Everyone knows what masturbation is. It's the magic formula for making angels sing and bringing peace to the nations. And from what I've heard, it's also the number one cause of blindness and hairy palms in men—just kidding. At any rate, it's an activity that just about every guy occasionally enjoys, and it's perfectly healthy in moderation. But certain types of masturbation can be hazardous to your health. For instance, you never want to bring your plug-in sex toy into the bathtub with you, and you're going to want to avoid prone masturbation at all costs. “But wait,” you say, prone masturbation? Yes, prone masturbation.

What is Prone Masturbation?

Though you don't commonly hear the expression, you may have tried the activity at one point or another. Prone masturbation involves lying on your stomach, rather than on your back. You might use your hand (per the normal routine) or you might masturbate by thrusting your penis into a pillow, mattress or other object to simulate real sex. Prone masturbation can be extremely dangerous, and in fact, it has been shown to cause severe sexual dysfunction in most people who habitually engage in the activity.

Only about 10 percent of the population engages in this form of masturbation, but that's not such a small number when you really break it down. For instance, 10 percent of the population is homosexual; 13 percent of the population is African American; and 15 percent of the population meets the criteria for alcoholism. So a seemingly small percentage can obviously encompass a lot of people. If you practice prone masturbation, you would be wise to stop immediately.

What's So Bad About Prone Masturbation?

According to a 1998 report from the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, prone masturbation places tremendous pressure on the base of the penis. Over time, this masturbation can lead to a serious condition known as anorgasmia, defined as extreme difficulty of achieving an orgasm, or a complete inability to complete an orgasm. In fact, nearly 60 percent of people who engage in prone masturbation have reported problems with anorgasmia. That's a staggering number.

Is if that wasn't enough good news, at least one-third of people who practice prone masturbation have reported suffering from erectile dysfunction. So even if you're one of the lucky few who doesn't become plagued by anorgasmia, it won't really matter if you can't get it up anyway. Some guys claim that prone masturbation feels better than conventional supine (performed on one's back) masturbation, but ask yourself, is it really worth the potential risks?

Have You Already Experienced Symptoms?

Maybe you're reading this and thinking to yourself, “Oh no, I'm already experiencing these symptoms. Is there anything I can do?” For starters, you need to lay off the dangerous masturbatory practice. Second, herbal treatments may treat nerve and tissue damage to reverse the signs of sexual dysfunction. Herbs like Astragalus Membranaceus, Cornus Officinalis, and Opiopogon have shown tremendous progress.

Most importantly, don't buy into the myth that prone masturbation is more like real intercourse. Real intercourse doesn't place that kind of pressure on the base of the penis, and it typically doesn't lead to devastating sexual dysfunction (unless your partner likes it very, very rough). So practice safe sex, and safe masturbation. The health of your penis depends on safety.