“Do you masturbate?”
Three words simple, answer, but why is it that some women in 2020 still feel shameful answering the question?
Self pleasure, flicking the bean, self love and whatever else you want to call it all come back to the “M” word, oh yes the “M” word. In our society today Masturbation isn’t exactly what one would consider a “popular” topic of discussion. The conversation has been kept silent but sometimes can be an elephant in the room. I mean c’mon everyones doing it so why can’t the girls just own it? According to Gabby Lescadre, “the act of masturbation is unbelievably taboo, and in the midst of a period of widespread sexual liberation, there is still a stigma attached to what happens between a woman and herself.”
Female masturbation has a dirty connotation that comes along with it. But why? Well ladies we have some catching up to do. Women have been deprived of sexual agency for decades. It was identified as shameful and disrespectful to not only yourself but also one’s religion. So why don’t guys ever feel ashamed of admitting to masturbation? Well they didn’t have the limitations that women had in exploring self pleasure and investigating their sexualtiy so they got a head start in claiming masturbation as “a guy thing” as some would say.
Quick question, “Have you ever come into contact with a woman that has openly and confidently admitted they have watched porn?” Probably not but, if yes pop off sis let them know. Why is it that guys can talk about porn and jerking off with no shame or fear of judgement but woman just remain silent and pretend like the conversation isn’t even happening? Porn is male dominated and made mostly for men and is portrayed in the media as something only men do. Men can be porn stars and people are like whoa macho macho but women are porn star and they are categorized as shameful, gross or slutty. Women should be as unquestionably free to shamelessly explore and embrace their sexualtiy as men are. And the only way to make a difference in this stigma is to not be shameful of self pleasure, by being confident with yourself along with your sexualty we can break the stigma.
I myself have felt shameful or guilty in admitting to self pleasure. It was not until I came to college that I felt both comfortable and confident enough to talk about masturbation with my friends. I realized that attending catholic school did have a major impact in how I viewed self pleasure. It was frowned upon and talked about as a sin and a disrespectful action towards God. Coming to college and becoming more exposed to all different types of people and opinions I have realized the importance of self care and self pleasure.
Masturbation just like sex also has several health benefits it releases stress, boosts immune system, brightens individuals mood and calm nerves.
So ladies go flick your bean and have a day because your society standards aren’t holding you back anymore.
the photos in the post are credited too:
https://www.talkspace.com/blog/psychology-stigmatized-female-orgasm-got-back/
https://time.com/4251266/end-stigma-women-sex/
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