Hundreds of men are dying every year while doing something we're all guilty of

A German doctor has identified an increased chance of fatality linked to some risky methods of self pleasure. Could you be putting yourself at risk?

Hundreds of men are dying every year while doing something we're all guilty of
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Hundreds of men are dying every year while doing something we're all guilty of

Medical examiner Harald Voss from Germany is sounding the alarm on a dangerous act that most of us participate in (although some wouldn’t admit): masturbation.

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While as humorous as it may sound, between 80 and 100 deaths in Germany occur every year that happen as a result of or are linked to doing it in a risky way.

In an interview given to German publication Bild, Dr Harald Voss claims to see one to two people die each year as a result of a dangerous masturbatory practice, like autoerotic asphyxiation.

In other words: the act of closing the airway and depriving the body of oxygen to bring about elevated pleasure can cause loss of consciousness or even lead to death. ‘If, for example, both carotid arteries are squeezed, it takes a maximum of 30 seconds’, the doctor warns. According to him, men are at a much higher risk as women tend to be more cautious when taking part in activities of this nature.

Voss claims that certain sex toys are also to blame for a high number of deaths, notably relating to sadomasochism. Whatever floats your boat folks, but please stay safe!

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