In sex education, they taught us about the reproductive organs of the human body. As part of the female anatomy section, we learned the names for all the parts of the female genitalia, including the clitoris. What sex education instructors neglected to mention was that this little organ, smaller than the size of a pea on average, houses the highest concentration of nerve endings in the body.
Between 8,000–9,000 pressure-sensitive nerve endings reside in the glands and root of the clitoris. That is a lot of potential sensation. The discussion of masturbation in class was broached but the conversation never progressed very far because people had so many moral restrictions involved in talking about it. This didn’t allow for us to discuss ways to expand upon what we were already doing and experiencing during masturbation.
In addition, the clitoris’s sole function has nothing to do with reproduction. In fact, there are cultures wherein the clitoris is surgically removed from a woman’s body, bearing no effect on her ability to reproduce offspring. What they didn’t tell us is that this tiny organ holds the key to having a more pleasurable life. The exclusive function of the clitoris is to experience pleasure.
Exploring my body as a little girl I discovered this good sensation that I felt when I touched my genitals. It was a pleasurable feeling that I enjoyed in private. I would touch my vagina, put my hands between my legs and rub. It was not something that I talked about with my parents or sisters or anyone, but it was a regular part of my life. My favorite way to masturbate was to lie face down and rub my vagina back and forth over something. My teddy bear or part of my blanket was great. Another favorite way that I liked to masturbate was with running bath water.
Later, as I matured into adolescence, the form of masturbation that I used matured as well. As a teenager, with the abundance of sexual interest and energy that is present, I found masturbation a useful, fun, and safe tool to explore, understand and enjoy my body more. I used my hands more often, rubbing my fingers side to side and up and down over the hood of my clitoris, stroking my fingers into the opening of my vagina. I loved to have an orgasm and I would often end the day laying in bed with my hands between my legs in masturbation. Touching my genitals felt so pleasurable, and after I had an orgasm I was more relaxed and able to quickly fall asleep.
