A healthy sex life includes some amount of masturbation. Men enjoy this activity a great deal (and why not?), but most do not enjoy being caught during this pleasurable pursuit. Sure, giving the organ plenty of exercise is part of appropriate penis care, but the fact remains that it can be a bit off-putting to be caught with one's pants down and in mid-stroke. Knowing how to handle this situation is essential.

Caught by a roomie

A guy's hormones are bouncing all over the place when he's in college or in another situation where he's sharing a space with another young dude. Even when a guy is engaging in plenty of partner sex, he's still going to have many nights when he just wants to take matters into his own hands.

Of course, a guy caught by his roommate has an advantage: His pal is most likely as fervent a masturbator as he is. He may make a few jokes, but most guys can just fall back on the "Oh, like you never do it" defense. If he does make a big deal about it, simply remind him that this is a natural activity that everyone does, and then come up with a system to prevent this from happening again. (For example, when masturbating, the dude will put a post-it note on the door and his roommate will knock and wait for an "all clear" if he needs to use the room.)

Caught at work

Men get insistent erections at all times of the day; sometimes sneaking a quick one in at work is just a fact of life. But getting caught at work can put one in a more delicate situation.

First, if one is going to masturbate at work, it's best to do so in the men's room. If one must do it at one's desk, it must be in a private office with a door that locks. Borrowing someone else's office or unleashing the manhood in the supply room is just not cool. Using office computers for visual aids is very risky and can lead to disastrous consequences.

If caught, the response depends on who does the catching. If it’s a male colleague, try to shrug it off with "I couldn't help myself." If a female co-worker does the catching, apologize and ask (or plead) with her to keep this to herself. If a boss is involved…be ready to beg for mercy.

Caught by a female partner.

This can be the most difficult situation for a guy - mainly because some women think that a partner who masturbates must not be satisfied with her on a sexual basis. It's important to talk with one’s partner and to explain that sex and masturbation are not equated in that way. Most men enjoy both partner sex and solo sex, and they can be having an enormously happy and satisfying partner sex life and still enjoy playing with themselves.

It's important to remember that there's nothing wrong with masturbation and not to feel ashamed of it. At the same time, a man wants to make sure that his partner's fears or insecurities are allayed and that she understands that engaging in self-love doesn't in any way negate the wonderful feelings he has for her.

Men whose rates of masturbation are higher have a greater chance of being caught - and increased activity also increases the chance of rubbing the member a bit raw. Using a first-class penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) can help when solo sexual activity leads to soreness. A crème with a high-end emollient like Shea butter will help to diminish that penile soreness and keep the manhood ready for more adventures. And one with a potent antioxidant like alpha lipoic acid can also offset the premature aging of penile cells that results in that wrinkled look. After all, if one is going to get caught, he wants his penis to look as presentable as possible.