The level of sexual tension, and hence the frequency of diurnal erections and nocturnal emissions , varies greatly among normal individuals. Voluntary relief from feelings of sexual tension may be sought through masturbation , fantasies of a sexual nature and simultaneously stimulating the sexual organs manually until orgasm results. This occurs almost universally among young males and a great variety of visual stimuli are published tacitly for this purpose. Masturbation is not physically harmful, but if an individual has come to feel guilty or anxious about its supposed effects, the conflict between these feelings and the compulsion to seek some outlet of sexual feeling may become emotionally distinctive. Among women, and particularly younger women, masturbation is less common and is less often associated with fantasies of an erotic nature.
Masturbation allows some dissipation of sexual tension before, and to some extent during marriage.
Sensuality and sexuality Sensuality is not the same thing as sexuality. Any type of pleasurable sensual stimulus itself is not specifically sexual. Its sexual implications ultimately lie in the eye, ear, nose, tongue or touch of the beholder. Sensual experiences give pleasure to the body but don't necessarily involve a partner. Erotic experiences occur in specifically sexual situations.