My key factor is the sense of relaxation that begins even before I begin to stroke my penis. With some quiet music and a semi-darkened bedroom, I begin relaxed and continue that way, even when practicing my favorite "Stop & Go" method. Taking as much time as I need, and not having to be concerned with any external events, further contributes to that great sense of relaxation. By the time I climax I am greatly at peace, and the feeling stays long after the session has ended.
- age 60, Michigan
For me, the most important factor is the sheer drama of anticipating the feeling that overcomes me as my orgasm sweeps from my groin all the way through to ejaculation — realizing that only I can feel this intense pleasure.
- age 46, Pennsylvania
It has to be unique. Often, I find that my sessions are much like the ones before. My most enjoyable and most powerful orgasms come from a trying a new technique, fantasy, or position.
- age 15, Wisconsin
For the last eight years I have lived in the fantasies I create. I'd say that creating a story and participating in it with your imagination could be the most enjoyable thing you can ever experience. The more complicated the story, the more true it seems.
- age 18, Greece
Something good to visualize, and *privacy.*
- age 15, New York
When I take the time to get myself highly aroused first — foreplay, I guess — fantasizing, sucking my fingers, stuff like that. I guess most of the time, I don't have the patience to tease it out like that; but when I do, it makes a huge difference in the strength of my orgasms.
- age 32, Washington (female)
Exhibitionism. If there is a risk to being caught, I'm all for it!
- age 15, Ohio
The orgasm at the end.
- age 23, Missouri
Relaxation, plus the excitement of seeing my naked body in the mirror, my nipples erect. I like to think about how my boyfriend looks when he sees himself fingering me. All I can say is, wow!
- age 17, Canada (female)
How erect my penis is. When I have trouble staying erect, or when my erection is not totally hard, the sensations aren't as strong and I get frustrated because I can't get totally hard. But when my penis is at full rigidity, I can enjoy the sensation of my hand touching every millimeter. When I'm "rock hard," the whole shaft, the frenulum, and the head all receive stronger and more satisfying stimulation.
- age 44, Tennessee
I love seeing my semen. It feels great to see it and know I produced it.
- age 13, West Virginia
Bar none — to be watched. When a girlfriend watched me masturbate, it was beyond anything else. Over the phone is also good.
- age 26, Ohio
I have to be completely naked, and the orgasm has to release a lot to tension. Those two factors make masturbation great!
- age 17, California
A warm and very loose scrotum make for my best sessions.
- age 36, United Kingdom
The tightness of my grip. When I squeeze my penis harder as I masturbate, my orgasm is stronger, I ejaculate my semen farther and higher, and it feels better.
- age 14, Massachusetts
I travel frequently and I've masturbated in hotel rooms all across North America. My best sessions have always been while sitting in hotel windows high above a city where anyone looking out their window could see me masturbating. Something about knowing that people could be watching me sitting there makes it the best.
- age 31, Ontario, Canada
The most important factor is how good my penis feels when it is rubbed. In other words, I can't masturbate with just my hand. I put my penis inside a pair of pantyhose and loosely tie the pantyhose around it; then I put baby oil or some other lubricant on my penis and the pantyhose, and then I put a pair of women's silk panties around my penis and start masturbating. I can't finish without doing this, since I've gotten a little desensitized to "unaided" masturbation.
- age 15, Illinois
Most enjoyable for me is when I'm highly aroused and I have time to masturbate for over 30 minutes, keeping myself just on the edge of orgasm. This builds up a very strong, long, and enjoyable orgasm with lots of semen .
- age 34, Finland
Having the time and privacy to do it slowly. I like to work up to it, thinking about my friends masturbating and what it would be like to do it with them. If I can sit in front of the computer for an hour or so reading stories, or even composing my own, I can play with myself just enough to get really turned on, but not enough to go all the way until I'm ready. My orgasms are strong and satisfying after a session like that. Sometimes I daydream about living alone so I could do that anytime I want; but of course that would become boring. Part of the fun is finding the times when I can have enough privacy to do it right.
- age 14, Maryland
Most of the time, I use the "Stop & Go" method. So I guess speed is the factor that makes my sessions enjoyable. My orgasms are quite intense when I use this technique.
- age 26, Canada
The ejaculation — that ahhhh... sensation
- age 15, United Kingdom
The feeling — it's great!
