It Masturbation is a lot more accepted now than it was before the feminist movement, but it's still not something we often discuss. Whether we do it a lot, a little, or not at all, most of us have strong feelings about masturbation and what it says about us as sexual people. And during a hot sexual encounter, where few words are needed, many people are reluctant to stimulate their own genitals or ask their partner to do so.
People go to great lengths to disassociate masturbation from other sexual expression.
A Simple Pleasure Some of us denigrate masturbation because we fear the negative reactions of others. We may feel that our partners would not masturbate if we were more adequate lovers, or if our shared sex were better. Some of us judge ourselves negatively just for wanting to masturbate. These concerns reflect a profound suspicion of any sexual activity that has no conceivable rationale other than pleasure. If not appreciated for the simple pleasure it affords its practitioners, masturbation is meaningless.