GUTS READERS SHARE HOW, WHEN, AND WHY THEY GET THEMSELVES OFF
In the leadup to our third issue, we launched an anonymous sex survey. We wanted to hear from you about your experiences with sex, your thoughts and feelings and your best stories. And you told us! We’re so grateful for all the incredible, honest answers we’ve received, please keep them coming. The survey is still up and running, and there’s lots of time left to submit. We received so many great answers to this question that we broke them up into parts. This is Part Two, check out Part One here.
We wanted to preserve your voices and the spirit of your answers, so we haven’t edited any of the responses.
Here’s the question:
Do you masturbate? How much? What turns you on when having sex with yourself?
- YES. I go through stages, but right now, I don’t have any sexual partners, so I find myself having sex with myself a lot, like every other day. Sometimes I get myself off by listening to music and imagining myself doing a sweet solo dance routine and then dancing with an equally talented partner who clearly wants me and knows how to express that in dance. I also sometimes get myself off by
imagining myself initiating impromptu make outs, like in the printer room at work, or in a pantry at a party
Sometimes I watch porn, but that’s risky because more often than not the stuff I find turns me off. I like to imagine myself being sure and confident about sex, and the person I am pursuing being equally so.
- I rarely masturbate. I am occasionally riddled with guilt about this – shouldn’t all empowered women masturbate? But then I remember that because I am empowered I can do whatever I want, and masturbate only when I really want to. I’m busy, y’know?! But probably, I get myself off once a month and watching my own naked belly contract as I writhe around is a pretty big turn on.
- I do. It’s a bit of a chore tho. Maybe once a day. I usually think of people from my past who I didn’t have sex with but wanted to.
- i do, as often as i can. it is a great stress reliever and never stops being exciting and interesting to me to know my body and to give it thanks as often as i can. what turns me on is the concept of self love, of the joy and independence of it. i rely and focus on that intimacy, it is a fascinating and important relationship for me to know my body, and to make it happy.
- Yes I masturbate. How often depends on how stressed I am. I would say once or twice a week. If my husband is not around then more often. I use a vibrator so it’s pretty easy to get turned on. Sometimes I watch pornography, sometimes just use fantasies in my head. The fantasies at times involve my partner and other times involve another man that I met when I was traveling. I don’t feel bad about this fantasy because that’s exactly what it is – something that has never and could never/would never happen.
I think because I never actually had sex with him, the fantasy is more erotic.
- Sometimes. Not much. It`s more just exploring that area for myself. Looking at my vagina. In the bath, with my finger up my vagina has been the way I masterbate but also by titling the clitoris. That is the most enjoyable.
- Yes, 2-3 times a month when I am not in a relationship, not much if I am. I usually get turned on by some passing thought that makes me start thinking about it and then thinking about masturbating makes me more turned on. I think it is a purely physical thing for me, I’m not thinking about anyone or anything else, I’m just enjoying the sensations of my body
- Yes. It’s pretty often. A good book can turn me on.
Thinking about the guy or girl that I saw earlier is a plus. Michael Fassbender.
- The amount I masturbate has definitely increased since moving away from my partner four months ago. I used to masturbate maybe three-four times a week (sometimes less), and now I masturbate at least once a day, usually two. When I masturbate, it’s most often to porn. When I don’t watch porn, I’ll usually imagine some scenarios involving my partner; something that really turns me on is if I imagine that I’m being put on submissive and public display in some way- like if I’m out at a bar and I have to lift up my skirt to be fucked, or if I’m tied up and my partner invites other people to touch and fuck me. Those are reoccurring fantasies for me.
- yes. Mainly in the mornings and before going to bed. 3-4 times a week, but highly variable by my cycle.
- Now that I’m in a relationship again (engaged) I don’t masturbate as much as I used to, but I do when I am alone for an evening. I think I just like controlling when I can orgasm, and it usually happens a lot quicker (less mind jumble and I know what I like).
- I used to and discovered that a vaginal orgasm is really huge compared with clitoral.
I have to feel turned on before I do this.
- Yes. Varies how often depending how I feel. Sometimes a few times a day, sometimes once a fortnight, sometimes a few seconds, sometimes a few hours! Reminiscing about past experiences or sexting if its worded well and when I say something daring.
Listening to audio erotica online. Sexual pictures online. Sending pictures of myself. Teasing myself on the entrance to my vagina. Imagining dry humping, receiving oral sex, being fingered, having breasts touched and licked, being with another girl, touching her breasts, genitals and sucking both areas and pleasing her
Imagining my anus being licked and penetrated and doing that to myself. Imagining it in all positions in many places -bed bath shower field wall kitchen etc.
- Yeah, probably twice a week, well now that I’m having regular great sex. I’ll just wake up horny, or feel tense or something then usually go have a long shower and flick dat bean. I’ll usually be thinking about my current sexual partner or maybe sometimes Shia LaBeouf
- I did learn to masterbate in mid teens. usually a couple times a week. Fantasizing about womens bodies is my big turn on, both being with and having a proper fully functional one.
- I masturbate a lot. Probably 5-6 times per week (which I have always assumed was a lot). I would say I am borderline addicted.
I use it as a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, stomach problems –
which is okay, but it does feel shameful at times because I may not be engaging in masturbation for sexual purposes, but to literally calm and soothe myself. I do also masturbate for fun. I usually just use my hand, but have also been known to be a humper. I enjoy porn, and like to think about other women, people watching me and getting themselves off, and some past sexually exciting times.
- Yes. Several times a week. Fantasies … story lines in my mind.
- I can get myself to cum in under 15 seconds and I think because of that, I tend to be impatient about the act & art of getting myself off. It mostly serves a utilitarian purpose in my life; I do it when I’m bored as a pick-me-up or as a way to get myself to sleep.
Although I (mostly) only have sex with men, the things that turn me on in those moments are sweet thoughts of tits & wet pussies.
- Yes definitely. I didn’t really start masturbating frequently until I was single for the first time. I had been having sex for 4.5 years, and then nothing. I bought two vibrators, and would masturbate probably daily.
- I do and fairly often I guess. It kind of comes in waves, although I was depressed and the entirety of my sex drive disappeared. Otherwise, it’d probably happen a couple times a week. I typically will start if I’m already feeling horny so I’m not super picky, but typically it’d be porn where the people participating are clearly into it and are attractive. People get caught up in the trope of trying to turn a straight person gay, but watching someone having their first experience and really enjoying it is really hot. And typically it’ll be with people I find relatable, but typically I need some kind of visual stimulation.
- I love playing by myself. I didn’t get a vibrator, or any toys for that matter, until I was 29 and they honestly disappointed me. My favourite is getting to sleep in then slowly waking up to the day, which I punctuate with a nice solo session. I look at sexy girls and boys on tumblr. I like real people porn so much more than porn porn. I like normal looking people looking like they feel sexy. And the fact that posting these images makes them turned on turns me on. If I had the guts, I’d have my own page. Although, I think that would become a huge time-waster.
