Fact Check: En última instancia, el consenso general de la comunidad médica es que la masturbación es "natural e inofensiva".

Published April 6, 2025

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VERDICT

Mostly True

# The Claim: "Ultimately, the general consensus of the medical community is that masturbation is 'natural and harmless.'" ## Introduction The claim s...

The Claim: "Ultimately, the general consensus of the medical community is that masturbation is 'natural and harmless.'"

Introduction

The claim suggests that there is a broad agreement among medical professionals regarding the nature and safety of masturbation, labeling it as "natural and harmless." This assertion invites scrutiny, as it touches on a topic historically surrounded by stigma and misinformation. To evaluate this claim, we will examine various sources that discuss the health implications of masturbation and the prevailing attitudes within the medical community.

What We Know

Medical Consensus: Several sources indicate that masturbation is generally considered a normal part of human sexuality. For example, a review from the Universidad de Barcelona states that masturbation can relieve pain and promote a sense of well-being due to the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids during the act 1.
Health Benefits: Articles from Medical News Today and Clínica Barcelona highlight the positive impacts of masturbation on mental health and sexual well-being. They assert that masturbation can help individuals understand their bodies better and maintain emotional wellness 3 4.
Addressing Concerns: The presence of medical concerns related to masturbation, such as persistent pain or significant changes in sexual function, is acknowledged. In such cases, seeking professional guidance is recommended 2.
Cultural Context: Historically, masturbation has been a taboo subject, often surrounded by myths and misconceptions. A document from GEISHAD discusses how these myths have influenced perceptions and emphasizes the need for more research and open discussion on the topic 6.
Scientific Findings: Research indicates that masturbation may have health benefits, such as reducing the risk of urinary tract infections and strengthening the immune system 9.

Analysis

The sources reviewed present a largely supportive view of masturbation as a natural and harmless practice. However, it is essential to critically assess the reliability and potential biases of these sources:

Source Reliability: Many of the sources cited, such as Medical News Today and Clínica Barcelona, are established platforms that typically provide evidence-based health information. However, the potential for bias exists, particularly in articles that may aim to promote sexual health awareness or challenge societal taboos.
Conflicts of Interest: Some sources may have underlying agendas, such as promoting sexual health education or dispelling myths about masturbation. For instance, the document from GEISHAD aims to encourage further research and discussion, which could indicate a vested interest in promoting a more open dialogue about sexual health 6.
Methodological Concerns: While many articles cite health benefits associated with masturbation, they often do not provide detailed methodologies or specific studies to back their claims. For instance, the assertion that masturbation strengthens the immune system is based on findings from researchers at the University of Sydney, but the specifics of the study are not thoroughly detailed in the articles 9.
Diverse Opinions: While there is a general consensus in many medical circles about the harmlessness of masturbation, dissenting opinions still exist, particularly from more conservative or traditional viewpoints. The document from ALSF Chile acknowledges that, despite a growing consensus, there are still voices that express concern about masturbation 5.

Conclusion

Verdict: Mostly True

The claim that the general consensus of the medical community is that masturbation is "natural and harmless" is largely supported by the evidence reviewed. Numerous reputable sources indicate that masturbation is considered a normal aspect of human sexuality, with various health benefits, including improved mental well-being and physical health. However, it is important to recognize that while many medical professionals endorse this view, there are still dissenting opinions, particularly from more conservative perspectives.

The evidence does have limitations, as some sources may carry biases or lack comprehensive methodologies to support their claims fully. Additionally, the historical stigma surrounding masturbation means that not all medical professionals may agree on its harmlessness. Therefore, while the consensus leans toward viewing masturbation positively, it is prudent to acknowledge the diversity of opinions and the need for ongoing research.

Readers are encouraged to critically evaluate the information presented and consider the nuances surrounding this topic, as individual experiences and cultural contexts may influence perceptions of masturbation.

Sources

Universidad de Barcelona. "El impacto de la masturbación en nuestra salud." Link
Diagnosticoysalud.es. "Desmitificando la Masturbación: Un Acto Natural y Saludable." Link
Medical News Today. "Efectos secundarios de la masturbación: Mitos y verdades." Link
Clínica Barcelona. "¿Cómo impacta la masturbación en nuestra salud?" Link
ALSF Chile. "Mitos y realidades acerca de la masturbación o autoerotismo." Link
GEISHAD. "Masturbación: mitos y realidades." Link
UNAM Global. "Masturbarte te ejercita y te previene de enfermedades." Link
Familia y Salud. "LA MASTURBACIÓN: LA NATURALIDAD FRENTE A LOS PREJUICIOS." Link
Medicina y Salud Pública. "La masturbación: beneficios para la salud." Link
Observatorio Medellín Joven. "Masturbación y salud." Link

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Fact Check: Built on ancient Native American mounds near the meeting point of where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers clash, the town sits at a natural crossroads. During the Civil War, that geography turned it into a vital Union stronghold. Mound City became home to one of the largest military hospitals in the West and served as a major naval station. Soldiers from both sides passed through some to recover, many not. It may be quiet now, but this place once pulsed with the urgency of life and death and sat at the crossroad of a nation at war with itself.

