During the summer when I could stay up as long as I wanted after my family was asleep, I would masturbate for 4 or 5 hours before ejaculating. These were the best masturbation sessions I've ever had. I would spend about 40 minutes slowly getting to the brink of orgasm and then stop. When my erection began to soften a little, I'd go at it again until I almost orgasmed. I could keep doing this all night until I began to get sleepy, when I'd go all the way to the amazing orgasm. The only problem with this was I spent my summer days waiting for my parents to get to sleep!
- age 15, Oregon
Absolutely I hold back! Why? Well, it worked out this way: I began to work out of my home. This gave me a lot of time for myself. After I stumbled across JackinWorld, I began to masturbate more frequently during the day just to try some of the techniques mentioned. I found that by going slowly I increased my pleasure ten-fold. After a few months, I began to notice that I was able to prolong sex with my wife. I'm pretty sure that what enables me to go longer with her now is my "practicing" going slowly when I masturbate. So, I can't stress enough – go slow!
- age 39, Mississippi
Go for it! Why hold back? The point to masturbating is to orgasm.
- age 13, New Jersey
I usually just go for it because I don't really have that much time to get off. There is always the chance that someone will walk in on me.
- age 15, New Jersey
Depending on my mood, I'll either prolong it or just go for it right off. If I'm alone, with no chance of being found out, I'll prolong it for quite some time. But if there's a chance of a suspicious parent knocking at the door, I'll go for it right away.
- age 13, Florida
It depends. Sometimes I get annoyed about how my private life is going and I run the session like a race. This always gets me down after orgasm. However, sometimes I will masturbate being sure each moment is the very best pleasure I could ever have. Then I prefer to play with my body and mind, trying to fill every cell of my body and brain with orgasm. I try to manage the stream of feelings, and therefore, I hold back and delay. Finally, at the end of such a multi-session, I lose control over my body, and the super-great, really incredible orgasm consumes me.
- age 18, Russia
I try to hold back but sometimes I can't. Sometimes I'm afraid to take too long because I think I'll make too much noise. The walls are thin, and my room is next to my parents'.
- age 15, Wisconsin
I like to go for it right away. If I am with my woman, then of course I like to delay my orgasm – but there is nothing like getting my load out of me when I need it.
- age 25, Pennsylvania
I try to prolong the masturbation session as long as time permits. I have delayed orgasm for up to three hours. I average between 45 and 60 minutes.
- age 30, Florida
I try to hold back for a while, because it makes the orgasm better. But after maybe one or two pauses, I have to go for it. I just can't keep from climaxing. And there are times when I just go for it because I am too turned on to want to stop.
- age 16, Washington
I never try to hold back, because if I do, I can never actually get off. I know guys are supposed to hold off an orgasm because it's better for sex, but girls are kind of expected to have as many orgasms as possible, and as soon as possible. If I hold it off it never comes, and that's agony.
- age 15, Alaska (female)
I try to hold back because it makes the pleasure, if not always the orgasm, last longer. I just keep going until I get that feeling just before orgasm – that "electric" feeling – and then I try to stop. Usually I can stop soon enough, but I'm not exactly a pro. I'm the kind of person who will buy a chocolate bar and eat it soon after I get it, without saving any for later. I always think of the present, so when I try to stop masturbating, often a voice in my head tells me, ''Keep going – it feels good!" "But if I stop and start again in 30 seconds, it will be better!" I tell the voice. It doesn't really listen, so the most I can really stop is about twice, because after that the voice is crazy. Well, you get the picture.
- age 15, Canada
I just go for it. I may delay a few minutes for arousal, but I can always do it again later. Sometimes I don't have a lot of time and I just want that sensation it gives me, kind of a relief from stress.
- age 23, Washington
It depends on my mood. If I have the time, I like to sit back, retract my foreskin, and use lots of lubrication. I work up to an ejaculation and then stop, allowing my penis to calm down for a while. I do this three or four times until I can't stand it any longer, and then let it fly!
- age 16, Missouri
I rarely hold back. As I age, I find I'd better take what I can get while the getting is good.
- age 44, Colorado
I sometimes just go for it if I'm in a rush. But if I have the time, I like to prolong it as long as I can. This makes a for much more powerful release when it comes. I often find that I ejaculate a larger amount of sperm if I get myself almost to the point of orgasm and then back off – a little torture-pleasure game with much more pleasure being the result.
- age 35, California
I usually hold back: I get to the edge, stop, and then continue. I do this three or four times; the buildup is just sointense. I can feel the contractions deeper and stronger when I do this; I can actually have a prolonged orgasm, feeling it for like five minutes afterwards. But there is something to be said for letting go: this is the way most women can achieve multiple orgasms. Without the extra buildup, the first orgasm is not so strong that your clitoris is too sensitive to try having a second orgasm.
