Although I was embarrassed at first, I talked about masturbation with my parents. Around 3 years ago they "caught me in the act" — I was extremely embarrassed. About 2 days later they wanted to talk with me, and I said okay. They explained why I was masturbating, techniques, and that it was nothing to be ashamed of. They also let me ask questions, and it made me feel a lot better about myself. I'm thankful for that talk, because if I hadn't had it, I would probably be misguided about masturbation and sex.
- age 15, California
I have never had a discussion, but I sure would like to. I guess JackinWorld is the closest thing I'll ever have to discussion with peers. Although I'm married, it sure doesn't seem like something my wife is comfortable talking about.
- age 47, South Carolina
I've had lots of really good discussions about masturbation with my boyfriend. We're constantly looking for new ways to make each other feel great, so we tell each other what feels good, what doesn't, and what our fantasies are about each other. It really helps, because every time we're together the orgasms get better and better.
- age 15, Michigan (female)
My best friend and I once had an in-depth discussion about masturbation. We talked about how often we had done it in one day and how forcefully we ejaculated. I asked him if he got "pre-cum," because I had just started with that. We both thought it was fun to run through the house naked when no one was home, and we both agreed that swimming naked was terrific.
- age 22, Arizona
I really don't talk to anyone about masturbation. It's something I keep to myself.
- age 16, Ohio
My wife has just had a bone marrow transplant, so we discussed masturbation as a way for me to release some tensions.
- age 44, Washington
My priest told me it is *not* a sin, I won't go to hell, and that it is normal and healthy.
- age 13, Massachusetts
My second girlfriend, now my fiancée — I asked if she would teach me how she masturbates so I could masturbate her. We learned how we touch ourselves, easing off and speeding up, reading each other's arousal and how we orgasm. Being in more control of each other than we usually are ourselves when masturbating is a *big* bonus. I can bring her close repeatedly, delaying orgasm, or I can give her multiple orgasms. She can do the same for me. You think it sounds like hard work? Nope. It was fun and very simple. It was the deepest bonding experience for both of us — even possibly more than intercourse.
- age 29, Ireland
Two of my best friends. The topic just came up one day while we were at my house watching TV, and one friend unbuttoned his jeans and put his hand down his pants. My other friend and I started giving him a bad time about masturbating, and he just asked us point blank, "Don't you do it, too?" When we both shut up, he knew he'd gotten somewhere. It took a long time for us to get comfortable talking about it, but when we finally did, it was no big deal. We talked for the longest time about how long we've done it, whom we fantasize about when doing it, what grip or lube we use, and the best orgasms from masturbation. JackinWorld even came up in the discussion. Then we were all really aroused by all of this masturbation talk, so we masturbated together. It was a lot of fun.
- age 16, Nebraska
My lover and I talk about masturbation. We even like to watch each other masturbate and then get to see the other's orgasm. It makes for an intense and passionate time for both of us.
- age 47, Florida (female)
A friend of mine several years younger once asked me about it. Suddenly we were openly discussing everything — techniques, preferences, and all. I pointed him to JackinWorld, and he later said he was *delighted,* Just as I was, when I first discovered this site.
- age 20, Germany
It took place only 2 weeks ago. Five of my closest friends (3 girls and 2 guys) came over to my house for the night. We began playing the game "I Never" (usually a drinking game, each person takes turns saying "I never did [blank]," and whoever has, must take a drink). Anyway, one of my friends said "I never masturbate" and then proceeded to drink, thus implicating herself. This sparked about an hour-long discussion, and everyone ended up sharing masturbation stories with each other. It was a great discussion among friends about masturbation!
- age 18, Illinois
I had a male roommate when we were both about 21, and we discussed masturbation. We shared a bedroom and would talk about our different methods, techniques, frequencies, etc. He was straight, but our discussions at night turned me on tremendously. Usually, I couldn't go to sleep until I masturbated, and I didn't care that he might hear me doing it. Sometimes I'd pretend to be asleep and wait for him to pleasure himself. He'd usually fall asleep quickly, and then I would go at it myself!
- age 38, Texas
My friend. We found out we both masturbate only a few months ago. Since we both come from religious backgrounds, we never thought the other would do such a thing. We talked about how we do it, how long we've been doing it, and how we started. Now we joke about it all the time.
- age 20, California
I feel free to bring it up with male friends, but I'm uncomfortable talking to women about masturbation.
