When I was 11, for some reason one of the older guys at school asked me if I masturbated. I didn't know what it was, and I asked him. He described it to me, and I remember staring at him in disbelief. He said it felt really good and to go home and try it. As I found out, it definitely felt good, and I haven't found a good reason to stop doing it yet!
- age 20, Canada
I heard classmates talk about "spanking the monkey." I had no clue what they were talking about. Even after I started masturbating, I didn't really know I was "spanking the monkey."
- age 14, Tennessee
I heard about it from my friends in 6th grade, so I looked it up in our encyclopedia. All the information in the article was awesome. It said virtually all adolescent males masturbate, most commonly after their voice changes, and that some rub their penises against a pillow to ejaculate. I had to try it, so I rubbed for 5 minutes numerous times, with no result. Finally, one day I just stroked it, and I blew. Ejaculation was awesome! I thank the encyclopedia for that.
- age 15, Maryland
I had heard of it before I started. It sounded gross and I said I would never do it. Now I do it twice a day.
- age 13, Maryland
I had heard about it but did not understand what the reference was. Before I ejaculated for the first time, I thought you had to pee in a woman to get her pregnant. The instruction in health class was so vague that nothing dispelled this notion — at least, nothing that got my attention. It was never mentioned that there was a fantastic feeling that produced a different fluid caused by rubbing the penis. I guess that information was too useful to actually give out.
- age 32, Washington
I heard it from a girl at school. When I was in 6th grade she was dating a guy two years older; his nickname was "Hammertime" because he liked to "hammer" himself. I asked her how "hammering yourself" worked, and she told me. A month later I decided to try it out in the shower. That was almost five years ago, and I haven't stopped yet!
- age 16, Michigan
I had only read about it in World Book. I tried to do it, but to no avail. The definition given was very nebulous and gave no clue to what it actually entailed. I was disappointed with it until I found out a couple of months later that I had been doing it wrong all along. (I had just been feeling myself, not actually trying to orgasm.) I was about 10 or 11.
- age 17, Tennessee
I started very young. What sucks is that girls never talk about it. It's always guys who do it with mates, and never girls. I don't know a single friend or any other girl who talks about masturbation. It would really clear the air. If someone ever talked about it with me, I wouldn't feel so guilty after I masturbate. I don't think I even know how to do it properly.
- age 14, Australia (female)
I'd heard about "jerkin' off" and saw the hand gestures, but I didn't understand the concept. One time in 5th grade someone asked me, "Do you play with yourself?" I thought he meant did I play by myself, as in alone, and I answered yes. For the life of me, I couldn't understand what was so funny!
- age 25, New Jersey
I heard that masturbation was when girls used their fingers to caress and rub their vagina, and that boys did the same to their penis — not a lot of help there in terms of technique. I tried playing with myself but just didn't get it for a very long time.
- age 21, Canada
I heard of masturbation as "jerking off," and knew that whenever someone was said to have done that, they were made fun of. Later I started masturbating and did not know it was called "jerking off." When I did, I started to feel guilty about doing it. Now I feel great whenever I do it.
- age 17, Arizona
I had been masturbating from around the age of 3 (it's among my earliest memories) and was a vastly experienced and seasoned masturbator by the time I heard about it from someone else. The schoolyard talk in grade school was pretty negative, but luckily my parents made a point of telling me at around age 10 that masturbating was normal and healthy — even that they both still did it.
- age 35, California
The international hand signal for masturbation is common — that grip of the fingers in a curve, tossed softly from side to side. I probably saw that done as a symbol for masturbation before I heard talk of it.
- age 51, New York
In 4th grade I was on a baseball team, and we were going to batting practice. I was riding with a friend, and we got there late. One kid asked what took us so long, and my friend said, "We were jacking off." Some kids didn't know what it was, but I said I did (even though I didn't). He told the rest of the kids it was playing with your penis. I thought, "Oh, so that's what it is." Even then I didn't really understand it — until about two years later.
- age 14, Florida
I had heard of it before in a song by the band Green Day. I had been masturbating for a while before that, but I didn't know it had a correct term. I thought it was okay but never really told anyone I do masturbate.
- age 15, Kentucky
My neighbor friend was about 13 when I was about 10. We always hung out together, and one day she asked me if I played with myself and if it felt good when I did. I told her I didn't, and she proceded to tell me that she rubbed her privates and it gave her an incredible sensation. She also said that sometimes she'd stick her finger into herself and move it around or rub a vibrator over her parts. That night, I tried to finger myself and it felt weird, so I got out my mom's muscle vibrator and brought myself to my first orgasm by rubbing my clitoris with the massager.
- age 18, Pennsylvania (female)
I heard about it in school. Most people said it was bad and to avoid it, and I thought they must be right. One day when I stumbled across one of my Dad's X-rated videos and saw an ejaculation; I was turned off immediately and thought that was bad. But then nature set in and I started touching myself. When I had my first ejaculation I quickly changed my mind. How could something that feels so good be bad? I still don't quite get this society's attitudes about the human body and what it can do. I think masturbation and sex are wonderful things that should be enjoyed and not worried about so much.
- age 23, Virginia
I was "taught" by another boy who went to my school. He said, "If you rub soap or conditioner on your penis it feels like you are having sex." I thought that sounded interesting, so I tried it a few days later at home in the shower. I used conditioner as a lube. Every time I smell that conditioner now, 13 years later, it reminds me vividly of that very day and my exciting introduction to masturbation.
- age 23, Australia
Here in Germany I think we talk more openly about sexuality; masturbation is not a taboo. So I knew it brings joy to rub the penis, and I also knew about ejaculation. In spite of that, I was too ashamed at first to masturbate, and the first time I did it was at age 12. When I did it, I had this great feeling, and then I knew there can't be anything bad in masturbating if it gives me so much joy.
