A bill to fine men for masturbating has moved a step closer to becoming law.

The proposal, introduced in the US state of Texas, would fine men $100 (£82) for masturbating, unless they do it in an approved medical facility.

The provocative bill has now made it past its first phase after having its first reading in the House of Representatives.

The Man’s Right to Know Act, as it’s known, would mean Texas men can only masturbate under supervision and inside approved health care facilities.

The bill was introduced by Representative Jessica Farrar in response to debates around women’s reproductive health across the US.

It will come as a relief to men in the state that Farrar, a Democrat, isn’t being entirely serious with her proposal.

Intended as a satirical attack on the way that male politicians try to make judgements on women’s bodies, the bill would restrict men in the same way that some seek to restrict women’s access to abortions and contraceptives.

Her proposal says that any: “unregulated masturbatory emissions outside of a woman’s vagina, or created outside of a health or medical facility, will be charged a $100 civil penalty for each emission, and will be considered an act against an unborn child, and failing to preserve the sanctity of life.”

“A lot of people find the bill funny,” Farrar told the Houston Chronicle.

The bill also suggests that men should have a rectal exam before they can be prescribed Viagra or be given a vasectomy.

Of the 50 states, Texas has some of the most restrictive laws on abortion.

“What’s not funny are the obstacles that Texas women face every day, that were placed there by legislatures making it very difficult for them to access healthcare.”

Farrar said she couldn’t take anymore when she came across a bill which would have forced women to bury or cremate an aborted fetus.

“An attending physician must administer a medically-unnecessary digital rectal exam and magnetic resonance imagining of the rectum before administering an elective vasectomy or colonoscopy procedure, or prescribing Viagra,” it reads.

According to Bill 4260, “masturbatory emissions” will be collected at medical facilities to be used for conception.

According to the results of a major study last year, masturbation has distinct health benefits, as well as stress relief.

The study – published in European Urology – followed 30,000 men for nearly 20 years and found that men who ejaculated more often had lower incidents of prostate cancer than those who did it less.

It also found that masturbating a lot when younger decreases health problems in later life.

Men in their 20s who ejaculated at least 21 times a month were 19% less likely to be diagnosed than men who ejaculated no more than seven times a month.

Even in their 40s, men who regularly pleasured themselves were 22% less likely to get prostate cancer.

“Ejaculation frequency is, to some extent, a measure of overall health status in that men at the very low end of ejaculation – 0 to 3 times per month – were more likely to have other (medical problems) and die prematurely from causes other than prostate cancer,” lead author Jennifer Rider told the AP.

Rider says their data suggests “ejaculation and safe sexual activity throughout adulthood could be a beneficial strategy for reducing the risk of prostate cancer.”

Last year, another survey found that the number of straight men who have had gay sex is surprisingly high.

The survey – conducted by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – asked respondents about the types of sexual experiences they have had and whether they are attracted to the same or opposite sex.

The 9,000 respondents – aged between 18 and 44 – were also asked how they chose to label their sexual orientations.

Results showed that the number of straight men who have had sex with another man had risen significantly – with 2.3 percent of men engaging in same-sex sexual activity identifying as heterosexual.