That history lingers most clearly at the Mound City National Cemetery, just beyond the edge of town. I wasn’t expecting to find it, and I certainly wasn’t expecting the names etched into some of the stones. Two men in particular stood out, John Basil Turchin and Alexander Bielaski. Both born in the Russian Empire. Both connected to Abraham Lincoln. Both now buried here, far from where they began.

John Basil Turchin (born Ivan Turchaninov) had once been a colonel in the Russian Imperial Army. He fought in the Crimean War before immigrating to the United States in 1856. When the Civil War broke out, he offered his experience to the Union cause with fierce conviction. His military background and abolitionist ideals caught Lincoln’s attention, and he was appointed a brigadier general, becoming the only Russian born general to serve in the Union Army. He died in 1901 and was laid to rest here, among the soldiers he once led, and some that he fought against.

Partially True

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Fact Check: Built on ancient Native American mounds near the meeting point of where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers clash, the town sits at a natural crossroads. During the Civil War, that geography turned it into a vital Union stronghold. Mound City became home to one of the largest military hospitals in the West and served as a major naval station. Soldiers from both sides passed through some to recover, many not. It may be quiet now, but this place once pulsed with the urgency of life and death and sat at the crossroad of a nation at war with itself. That history lingers most clearly at the Mound City National Cemetery, just beyond the edge of town. I wasn’t expecting to find it, and I certainly wasn’t expecting the names etched into some of the stones. Two men in particular stood out, John Basil Turchin and Alexander Bielaski. Both born in the Russian Empire. Both connected to Abraham Lincoln. Both now buried here, far from where they began. John Basil Turchin (born Ivan Turchaninov) had once been a colonel in the Russian Imperial Army. He fought in the Crimean War before immigrating to the United States in 1856. When the Civil War broke out, he offered his experience to the Union cause with fierce conviction. His military background and abolitionist ideals caught Lincoln’s attention, and he was appointed a brigadier general, becoming the only Russian born general to serve in the Union Army. He died in 1901 and was laid to rest here, among the soldiers he once led, and some that he fought against.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Built on ancient Native American mounds near the meeting point of where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers clash, the town sits at a natural crossroads. During the Civil War, that geography turned it into a vital Union stronghold. Mound City became home to one of the largest military hospitals in the West and served as a major naval station. Soldiers from both sides passed through some to recover, many not. It may be quiet now, but this place once pulsed with the urgency of life and death and sat at the crossroad of a nation at war with itself. That history lingers most clearly at the Mound City National Cemetery, just beyond the edge of town. I wasn’t expecting to find it, and I certainly wasn’t expecting the names etched into some of the stones. Two men in particular stood out, John Basil Turchin and Alexander Bielaski. Both born in the Russian Empire. Both connected to Abraham Lincoln. Both now buried here, far from where they began. John Basil Turchin (born Ivan Turchaninov) had once been a colonel in the Russian Imperial Army. He fought in the Crimean War before immigrating to the United States in 1856. When the Civil War broke out, he offered his experience to the Union cause with fierce conviction. His military background and abolitionist ideals caught Lincoln’s attention, and he was appointed a brigadier general, becoming the only Russian born general to serve in the Union Army. He died in 1901 and was laid to rest here, among the soldiers he once led, and some that he fought against.

