, going so far as to lead to the loss of the penis in certain cases. At least in this case it’s not a question of life or death!
Sources: Bild – Pourquoi Docteur
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