Teens have always had drastically different opinions of masturbation.

�It�s disgusting for a woman to put her fingers down there or for a man to touch his �thing� like that,� says Jackie, 18, of Manchester, NJ.

But Jessica Karam, 18, of Asheboro, NC, disagrees.

�If it �floats your boat� � if you want to experiment and try new things with yourself, then you should masturbate,� she says.

But when it comes to girls and masturbation, teens� opinions become even more charged. In fact, many teens believe there is a double standard about masturbation�that it is OK for guys, but not for girls. Eighteen-year-old Dustin Elledge, of Asheboro, NC, sees the double standard.

�We put so much pressure on girls to suppress their sexual urges and almost none on guys, and, thanks to that, I believe most girls would deny masturbating out of embarrassment and a feeling of wrongdoing,� says Elledge.

Why the Double Standard?

Seventeen-year-old Michelle, of South Orange, NJ, blames the double standard on some adults who teach teens about sex.

�It was brought about by ignorant people�mainly adults, including parents�who were taught that if you�re a woman, touching yourself is very unladylike, which is complete nonsense,� she says.

Michelle is right: the double standard can be traced back to the way girls and guys were taught about sex, according to Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., co-director of the New York Center for Women�s Sexual Health at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

�For centuries in America, women have been taught that it�s abnormal or even �nasty� to be sexual. Men have been taught that it�s abnormal if they�re not sexual,� explains Dr. Hutcherson. �Mothers smile when their sons touch themselves, but their daughters are scolded�even as babies�for doing the same thing.�

So, how does this double standard affect teen girls? According to Dr. Hutcherson, �few females admit to actually masturbating, because it�s still somewhat taboo, and most find out about it through self-discovery.�

Meaning, their moms don�t usually sit down with them and have �the talk� about masturbation, and it�s rarely covered in their sex ed classes.

Many teens, like 15-year-old Brandon, of East Orange, NJ, think the masturbation double standard is wrong.

�I don�t understand why there is such a thing, because if you want to masturbate, you shouldn�t be told whether it�s right or wrong,� he says.

Many agree with Brandon.

�It�s a natural practice that most young people, including girls, can do to release stress,� adds Elledge. �There�s nothing to be embarrassed about, and, in my opinion, there�s nothing wrong with masturbation.�

In fact, masturbation has many benefits. It can help teens learn about their bodies and understand what feels good. It is a �healthy and normal activity, and a safe and healthy alternative to intercourse,� says Dr. Hutcherson.

New Ways of Thinking

According to Dr. Hutcherson, teens can move beyond the double standard.

�Girls should feel as free as boys to touch their bodies without feeling shame or guilt. As more people accept this philosophy, the double standard will change,� she explains.

There is evidence of change right now. Even though many girls won�t admit to masturbating, others speak up about masturbation�shunning the old �rules� that say female masturbation is taboo. Sixteen-year-old Melissa, of Newark, NJ, is one of these girls.

�I�ve been masturbating since I was 10 years old, and now that I�ve gotten older, I have a routine where I masturbate every other day,� she says.

Just as girls are becoming more comfortable talking about masturbation, guys are comfortable with girls and masturbation, too. Sixteen-year-old George Ross, of Ewing, NJ, is one of them.

�I�m all for female masturbation�not in that perverted �oh, baby, women touching themselves� way. I encourage it because it shows a girl isn�t afraid to explore her body. That she�s open enough with herself and independent enough to explore her own body,� says Ross.

So, will teens continue to move away from the double standard? Will we cover our ears to ancient theories about masturbation? After all, masturbation is one of the safest sexual activities there is. There is no risk of infection (as long as you don�t insert or use any unclean objects during masturbation).

Teen girls continue to speak up about the benefits of masturbation.

�There�s nothing wrong with masturbation,� says 18-year-old Jody, of Hillsboro, NC. �There�s no chance of getting a sexually transmitted infection, getting pregnant, or anything like that. It makes people happy without nasty side effects, so why not?�

National correspondents Sarah Starbuck, 17, of North Franklinville, NC, and Crystal Bialota, 16, of Ewing, NJ, contributed to this story.

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