- age 20, Pennsylvania (female)
Once the tingling has begun I usually go for it. I enjoy the twitching and watching the semen ejaculate so much that rather than postpone, I like to go for it so I can get ready for the next one that much sooner.
- age 55, New York
I like to delay it as long as possible. Sometimes I can make it last an hour or more by stopping and resting about 10 seconds when I am about to ejaculate. The longer I go before climaxing, the better the orgasm. Also I ejaculate twice as much and twice as far when I go that long. I am uncircumcised, but I make a lot of "pre-cum" when I masturbate. It's the best lube I know, when it's mixed with some saliva. This helps to reduce friction and it feels great.
- age 15, Colorado
I just "go for it" and let it loose. I don't really enjoy prolonging an orgasm unless I'm with another person. If I masturbate with another guy (which is something I still do with some friends of mine), I will prolong it so I will orgasm when he does. But when I'm by myself, I just want a quick cheap thrill I guess – plus I'm usually pressed for time, or I'm too tired to wait.
- age 32, Pennsylvania
It depends. Sometimes I have an hour to kill, and sometimes I have to be somewhere in 15 minutes. Usually, though, I go for it, take a little rest, and then do it again. If I try to make it last forever, sometimes I sort of lose my direction and never orgasm – I just get really frustrated.
- age 17, Oregon (female)
It just seems to be more fun when your masturbation experience lasts longer. It seems more satisfying when you orgasm. It also gets you out of the habit of rushing – not a good thing when it comes to sex!
- age 15, Alaska
A "normal" masturbation session for me consists of at least 3 runs to orgasm. The first is usually as fast as I can, just to get some relief from the tension that builds up during the day. The second often happens quickly too (within 30 seconds I would guess) as I don't let myself come off the boil after the first. After that the third (and forth if it's necessary) usually takes much longer, as I like to enjoy the warm aching that builds up more slowly if I keep off my clitoris and concentrate around the entrance to my vagina instead. I really enjoy it both ways.
- age 35, United Kingdom (female)
Sometimes I have to rush through the whole thing, and on other occasions I have enough time to take it slowly. If I had a choice every time, I would always delay my orgasm because the feeling before the orgasm while I'm masturbating is almost as good as the orgasm itself!
- age 15, Canada
Sometimes I'm looking for a quick release, so I'll go for it as soon as it happens. Other times (well, most of the time) I'll delay it as long as possible. I've found the longer my session is, and also the more times I've "held back," the more intense my orgasm is when I finally decide to go for it. I must note that there are times when I misjudge the "wave" and try to hold off when it's really too late. The result is a very disappointing orgasm. Happily, that does not happen very often.
- age 34, Florida
I just go for it. I don't know why, but it seems my orgasms are more powerful when I rush it. It feels really good.
- age 15, New Jersey
As I have gotten older, the more I realize the importance and advantage to prolonging orgasms. The best orgasms I have ever had have been when I've masturbated for hours without climaxing. The way I do this is by almost reaching my orgasm and then stopping. When I finally decide to go for it, which is either when I know parents will be home soon or I feel like the time is right, I ejaculate more and farther. The mental experience when I do this is indescribable as well. I recommend that everyone prolong their orgasms. This will make them better sex partners in marriage and make masturbation much more of a releasing experience.
- age 18, Oklahoma
Most of the time, I go for it when I feel it coming. I share a room with my brother and don't want him to walk in on me. We've had close encounters before, so I try to go for it all.
- age 18, Pennsylvania
I try to hold it back sometimes, because the whole experience of masturbation is wonderful. And if you masturbate nice and slowly, it feels a lot better when you climax than if you just go for it. Sometimes, though, you just can't help it.
- age 15, Alabama
I usually just go for it. It would be ideal to prolong the pleasure, but I usually get so horny I just can't wait to ejaculate. I mean, that big orgasm is the ultimate goal, right?
- age 22, Illinois
I always tell myself I'm going to make it last this time, but I never can. I simply can't make myself stop when I feel the orgasm coming.
- age 14, Texas
Sometimes, if I'm all by myself and really want to enjoy a good orgasm, I will stroke myself to the point of ejaculation. But before orgasm, I hold off and wait a minute to calm down. I do this five or six times before letting it go. It's a sensational feeling, and the power is immense. However, sometimes I get really horny and I can't control the urge to just let it go. Then I don't delay.