- age 19, California
The best times that I have had masturbating, by myself anyway, is when I have all the time in the world to take as long as I like, not to mention the privacy and space to just lay out and have the best time of my life — with myself. I need to not have the remotest possibility of getting interrupted. That would be perfect. I will be going off to college soon...well, I guess I'll just have to masturbate with my roommate. Boo-hoo!
- age 17, Ohio
A session is most enjoyable when it can be done quickly without the person who owns the bed I've slipped into realizing I'm missing.
- age 33, Washington
Ejaculating with great force!
- age 15, Iowa
When I have intercourse with my girlfriend, I always use a condom; but when I masturbate, I always think about being inside her bare and giving her a load.
- age 18, California
Time, privacy, and patience. It's not as enjoyable if I have to masturbate in only a few minutes, while not wanting to let my dad walk in. However, it does add to the excitement if I *might* get "caught."
- age 13, Virginia
In addition to the orgasmic feeling, it's the opportunity to think about and visualize sexual experiences from the past. These may include either male or female lovers of my wife and me. The feelings are especially intense when I masturbate with a friend or in a group situation with my wife. Intensity may also be enhanced by other factors, such as penis or clitoris size and amount of semen ejaculated.
- age 66, Texas
That it's perfectly normal for me to masturbate and that I'm not doing anything wrong or immoral.
- age 14, Maine
Time. If I don't have the time to relax and let my imagination and hands do what they may, my masturbation sessions aren't what I want.
- age 41, California (female)
That bit of time before my orgasm when my penis just feels so good and happy and cheerful and warm and special and euphoric and all tingly. You know what I'm talking about!
- age 15, Georgia
Undoubtedly, it is my little penis! I don't know how I would masturbate without it!
- age 25, India
For a good masturbation session — or like we say here, "punheta" — I need to be relaxed, and be sure nobody is going to find me.
- age 13, Brazil
I love it best when the house is quiet, kids in bed or at school, and the husband is working or out for the night. Then I can get naked, lie on my bed, and play until I climax. Sometimes I use my dildo, but mostly I just like to fondle myself with my fingers until I climax — then I take a shower and have my man come home.
- age 37, Florida (female)
Privacy! And no brother to walk in on me while trying to do my thing! The worst part is that I am a twin, so we have this ESP thing. It's so weird when he knows when I'm trying to do my thing! That means I know when my brother might be doing it, too — so I don't even bother going near his room. I wish he would do the same for me!
- age 17, Washington
The danger of getting "caught." Sometimes I leave my door unlocked just so I have that extra sense of urgency. One time I was in my dorm and I knew a girl from upstairs was going to be down in a few minutes, so I went at it and left the door open a crack.
- age 19, Michigan
One word: Vibrator!
- age 14 , Texas (female)
I know this is weird, but it's my mind. If I can get through about a one-hour session, without lusting, it's perfect! That yields a mind-wrenching, back-arching, explosive orgasm with no guilt, pure pleasure, and sleep coming on me in about 15 seconds.
- age 25, Minnesota
It's when I acquire another male partner to join me. I very much enjoy stimulating other males, as well as being stimulated by them. There is something so erotic about the penis and its mysterious ways of performing in the manner it does. When other males aren't present, I settle for visual stimulation.
- age 15, California
My most important factor is that the lubrication I use is smooth and not abrasive. This lets me connect with all the nerve endings of my glans and the entire skin surface of my shaft, too, including my testicles. I can masturbate — almost caress — slowly and feel every part of my groin!
- age 42, Hawaii
I really like the fact that I have a penis, although I have fantasized about what it would be like to have a vagina. But the most important factor is my sexual organ.
- age 14, Colorado
One of the most important factors is for my wife to be in the room. Sometimes she gets naked and walks around for me, because I like to make the session last as long as I can.
- age 62, Texas
I especially enjoy it if I've been talking with my boyfriend online and we've been getting each other aroused. Then I go to my bedroom and do everything very slowly in dim light, imagining that he's doing what my hands do. Envisioning him making love to me is more pleasing than any other fantasy. More to the point, I guess, a good fantasy and lots of privacy is probably the most enjoyable part of it.
- age 16, Washington (female)
I have great fantasies when I masturbate. I can think of anything. I get off thinking about things I would never do. I am straight, but I fantasize about having sex with both males and females. But mostly I love doing it alone. It would embarrass me to tell others what I think about. I like to have regular sex with my girlfriend, but she can't satisfy me. I have to masturbate at least once a day. Masturbation is my escape from reality.
- age 19, Florida