University of Virginia Library

Unnatural?

Dr. Sheppe stated that although
there are still many people who
feel that masturbation is unnatural
and irregular, statics show that
98 per cent of male college graduates
and 50 per cent of female
graduates engage in the act. "For
many years," he said, "it was
held that masturbation led to
insanity and the such. If this was
the case then 98 per cent of the
male population would have been
locked in insane asylums, guarded
by the other two-per cent who
were eunuchs."

Citing other statistics that are
perhaps generally unknown, Dr.
Sheppe said that 75 per cent of
the males and 50 per cent of
the females who get married have
had premarital sex. Among college
graduates, men are more prone
to have premarital relations than
women. About 60 to 65 per cent
of college males engage in this
act while almost 100 per cent of
high-school drop-outs have premarital
sex.

Statistics on sex activity have
developed into many philosophical
theories, such as Bertrand Russell's
proposal that we accept "trial
marriage." This theory, said Dr.
Sheppe, partly resulted from the
fact that no one really knows his
marriage partner until about six
months after the wedding.