The birds and bees may not do it but men and women certainly do. So...why aren't we talking about it? Why is it still so taboo? Why is it associated with "horny" guys and "desperate" girls? May is Masturbation Month and it's time to talk about a little self-love - the carnal kind.
Masturbation is the act of pleasuring oneself using hands, sex toys, or any kind of friction intended to build up and then release sexual tension. The benefits of masturbation are self-evident: everything from better circulation, better emotional and mental stability to confidence and body awareness.
Masturbation month has an interesting beginning: it all started in San Francisco in 1995, when the U.S. forced Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders to resign after she said in a 1994 speech that masturbation is "something that is part of human sexuality and a part of something that perhaps should be taught."
Added to this was the fact that Elder was the first black Surgeon General and the United States' forcible resignation over these comments fired the public opinion up. So was born Masturbation Month in May, to bring light to the unjust firing but also to the issue of an open debate and healthy embrace of a natural sexual and physical activity.
To commemorate the month of masturbation, the only appropriate thing to do is set aside some time to self-pleasure. After all, the whole point is to increase awareness over your body and the ways in which we can sexually stimulate ourselves, right? Many individuals will engage in a round of masturbation and follow it up with a public tweet or post, writing or v-logging or even writing fan-fiction about the practice so that it can be normalized.
Masturbation should begin alone, in any setting that makes you comfortable. You can do it in the bath, you can do it in the bed, you can do it alone in your car, spread out in the backseat, somewhere solitary (so no one spots you, maybe?).
Start with touching your genitalia. If you're a woman, fondle your breasts. Tweak your nipples. Use your own saliva on your fingers to explore. If it's your first time, use a mirror and spread your legs apart to see just what's going on down there. With men, it's simple. They look down and it's right there. But women need a little more maneuvering. So take the time to embrace that.
So the question is, why don't we talk about self-pleasuring in a more body-positive and sex-positive way? Let's clear one thing up right away: everyone, at some point in their lives, has tickled their own fancy. What Masturbation Month is all about is advocating that you make this a daily practice.
Usually, women and men who pleasure themselves are labeled "horny" or "sex hungry" and are painted as some kind of depraved, sexual deviants. But nothing could be further from the truth. Masturbation is a healthy way to get to know yourself and your body. So what better time to dabble in some self love than Masturbation Month?