- age 52, North Carolina
With my best mate (male, 18 months younger) — we started off with the "do you do it," and then got into details: how much, how long, what it feels like, everything. However, I have never even mentioned masturbation to anyone else.
- age 19, Australia
My wife and I enjoy in-depth conversations on most subjects, but masturbation has never come up. We had a son late in life when both of us were 34. We started in-depth discussions on how to raise our son. As he got older, we starting discussing puberty and got on the subject of masturbation. As the talk got more and more open, I told her I had masturbated most of my life and still do. My wife told me she never tried masturbating to orgasm until she was divorced from her first husband when she was 27. She wished she had started when she was a teen. After her divorce, she dated and had sex with 2 guys but preferred staying home with her 2 children. She would masturbate for her sex life. She also told me she never had reached orgasm with her first husband, and 4 years of masturbation practice had made it easy to with me. I told her I had my first orgasm at age 14 and had masturbated ever since. We have expanded on masturbation and as we get older, we find it to be a quick, fun outlet together.
- age 51, New Hampshire
My best friend. We have certainly talked about everything there is to say about masturbation. However, the one discussion that helped the most (and was the first I had about that subject) was with my dad. He told me all there is to know and not to feel bad doing it, because most guys do it (even him). It helped me a lot to know I could ask him any questions I had, and I felt much less guilty about masturbating afterwards.
- age 18, California
My best friend (age 15) and I talk about it every day that we see each other. He turned me on to JackinWorld, and we have both learned so much from it. Thank you for being there. He is staying at my house New Year's weekend and we plan to try many of the things we have seen here.
- age 16, New York
With my best friend, who used to live in the same student house as I did — we know everything about each other, so we discussed masturbation as well. We discussed techniques, ways of reaching a climax, where to leave the semen, the shape of our penises, our masturbation frequency, and the taste of semen. He had tried it and was convinced that every man should try it, even though he didn't like the taste. So I tasted mine and didn't like it at all. We never masturbated together, unfortunately.
- age 30, Netherlands
My mom, last year. It happened when she caught me masturbating in the bathroom. She closed the door, but when I finished she called me and said we should talk about what had just happened. She told me it is normal for guys to masturbate and asked me if I have a girlfriend or am having sex. She also asked me how often I masturbate. I told her that I do it almost daily, and she said it was okay, that I can do it with no shame, and that if I ever have any questions, I could ask her. A few weeks later, she saw me twice in my bedroom masturbating. She just walked in, took what she came for, and then left. She always tells me that it's normal and everybody does it.
- age 20, Lebanon
I have a lot of friends, both male and female, whom I can talk with. However, the most in-depth discussion I've ever had was with my mother. She told me it is okay to do it and that there is nothing wrong with it. We talked about why it feels so good — she even taught me how to do it. This was a couple of years ago. She felt I should first explore myself and get to know myself before I do anything with a guy.
- age 15, Germany (female)
My friend — although we've never done anything together, we've admitted to one another that we do it. We've compared how often and under what circumstances we would masturbate. We found, to our mutual amazement, that we both indulge at least twice a week and it has nothing to do with whether our wives are accommodating us sexually. We both do it because it gives us a chance to relax by ourselves, and to enjoy the sensations and release in the moment without having to worry about whether we're satisfying someone else.
- age 47, Nevada
It happened a year ago when I was with some friends at a lake house. I had never really openly discussed masturbation before and thought it was dirty or bad, until I discussed it and realized I am the same as all other kids my age. It helped a lot, as did JackinWorld. But in my opinion, don't discuss masturbation with your parents — embarrassment city.
- age 14, Texas
Besides with people on the Internet, I have discussed it briefly with long-term girlfriends and one highly trusted male friend. With the girls, I just wanted to be honest about the fact that I masturbate and why I do it. With my best friend, we discussed everything imaginable. Besides the fact that we watched each other do it on occasion, it was easy to talk to him about personal things like masturbation, because we once agreed to hold absolutely no secrets from each other. This was actually very therapeutic, because we have a philosophy: "One is only as sick as his secrets."
- age 24, Pennsylvania
I have only 3 friends with whom I have discussed masturbation; two are guys my age and one is a coworker, who is a lot younger. At first I was surprised to find out all 4 of us still masturbate frequently, even though we are all married. But after reading JackinWorld, I find it to be pretty normal. The younger friend frequently telephones me during his sessions and occasionally talks me into doing it together on the phone. It is pretty arousing to hear him tell me everything he is doing and how it feels, especially at that final peak. One of the other guys and I did it together once a couple of years ago in the shower at his gym when I was visiting there. That was a surprise, was really enjoyable, and seems to have brought us closer together as friends.
