Jerry

IMO a child not feeling comfortable talking to their parents about a topic does not mean that all of a sudden the entier sociaty as a whole thinks it's taboo; it only means that that one child is uncomfortable talking about that one topic with their parents.

There are other parents, other people, and certanly the Church of Google.

Parents are not the only influence or source of information for children, you know.

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Lerxst was right
......Lerxst is always right
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Jerry

That's not the same as taking some 'personal time' in the shower, that's a bonified sexual disorder.

1069

Are you implying that married people shouldn't masturbate?
Good God.

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Lightdemon: "Is 10 going to outer space or something?"
Jerry: "...yes, 10 is going to outerspace."

Jerry

I didn't say anything even remotly close to that, no.

We would have great hate-sex

americanwoman

I don't find nothing taboo about it.However, I remember though when I first starting doing it, I went to a Catholic school and was very much a little catholic girl and I would feel so guilty afterwards. I felt like I was doing something God would "frown" upon because of the way the church makes you feel about things like that. Like I would be sent to hell for touching and pleasuring myself.
I think it would be great to be taught and openly discussed so young people who are brainwashed by their religious elders can feel normal and better about themselves. Thankfully I am way beyond all that now and am quite a sexual person who feels very, very comforatable with her sexuality and her masturbating.

1069

I went to Catholic school too, but if masturbation was ever discussed, I must not've been paying attention that day.
I never thought it was evil or wrong.
I did think there was something freakish about me because I never had an orgasm- except a couple of times in my sleep- until I was twenty years old, despite my best efforts and despite already having two children by that time.

When I finally did have one, I was calling up everyone I knew, both male and female: "Guess what! I finally had an orgasm, hahaha!"
I was so proud of myself for finally figuring it out.

americanwoman

I had a couple of really wierd teachers who would talk about those things, including a couple of nuns, who I know now border heavily on the line of fundamentalists. One of my teachers, and she wasn't one of the nuns, truly believed she could talk to and communicate with God. Yeah God even sent her a brand new coat through the window of her house when she had no heat and no money and was freezing almost to death. She was quite a character that one.

Dragonfly

Is the subject ever discussed in sex-ed classes in public schools?

I know it wasn't when I was in school.

1069

I'm not sure.
What sort of "discussion" did you have in mind, though?
I can see a quick notation that "99.9999% of people do it, it's normal, the end", but more would probably be counterproductive.
I would not have liked talking to any adult about masturbation when I was a teenager, and I have not talked to my sons about it since they were toddlers, and I used to tell them, "It's okay if you want to do that, but not where other people can see you. It's private. Go in your room."
They joke about it a lot, but do not initiate serious discussion about it, not with me and their stepfather, not- to my knowledge- with their father.

I'm not sure what an adult could say beyond, "It's normal, but it's private."
Anything else seems like overkill, and also sort of creepy.
If I had a daughter, I might tell her, "Don't worry if you don't have an orgasm until you get older. It doesn't mean you never will."
But my sons don't seem to need any such advice or counsel.

Iriemon

Like anything else, overindulence in it can cause problems, particularly if at the expense of neglecting your partner.

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