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Detailed fact-check analysis of: La tasa de pobreza en la Argentina habría estado por debajo de 37% en el segundo semestre del año pasado. De confirmarse el dato, sería una caída importante con relación al 52,9% al que llegó la medición en la primera parte de 2024. El próximo 31 de marzo, el Indec dará a conocer el dato oficial, pero las proyecciones de la Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTDT) muestran que la tasa estaría en torno al 36,8%. De esta forma, sería el nivel más bajo desde el primer semestre de 2022 (36,5%). El presidente Javier Milei mencionó esta estimación hoy en una entrevista cuando dijo que la economía está creciendo fuertemente y que la inflación está cayendo. “La pobreza en la frecuencia mensual, medida por Martín González Rozada de la Universidad Di Tella, muestra que la bajamos de 57% a 36%; es decir, bajamos 21 puntos la pobreza y sacamos a casi 10 millones de personas de la pobreza. En ese contexto, donde sigue bajando la inflación, siguen subiendo los salarios reales y las jubilaciones, donde a la gente le va muchísimo mejor, estamos en niveles de popularidad récord y tenemos intención de votos del orden del entre el 45% y el 50%“, dijo el mandatario, en una entrevista con A24. El econometrista González Rozada utiliza los microdatos de la encuesta permanente de hogares (EPH) que publica el Indec para anticipar el dato semestral de pobreza. Según sus estimaciones, la tasa de pobreza habría bajado de 41,8% del segundo semestre de 2023 a 36,8% en el mismo período del año pasado, mientras que la indigencia habría bajado de 12,2% a 9,2%. De esta forma, en su primer año de gobierno, Milei habría reducido la tasa de pobreza, pese al ajuste fiscal de casi cinco puntos del producto que realizó. El pico de la medición de pobreza fue en el primer trimestre, con una tasa de 54,8%, que habría bajado a 34,8% en el último trimestre del año. La baja tan pronunciada se explica directamente por la fuerte caída de la tasa de inflación, que pasó de 211,4% a finales de 2023 a 117,8%, el año pasado. Esto, a su vez, permitió que mejorara el poder adquisitivo vinculado a la compra de los productos que integran la canasta básica total (CBT), que mide la pobreza y que en 2024 aumentó 106,6%, y la canasta básica alimentaria (CBA), que mide la indigencia y subió 86,7% anual. “La tasa de pobreza se reduce porque a partir del semestre febrero-julio, los ingresos de los hogares empezaron a crecer más que los precios de la canasta básica total, que mide la pobreza. Este crecimiento de los ingresos se da en parte por la caída de la tasa de inflación”, dijo González Rozada, a LA NACION. El economista estima que mientras que la inflación siga bajando, seguirá cayendo la pobreza. “La evolución de la inflación esperada por el consenso del mercado es de 2,3% para enero y estimo que la CBT esté por debajo de ese valor en aumentos porcentuales similares a los que hubo en noviembre [1,5%] y diciembre [2,3%]. Por lo tanto, esperaría que la pobreza siga bajando, tal vez no al ritmo que ha bajado entre el primer y segundo semestre de año pasado, pero que se mantenga o siga bajando un poquito”, dijo González Rozada. Las estimaciones coinciden con las realizadas por el economista Leopoldo Tornarolli, investigador senior del Centro de Estudios Distributivos, Laborales y Sociales (Cedlas), que depende de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP). “La inflación es el fenómeno que explica en los últimos años la evolución de la pobreza monetaria, que es como se llama la medición de la pobreza argentina, que es por ingresos. Este método es muy sensible a la variación de la inflación. 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Eso tuvo algún impacto, aunque no creo que sea la explicación principal para los números de pobreza. Si vemos los ingresos de los hogares que viven cerca de la línea de la pobreza, los que son menos pobres entre los pobres y los que son más pobres entre los no pobres, siguen teniendo principalmente ingresos laborales”, dijo Tornarolli. En cuanto a los datos oficiales de pobreza, el Indec informó en septiembre que en el primer semestre, la cantidad de personas pobres, si se proyectan los datos oficiales a todos el país, fue casi 25 millones, mientras que la indigencia alcanzó a 8,5 millones personas.

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Fact Check: George Soros and the Open Society Foundations (OSF):

They have been the leading donors to the Democratic Party over the past 15+ years.

They have been the leading funders behind Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa "terrorist riots."

They have funded campaigns of dozens of corrupt judges, District Attorneys (DAs), and Attorneys General (AGs).

Soros has publicly stated his intention to dismantle the American constitutional republic.

The Democratic Party is aligned with this anti-American agenda.

Partially True

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Fact Check: George Soros and the Open Society Foundations (OSF): They have been the leading donors to the Democratic Party over the past 15+ years. They have been the leading funders behind Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa "terrorist riots." They have funded campaigns of dozens of corrupt judges, District Attorneys (DAs), and Attorneys General (AGs). Soros has publicly stated his intention to dismantle the American constitutional republic. The Democratic Party is aligned with this anti-American agenda.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: George Soros and the Open Society Foundations (OSF): They have been the leading donors to the Democratic Party over the past 15+ years. They have been the leading funders behind Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa "terrorist riots." They have funded campaigns of dozens of corrupt judges, District Attorneys (DAs), and Attorneys General (AGs). Soros has publicly stated his intention to dismantle the American constitutional republic. The Democratic Party is aligned with this anti-American agenda.

Aug 18, 2025

True

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Detailed fact-check analysis of: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pushed through a plan to lower the national voting age from 18 to 16 for the next general election, the most sweeping extension of voting rights for over 50 years.

Jul 27, 2025

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Detailed fact-check analysis of: DONALD TRUMP IS IN THE EPSTEIN FILES When Justice Department officials reviewed what Attorney General Pam Bondi called a "truckload" of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year, they discovered that Donald Trump's name appeared multiple times, according to senior administration officials.

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Partially True

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Jul 26, 2025

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Fact Check: En última instancia, el consenso general de la comunidad médica es que la masturbación es "natural e inofensiva".

The Claim: "Ultimately, the general consensus of the medical community is that masturbation is 'natural and harmless.'"

Introduction

What We Know

Analysis

Conclusion

Sources

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Fact Check: Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pushed through a plan to lower the national voting age from 18 to 16 for the next general election, the most sweeping extension of voting rights for over 50 years.