Yes, it’s true women masturbate, too. Although they may not feel the same physical urgency to masturbate as us guys (at least not as often as guys), girls definitely experience sexual arousal, particularly during puberty. It is often not only a physical experience but an emotional one as well. Remember all of those screaming, crying girls at the Beatles’ concerts? That was a heavily hormone-influenced response. Many women, whether they have masturbated or not, feel embarrassed or ashamed about masturbation.

It is not usually a subject shared with your girlfriends. Some girls, anxious to please their boyfriend or to try expressing their own sexuality, will have sexual intercourse long before they are ready to deal with the emotional impact that goes with it. Masturbation is a healthy way for females to satisfy their sexual feelings and learn about their own sexual response. It is particularly important for a woman to understand her own body and sexual response, because it is not something that will be learned from a male lover - another mistake many of us make.

I’m sure there have been some men out there who have enlightened their female lovers, but I think most women would be safer not to depend on it. For this reason, it is not surprising that many women have been sexually active for years with male lovers but have never experienced an orgasm. This is a tragedy and it definitely reinforces the importance of a woman being in touch with her own body and sexual response.