- age 35, Hawaii
A youth group at my church. It was great, because it just came up and wasn't awkward or anything. No one thought twice about it. It was an open environment where we could talk about anything. We talked about what guys and girls do, how often they do it, and things we used.
- age 15, New Hampshire (female)
My little brother, who is 13 years old — we talked for about 2 hours. Actually, almost all of the things I told him came from JackinWorld.
- age 17, Texas
In order of depth: 1) People on the IRC; 2) people on JackinWorld; 3) a couple friends down through the years who were more or less as open as I am about stuff — they're few and far between. Which is to say, I haven't spoken about anything really deep to my best friend or my spouse, because I don't know what to say and they aren't a wellspring of information to me either. I guess the farther away the listener is, the more is said.
- age 32, Washington
With my mother — since I am an only child with no father, I really didn't have anyone to talk to. I used to ask whether she thought it was okay for me to do it. I also had her tell me how girls masturbate, because I was curious. That made me a lot closer to my mom. Nowadays we don't talk about the subject much, but we are still close.
- age 17, Minnesota
I've only talked with online friends, and then very little. We discussed using vibrators, dildos, and plugs. I'd be too embarrassed to talk about it with people I know in real life.
- age 29, Florida (female)
My best friend at the time — while talking to her about masturbation about 3 years ago, I blurted out that I thought about guys when I did it. That was the first time I had ever told anyone. To this day, we still talk obsessively about masturbation, and she's the only one I can do that with.
- age 18, Arizona
Seriously, no one.
- age 49, California
I had a 3-hour discussion with another guy about masturbation when I was at Boy Scout camp 2 years ago. We talked about our habits, experiences, etc. By the end of the discussion he ended up masturbating me — totally naked, outdoors, and overlooking a lake! It was the first (and so far only) time someone ever masturbated me, and it felt absolutely wonderful.
- age 16, Minnesota
With my wife — I know she is *very* uncomfortable with the idea that I like to masturbate. She thinks it means that I am not satisfied by our sex together. I have tried to explain that I have been masturbating for 20 years and that is has nothing to do with her or our sex together. While she says she understands, she is still bothered by it. After having many tearful discussions about it, I have determined it will be best if we no longer discuss it, and that I masturbate only when I can be assured total privacy, such as when I am on a business trip.
- age 32, Florida
My friend is 14 and lives only 100 meters away. He has been my pal for more than 9 years. We speak about masturbation every time we see each other — almost every day! We start like this: When did you masturbate last time? Where and how? I showed him JackinWorld later on. If you have a good friend and you start speaking about sex, I'm sure you will come to discussing masturbation. It's great to share your thoughts and tips with a friend.
- age 13, Finland
My current lesbian partner. We began with how-to and ended with a mutual masturbation session to learn each other's techniques. It was the most I have ever talked about masturbation ever, and it enlightened me to the fact that I am not the only woman who does it.
- age 28, Florida (female)
Just after I discovered JackinWorld (I didn't ever talk about those things with *anyone* before), I began to talk with my best friend about length and size issues, and how often we do it. Now my whole class is much more "open" to discuss things like these.
- age 16, Germany
When I was at school — around ages 13-15 — masturbation was the #1 topic of conversation, or at least equal with football (soccer to you U.S. guys). However, I did go to an all-boys school. For what little I can gather about these things, modern kids sound a bit more sophisticated and, whilst it is a conversation piece, it doesn't have the longevity that it did in my day. I cannot recall having had an in-depth discussion about it in recent times — not for many years, actually. The subject is occasionally raised with an old school friend, whom I still see perhaps once a year — just to reassure ourselves that we both still have a wank now and then, but nothing in depth. It would be good to do this, but I think the subject is embarrassing to too many grown men. They think only schoolboys talk about it and it is not the done thing.
- age 47, United Kingdom
That would have to be my dad. Whenever I've had a question, I know I can ask my dad. When I was 12, I told him I had started to masturbate, and he answered all my questions. Dad's main concern was that I be private about it, but he also told me it's natural and I should enjoy myself. I think I am lucky to have a dad I can talk to.
- age 15, Massachusetts