Real talk: just about everyone masturbates , but very few people talk about it. Here, 23 young women share masturbation stories. They get super candid about why they do it, what they'd wish they'd known in their teens, their first-time experiences with self-pleasure, and more. They're your emotions, urges, and inclinations. It is your right — and privilege — to explore them. It's also okay to feel scared when faced with something new and unknown. The most important thing is to create a relationship with yourself and your body that is just for you and no one else. I got the masturbation talk. And that no matter what way you do it, it's not weird! Most girls don't open up to their friends about that stuff until college, unless you have the occasional freaky camp friend.

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In addition, masturbation in adolescence appears to be tied to other types of behavior, including both a greater likelihood of engaging in sexual relations with a partner and increased condom use. The finding is based on an analysis of data on sexual behavior involving more than teens, aged 14 to 17 years, responding to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior NSSHB. Cynthia L. Robbins, from the section of adolescent medicine in the department of pediatrics at Indiana University in Indianapolis.
If you are the parent of a teenager, you may or may not know whether they are masturbating. You may wonder if the time your teen spends alone, behind the closed bedroom door or during long showers is emotionally and physically healthy. Or, you may worry about whether it is possible to masturbate too much or whether your teenager could hurt their genitalia. In general, you do not need to worry about teenage masturbation. But there are some signs that your teenager may need to talk to you or to a pediatrician about masturbation. As teens experience puberty they become more curious about their developing bodies, and an adolescent will often explore his or her changing body and how it functions. Pediatricians explain that the frequency with which an individual teen masturbates may also change based on variations in sexual feelings and curiosity over time. It is recommended that when parents talk about sex with teens, it is best not to shy away from bringing up masturbation. As a parent, you have your own communication style, and you should be yourself. While it is not necessary to talk about masturbation at great length, important things that your teen should know are that you will not invade privacy, you care about your teen, and that growing up and developing sexually are nothing to be ashamed of.