The Massage Fear: Erections

The New York Times points out, in a piece about choosing male or female message therapists, that the main reason men don’t get massages is their fear that an erection will appear. Well yes, it may appear, but here’s the news, guys: no one cares. At least no one, with the possible exception of you, cares. The Institute for Integrative Health Care Studies would like you  to know that both men and women often become aroused during massage, and it often has more to do with increased blood flow than sexual desire. Consequently, every massage therapist is familiar with the non-issue. What should you do if you get an erection? Forget about it. What should the massage therapist do? The IIHCS has several recommendation, including doing nothing, unless the client is clearly embarrassed. Then, at the next visit, the institute suggests, the therapist should say something like this: “I noticed you had an erection during the last massage. I want you to know that erections are usually just a physiological response to touch and it’s not unusual for clients to have them.” Read more from the Institute for Integrated Health Care Studies.