Because it's International Masturbation Month and all about loving yourself and getting yourself off, we asked some Bustle readers to share their best ways to get turned on. Here's an important fact: women masturbate. Even if they’re not completely comfortable with admitting to it for whatever reason ― religion, conservative upbringing, feelings of guilt ― the fact is 92 percent of women masturbate. In fact, people of all relationship statuses masturbate and with 69 percent of people are discussing it with their friends, more people than ever are talking about it. This is a great thing, of course, because masturbation is awesome. Masturbation makes people happy.
On December 9, 1994, President Bill Clinton, of all people, canned Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders, for suggesting that sex ed classes include masturbation, (among other "groundbreaking" ideas like distributing condoms in school and the importance of abortion access.) In response to the totally insane move on the part of Clinton, clearly fueled by griping from Conservatives, the following May, in honor of Elders being so badass and ― gasp ― realistic in regards to the importance of masturbation and the teaching of it, Good Vibrations, declared May 7, 1995 National Masturbation Day. Since then, it has grown from just one day, to a whole month of recognizing just how great and essential to human sexuality masturbation is.
Here’s what our readers had to say.
1. Amanda, 27
"I usually start with porn (I have to look at short clips and I'm very ADD about it). Once I get off from that, I'm in like Nothing-Can-Stop-Me mode and I can put my phone down and continue getting off with only fantasies."
2. Colleen, 30
"This is going to sound like I'm just making it up to make my spouse feel better, but I swear it's true. I masturbate to memories of some especially good times with my husband."
3. Lynne, 26
"I like to start with some kinky thoughts on my own. Like the stuff I've yet to do, but really want to. Then I'll move to porn. If I'm in a relationship at the time, I'll think of him, but not always."
4. Madison, 28
"Sometimes I masturbate to porn ― feminist, queer, indie porn, or porn that I made of me and with my partners, or to written erotica. Sometimes I masturbate for my partner, sometimes for a camera, sometimes in front of mirror. I like to masturbate thinking of super hot sexual moments that I've experienced with partners ― dirty sex in public bathrooms, sex on rooftops wearing leather boots, dress hiked up and staring out at the Oakland Tribune, really rough sex and fisting, etc. Sometimes I like to think about sexual fantasies that I haven't lived out yet. I love to masturbate to music as well."
5. Sarah, 34
"Fantasies of money, baked goods, and a metabolism. Or just fresh AA batteries."
6. Becky, 29
"Usually memories of past fun times or anticipation of future ones. Every once in awhile, it will be a steamy scene from a book or movie."
7. Kate, 32
"Porn. Preferably whilst being stoned. Sometimes if I feel like getting really weird I'll do lit-erotica or ASSTR."
8. Jennie, 33
"When I discovered the Marquis de Sade in college, there was no going back to porn. Really dirty literature/erotica FTW."
9. Lyndsay, 25
“It’s either lesbian porn or fantasies from things I’ve done with men in the past. I try to imagine things I want to do, but can’t. It has to be something that already happened or porn.”
Images: Mateus Lunardi Dutra/Flickr; Giphy(11)
