Masturbation has been frowned upon throughout history and in nearly ever culture. In ancient times of high infant mortality and low life expectancy, stigmas about self-love were rooted in the belief that it endangered the survival of the species. Men were also believed to have a finite amount of sperm, and thus masturbation was thought of as wasteful. Of course, the 50,000 sperm men produce per minute are more than enough to go around!
Masturbation was also associated with many physical symptoms; psychiatrist Benjamin Rush called it "self-pollution," claiming that it caused headaches, epilepsy, nosebleeds, memory loss, heart murmurs, blindness, and even psychosis. In the 1800s, Sylvester Graham led a health food crusade based on the idea that sexual excess including masturbation, erotic dreams and intercourse more than once a month was caused by rich and spicy foods. He prescribed a bland and boring diet; the Graham cracker, in fact, is a sweetened version of his invention. Corn Flakes were originally designed by John Harvey Kellogg to promote health and decrease sex drive!
In the Victorian Era it was commonly held that, unlike any decent woman, men had an excess of sexual desire and lust. Extramarital sex, homosexuality, oral sex and masturbation were gravely taboo. This is not to say that this side of human sexuality disappeared, of course; it was simply denied, discouraged and condemned. Masturbation is still forbidden today in certain religions and cultures, and even punished or prevented through castration and female circumcision in some areas of the world. As late as 1940, a pediatric text in the US proclaimed masturbation and any other non-reproductive erotic outlet as harmful to the growth of society.
Today we live in a time of overpopulation, when sexuality is no longer tied exclusively to reproduction. We now know that masturbation does not cause disease; in fact, it is widely believed to promote health and well-being. Most problems associated with self-love today are psychological; many people still suffer needlessly from guilt, shame and feelings of isolation.
The 1948 Kinsey Report showed that intercourse, let alone masturbation, was an activity as much to do with pleasure as it was to do with procreation. It turned many ideologies on their ears and raised a great deal of controversy. If the vast majority of the population had masturbated, then why should anyone be ashamed of it? Though not completely "out of the closet" or accepted across cultural barriers, it is increasingly accepted as a natural, healthy, and fundamental part of human development and sexuality.