This is why I believe sex education (not just what's taught in school, but stuff you can find in good books on sexuality). I was embarrassed at first about masturbation, and wouldn't admit I did it, even when I knew it was common, but I realized there was no shame in it, and almost everyone did it, so I decided to be open about it (meaning, I didn't go around saying, "Hi, I masturbate!" but that I wouldn't deny it if it came up or I would admit it if I got into a conversation about masturbation--not that that happened often ). At first, I was still embarrassed, but I admitted it, anyway, and soon, it was no big deal. I don't think anyone made fun of me, but if they had, I'd have been ok with it. I'd grown comfortable with the topic, and I knew, even if they wouldn't admit it themselves, the majority was doing the same thing.

These days, people are more open to admitting it, and that's good. Masturbation is how we learn to please ourselves, so we can teach our lovers what we like. It makes perfect sense, that it's natural to explore our own bodies before we let someone else explore it. I supported Jocelyn Elders when she promoted masturbation.