Masturbation
In this section you will learn about masturbation
Learning about masturbation is a normal and important part of growing up.
This page is for people aged 13 years and older.
If you are younger than 13 year old you can talk to a trusted adult about masturbation.
There are drawings of
- private body parts
- people with no clothes on
These drawings are there to help you understand.
There are no photos of real people’s private body parts on our website.
It is ok to see these drawings when learning about masturbation.
If you have any questions or upset about anything you read, it is good to speak to an adult you trust.
Move down the page to find out more about masturbation.
If not you can learn about bodies or what is sex.
Masturbation: what is it?
Masturbation is when a person touches their body in a way that feels good and gives them sexual pleasure.
People masturbate in different ways. Most people touch their private body parts.
Some people like stroking, rubbing or squeezing their skin or private body parts with their fingers and hands.
Our private body parts can be very sensitive.
Be careful not to hurt your body by touching or squeezing too hard, or scratching your skin.
It is important to wash your hands before and after you touch your private body parts.
Masturbating is a private thing and must be done in a private place.
A private place for masturbating could be your bedroom or bathroom in your house.
It is not okay to masturbate in a public place.
A public place is anywhere that is not a bathroom or your bedroom.
Some examples of public places are a school, a park, a cinema, or a bus.
Masturbating in a public place where someone might see you can make people feel very upset.
It is against the law to masturbate in a public place.
Learn more about the difference between private and public places on Planet Puberty.
Play the private vs. public game here.
Move down the page to learn why people masturbate.
Why do people masturbate?
People might masturbate because they feel:
- sexy and excited
- aroused
Their vulva might feel wet and tingly, or their penis might be erect or hard.
A person might feel like masturbating because they have seen, heard, or read something that aroused them.
A person might feel aroused because they have been doing sexual things like kissing, or sexual touching.
Sometimes our bodies get aroused without us knowing why!
Sometimes people masturbate because they are curious and want to know what it feels like.
Some people masturbate because they want to find out what kind of sexual touching they like.
Masturbating is a good way to find out what feels good for your body.
Masturbating is a choice. It is up to you if you want to masturbate.
You do not have to masturbate.
People might have an orgasm when they masturbate.
Find out more about sexual arousal and pleasure.
