PETALING JAYA: Improper masturbation can result in sexual problems like premature ejaculation, says an expert.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia head of urology and consultant urologist Professor Datuk Dr Zulkifli Md Zainuddin said this was because the individual was getting his body used to climaxing in a non-ideal environment.

"In dry masturbation, an individual does not use any from of lubrication as aid to climax.

"He may use a pillow or rub it against his bed, causing severe friction on the sensitive skin of his genital," Dr Zulkifli said when met after a talk titled "What The Fact of Sexual Habits" recently.

He explained that after "years" of doing this, when the penis is in a vagina that is "moist and ideal", it leads to a faster reaction.

"It leads to reaching orgasm even faster than the individual would like to," he said.

He added that water-based lubricants such as KY Jelly are best while petroleum jelly is not as good or healthy.

On whether improper masturbation could affect women, he said: "No, it does not affect women as they have natural lubricants."

Dr Zulkifli also said rushed masturbation was not ideal.

"When a man is in his teens, he does it under the blanket or in his room.

"Sometimes, if too long is spent in the bathroom, his mother may knock on the door, asking what is taking so long. So most of the time, teenagers are just rushing it.

"When you are always rushing to do it discretely, you are just teaching your body to climax faster and that can also contribute to premature ejaculation," he said.

He also pointed out that premature ejaculation is the second highest sexual diagnosis that men are treated for in Malaysia.

On whether excessive masturbation led to problems like premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction, Dr Zulkifli said it was a myth.

"Even claims that excessive masturbation is bad for the knees and affects sports activities, are all not true.

"There have been no studies on this and there is no way to prove it," he said.

On whether any of the present sexual education modules contained such information, he said they did not.

"We have a prepared module, but we face so much resistance from the Education Ministry.

"Teachers themselves are reserved about teaching such topics. They think giving sexual education is teaching children to have sex, like promoting sex, and that makes it very difficult for us to educate the younger generation.

"We know it is so important to teach the younger ones because we can avoid social ills, but not everyone understands that," he said.

Dr Zulkifli added that parents and teachers should learn to accept that children as young as 10 begin to explore their bodies.

He said it was better for them to do it while being aware of what was happening.