I have mixed feelings on this...I started masturbating and having "sexual thoughts" WAY before the "average age" group you presented. I had no idea what it was, just that it was wrong, disgusting, and abhorrent (the thoughts anyway) and I felt the same way when I found out what masturbation actually was. I feel the same way to this day—that it's wrong to be sexually attracted to someone else. But since I'm in my 20's, I have a sex drive so I DO think about other people/masturbate. So I don't know if my experiences as a young child is the cause of these thought processes or not.

But I was innocent until at least puberty (if not longer) as I had NO IDEA what these thoughts/feelings were or meant. My only opinion on them was that the thoughts were wrong so I avoided those thoughts until I couldn't control it any longer (puberty). I think the suppression of sexuality has crippled me in discovering/exploring my sexuality when it's apparently appropriate.

It's not that disagree with you...it's just that this makes me even more ashamed of my own sexuality and experiences. It wasn't like I knew what I was doing...I don't even know why I knew it was wrong.