- age 18, Germany
In 5th grade I was having a verbal fight with one of my friends, and he called me a "jerk-off." He probably had no idea what it was, and neither did I. When I got home, I asked my older brother what it was. He explained it thoroughly to me, and I thought, "Eww — I'm never going to do that." Sure enough, though, the next night I was trying it in bed.
- age 15, Pennsylvania
When I was 11, I heard there was a way to "make the sperm come out" and decided it was gross and probably unhealthy and that I would never try it. That resolve lasted about six months.
- age 34, Canada
My brother, who is 7 years older, kept talking about masturbation, but I did not understand what he meant. I discovered erections in the bathtub at age 11. I was scared and tried things to make my penis go soft, but of course, nothing worked. After some time I figured out what my brother was talking about and learned how to enjoy my erection.
- age 29, Canada
I heard about it 4 years ago on the show "Roseanne," and I didn't know what was so funny. I asked my parents, and they avoided it. Then my sister said it was sort of like sex with yourself. I said I never ever want to do that — and about 4 months later, I started masturbating!
- age 13, South Carolina
In my Boy Scouts troop they called it "pumping." I tried it without success until I was 15. I've been at it ever since!
- age 50, New York
I heard about masturbation when I was in 3rd grade and thought it was disgusting. When I reached my teens I knew I didn't (and still don't) want to have sex before I'm married, so I turned to masturbation. I had heard it was mostly for loser guys, not for girls.
- age 14, California (female)
I kept hearing the phrase "jack off," and the guys would giggle. Finally I overheard one guy call another a "jack off." His reply was, "I don't stroke my dick." That idea gave me a strange feeling in my penis, so I went home and tried to stroke it. Wow! That was three years ago. I have been thankful for that information every day (and sometime several times a day!).
- age 16, Texas
Actually, my parents have been very up-front about sex. They had me watch all the TV specials and stuff. At the early age of 11 I knew what masturbation was and how it worked, but I didn't attempt it until later.
- age 16, Massachusetts
Before I first masturbated, I had heard it was normal and pleasurable, and a good way to learn about your body and how it works. I wanted to try it, but I was afraid of "doing it wrong," or getting too accustomed to one kind of stimulation and not being able to orgasm with a partner. I was still interested, so I found an article in a women's magazine with suggestions for different ways of masturbating yourself. I tried them all!
- age 30, Missouri (female)
I think my older brother told me about masturbation after I caught him doing it when he was 14 or 15 and I was 9 or 10. I thought it was funny and didn't really "get it" until I tried it out for myself around age 13. It became a wonderful, lifelong obsession, and a healthy one at that.
- age 32, Pennsylvania
I started really early — around 1st or 2nd grade. I told my parents, and they said it was bad but that they did it too when they were young. So growing up, I always thought it was bad. When I told my dad what I did, he said it was called "humping"; I didn't like that word, so we called it rubbing. I always felt bad and guilty, so I would always tell when I did it.
- age 14, Wisconsin (female)
I heard about masturbation in 6th grade physical-education class during our week of sex education. They described it generally but didn't give any details or techniques. I tried it because I wanted to see what semen looked like, and I wanted to experience an orgasm. My first few attempts were unsuccessful. When I actually had my first orgasm, I didn't ejaculate. It scared mep; I thought something inside me had ruptured and that I had hurt myself. But then I realized it felt good and must have been an orgasm. I tried it for a few days, and finally ejaculated for real. Still, nothing can compare to that first surprise!
- age 24, South Carolina
I heard my cousin and his friend talking about how they would never masturbate. Later when I got home, I thought I would give it a try and see what it was like. Since then, I have found no other activity that is more satisfying.
- age 17, Iowa
Friends told me they had caught their older brothers doing it. Like them, I thought it was pretty disgusting, but one night I got curious and tried it. My only regret was not trying it sooner!
- age 17, Florida
I had heard that it was for losers and that you were weird if you did it. I thought I was a gross sicko when I first started masturbating at age 14. Now, I love stroking it and hope that when I find a wife, she won't mind me doing it every once and a while
- age 17, Washington
I had heard about it from other guys and at first was not impressed. I heard that it felt good to rub an erect penis (not in those terms), but I had been taught that touching that part of the body was wicked. Even though I heard about it from others, I thought it was an exceptionally dirty thing to do until my own sexuality appeared.
- age 62, Texas
I had heard the word "masturbate" before but had no idea what it was. When I finally did first masturbate, I really didn't know what I was doing. I did it several times a week after that. One day a friend of mine and I were talking about sex, and the topic of masturbation came up. I asked him what it was. He laughed and told me. Before that, I thought it was a kinky way to have sex.
- age 15, North Carolina
I was never told about masturbation beforehand (no pun intended) but discovered it after reading a book on how babies are born. It said that sex was the greatest feeling in the world, so I had to try it (practicing with my hand). Some time later, a friend and I tried it in the grass at the school playground, calling it a "penis stimulator." That's all I ever heard as a child.
- age 18, Australia
The only thing I heard about masturbation was my dad telling me not to do it. He didn't try to scare me; he just said not to do it. Of course, I had heard about it from my peers, but in the 1930s and '40s every male was afraid to admit he did it. Then it was mainly called "playing with yourself." Even now I prefer to call it "playing with myself," because it sounds more like fun and appreciation of what we carry between our legs.
- age 76, Texas
I didn't hear all that much — only jokes. One day, I decided to try it, and well, I guess it's not that much of a joke anymore!
- age 16, Tennessee
