A new study by scientists at the University College London (UCL) has revealed that the act of self pleasuring in males my help with successful fertilisation by increasing arousal before sex.

They added that masturbating after ejaculating could help shed off low-quality semen, leaving fresh sperm available for mating and also reduce the risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

Lead researcher Dr. Matilda Brindle and her team conducted a study on masturbation in primates, including humans, and published their findings in the journal Proceedings of The Royal Society B.

The researchers used information from academic papers, questionnaires, and personal communications with primate experts and zookeepers to better understand the evolution and purpose of masturbation in primates.

Their findings indicated that masturbation most likely existed among the common ancestors of all primates. One hypothesis they suggested for this behavior is that masturbation without ejaculation could help increase chances of fertilisation so primates that did that could easily get offsprings.

The other hypothesis suggested is that masturbation could help males eliminate low-quality semen, making fresh sperm available for mating.

Additionally, they hypothesised that masturbation could reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) after sex because semen from sexual self-gratification can clean the urethra, which is the main site of infection for many STIs.

Dr. Brindle emphasises that this behaviour is part of a range of healthy sexual behaviour observed in both captive and wild-living members of various primate species.

However, benefits of masturbating among females remain unclear.