STOP THIS: It can ruin your sex life!

In men, masturbation is a training for partner sex, though few realise it. It's like learning how to ride a bicycle before driving a scooter or a motorcycle.

Nobody teaches men (or for that matter anyone) how to masturbate. It's something most of us learn through self-discovery. Unfortunately, a large minority of men (around 10 per cent in the world) self-discover the wrong way, leading to life-long sexual and relationship failures.

This problematic technique is called prone masturbation. It's a method that involves applying excessive pressure on your penis in the face-down position (see image) . Men who practice this technique think that they are doing sex, missionary style.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Years of exclusive prone masturbation can lead to a situation where most men lose their ability to sustain an erection during partner sex. This can often lead to sexless relationships and breakups.

In others, it can lead to inorgasmia or delayed ejaculation. The intense pleasure you experience during prone masturbation, comes at a price. But people are not aware about it's dangers, which is why doctors and sex therapists the world over, are now advising men/adolescent boys to avoid using this technique for self-pleasuring, altogether.

Dangers of prone masturbation was first studied by Dr Lawrence I Sank, a Harvard trained sex therapist and a Vvox, co-founder. His article was first published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy in 1998. The study has since been replicated by other sex researchers in the UK, US and Australia.

So how does one overcome prone masturbation?

Learn how to masturbate 'correctly', using your hand. Because a hand job is the closest thing to real sex. It also helps men to transition, into partner sex much easier.