07/05/2026
“Onanism” and “ma********on” are often used interchangeably today, but historically they are not exactly the same.
Ma********on
This is the modern medical and general term for:
Self-stimulation of the ge****ls for sexual pleasure
Usually leading to or**sm or ej*******on
It is a broad, neutral term used in medicine, psychology, and everyday language.
Onanism
The word comes from the biblical figure Bible story of Onan in the Book of Genesis. Historically, “onanism” referred to:
“Wasting semen”
Coitus interruptus (withdrawal before ej*******on)
Later, the term became loosely associated with ma********on in religious and moral discussions
So technically:
Original meaning → withdrawal/interrupted in*******se
Later historical meaning → ma********on
Modern usage → mostly an old-fashioned or moralistic synonym for ma********on
In modern medical language
Doctors and psychologists almost always use the term “ma********on,” not “onanism,” because it is clearer and less tied to religious or moral interpretations.
In older homeopathic repertories and materia medica, especially those influenced by 19th-century medical language, several terms related to sexual habits or seminal loss are used. Many are now outdated or interpreted differently in modern medicine.
Some commonly encountered terms are:
Onanism – usually used for ma********on or “seminal waste”
Self-abuse – old moralistic term for ma********on
Excessive venery – excessive sexual in*******se
Sexual excesses – overindulgence in sexual activity
Seminal emissions – involuntary ej*******on, often during sleep
Spermatorrhoea / Spermatorrhea – frequent involuntary seminal discharge, a very commonly used old term in repertories
Pollutions – nocturnal emissions (“nightfall”)
Lasciviousness – excessive sexual desire/thoughts
Libidinous – sexually excited or lustful state
Impotence from excesses – erectile weakness attributed to sexual overindulgence
Ny*******ia – old term for excessive sexual desire in females
Satyriasis – excessive sexual excitement in males
Atony after coition – exhaustion after in*******se
You will especially see these in repertories such as:
Kent's Repertory
Boericke's Materia Medica
Allen's Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica
A point worth remembering: many of these older terms reflected the medical and moral beliefs of that era. Modern medicine does not consider ma********on inherently harmful, whereas older literature often linked it to weakness, nervous disorders, or mental symptoms.
********on