- age 16, Michigan
I like to try to hold off as long as possible, but it doesn't always happen. Sometimes I get going and just throw it into high gear. But I do like to hold out. I like that feeling when you are just on the edge, almost ready to cross that point of no return. And the longer you hold out, the stronger that feeling gets, until – boom – you can't stand it any longer and let yourself go. Then you feel that indescribable feeling that really can't be beat. The longer I hold out, the stronger the orgasm, or at least the more enjoyable it is. So I try to walk that line between self-control and instant gratification – and usually compromise.
- age 15, Texas
I like to hold back my orgasm. When I first started masturbating, I would retreat to the attic under the pretense of playing with an electric train. Thinking back now, my parents probably knew. I would stay up there for hours reading Playboy magazines and was almost never pressured to rush my orgasm. I think this set the pattern for my future masturbating habits. Now, I find it more pleasurable to get close to orgasm four or five times over a period of one-half to three-quarters of an hour. Then I allow myself to orgasm. The release feels good – different than if I rush.
- age 43, Vermont
I go for it right away. It's so amazing to have an orgasm. If you hold back, you usually lose all the sensations of masturbating. I think everyone should go for it right away.
- age 15, Illinois
I love to masturbate – daily! When I do, I always stroke myself until I feel an orgasm coming. I stop and relax and just dwell on that feeling of settling in. Man, it feels so good. Then when my penis starts to go limp, I begin rubbing it again. It gets harder and I start to have a orgasm again. I stop. I continue this process for several times until I finally decide to go for it. When I do, wow! I love that feeling of committing to the orgasm – when you know there's no turning back. Masturbation is the best, and we all do it, so guys – don't worry.
- age 33, California
I like to prolong my enjoyment. I love the feeling of the blood pumping into my penis. And I want to make the sensations last!
- age 16, Canada
Well, we [girls] have it lucky because if we go for it and just let it happen, we can always go again right after. So if I have a lot of time to myself, I'll let it happen and have two or three orgasms. If I don't have that much time or energy, I'll wait and just have one big one. It feels better when you wait, but it also feels better the second or third time – so either way, I'm happy. I'm pretty sure guys can only have one, so if I were a guy, I would make it last a long time.
- age 15, North Carolina (female)
I hold out. It usually heightens the orgasm. But we all go for the "yankee" (same as a "quickie," only you do it yourself) every so often due to time constraints, fear of getting caught, or just getting caught up in the moment.
- age 35, California
I hold back as long as I can. I believe the longer I hold it, the better me and my partner's sex life will be down the line. I usually get an erection with the "fist" grip then slow down as I near orgasm with another grip. That way I don't climax too soon. Sometimes, though, I try to climax really quickly to see how fast I can ejaculate. Either way I have fun with it!
- age 15, Tennessee
I try to hold back for a really long time. It's not that I need to, but I can only have so many orgasms in a day. If I masturbated in two minutes or less every time, those orgasms would get used up pretty quick. I stay erect as long as I want, though, so I prefer a long, quality session over a few short ones. I try to get at least 20 to 30 minutes out of every ejaculation, unless I'm really in a hurry. Also, it's good training for when you actually have sex – most women do not enjoy it when a guy can't last even two minutes inside her.
- age 16, Canada
I go for it, because when I masturbate I'm usually doing it through my fly. Or, I'm in a room where if I ejaculated, I wouldn't be able to clean up without someone seeing me or risking staining my clothes.
- age 13, Oklahoma
I usually go for the orgasm because it takes me a long time to actually climax. Getting there is no problem, but why wait?
- age 15, Alabama (female)
As long as I have the time, I like to delay orgasm. Depending on how I feel, I'll "hold back and delay" several times. Why? Well, first, it effectively prolongs and enhances the masturbation experience, in my opinion (which is what we all want, no?). Second, and more important, because with practice it allows you to gain better control over your orgasms and delay them whenever you need or want to. This is especially useful during sexual relations, as it allows you to give her more time to achieve hers. (Many women take longer than men to achieve orgasm.) The "hold back and delay" technique is recommended by Masters & Johnson and most sex therapists as an effective way to treat and/or prevent premature ejaculation in males (particularly younger males, though not exclusively). I think this technique is something that should be practiced by most guys whenever they have the time.
- age 21, California
Do you find yourself masturbating more often during some seasons than others? Why?
Answer this question | Suggest a question
Answer this question | Suggest a question
DO YOU HOLD BACK AND DELAY YOUR ORGASM OR GO FOR IT?
[Notes: The most common answer was "it depends." For most people, if they have plenty of time and privacy, they make their masturbation session last for as long as possible; if they're afraid someone will walk in on them, they try to orgasm as quickly as possible. Not surprisingly, the proportion of teenagers who "go for it" is much higher than that of older people. It was pleasing, though, to learn that quite a few beginning masturbators already understand the value of building an orgasm over time, as opposed to racing to the "finish line."]