LOS ANGELES – As they say, “practice makes perfect. During June, two new websites intend to encourage men to talk about and practice masturbation.

June is Men’s Health Month, and the owners of BetterThanTheHand.com and ManShop.com believe the month’s theme and their sites were made for one another. Better than the Hand is a masturbation-oriented blog, and Man Shop is a toy store for men.

ManShop.com aspires to be a one-stop retail site curated by men for men. The e-tail destination offers a range of products including sex sleeves, lotions, lubricants, anal beads, anal toys and prostate massagers. In addition, the site offers comprehensive descriptions and product ratings as well as a rewards program.

BetterThanTheHand.com gives visitors reviews of the latest sex toys and sexuality products in the context of a frank discussion about the overall benefits of sexuality products. While the physical- and mental-health benefits of masturbation are well documented, many men are embarrassed to talk about their experiences openly.

“I started Better Than the Hand because there really isn’t a good, honest dialog and resource out there for male masturbation,” said Magnus Sullivan, editor of the blog and co-owner of the e-tail store. “I mean, where is the Hitachi wand for men? I want to move away from technical reviews of sex toys and clinical descriptions of the benefits of masturbation and towards the idea of how sex toys facilitate an experience. What works for one person might not work for another. That’s why I’m interested in a variety of perspectives.”

Sullivan, a filmmaker known for the 2015 erotic release Marriage 2.0, hopes to encourage more men to explore self-pleasure and feel comfortable sharing their exploration with others; therefor, the site will focus on using toys and offer specific suggestions about technique.

“This is not only about self-pleasure, however,” he said. “It’s about how creative stroking can lead to creative sex with others. Understanding how to enjoy an erotic build and then recover quickly parlays into better sex with your partner. It’s also about broadening your idea of stimulation.”

Contributors to BetterThanTheHand.com include Ned Would, a self-described queer geek and adult performer with a background in experimental physics; Julius Prince, a veteran writer specializing in sexual topics; and Steven Silvercreek, a freelance writer known for his work about cultural histories, professional basketball and homoerotic double entendre.

Submit posts for the blog to magnus@betterthanthehand.com.