Since I seem to be on a feminist rampage... thoughts on female masturbation!!
I love CNN.com, but when they hosted the Parenting.com article, Holy Hormones I just about had a holy hissy fit.
Here's what I wrote into CNN and into Parenting.com:
I was dismayed when I read the article titled "Holy Hormones! What to expect when puberty hits" by Denene Millner. I was shocked when Millner, whose goal was to establish a frank discussion about puberty, made the regressive, unfounded, and flippant parenthetical comment that "(Girls masturbate, too -- it just seems to be a bigger part of boys' lives.)
This statement is perpetuating ancient stereotypes about what is the "norm" for female sexuality. There is still a lot of cultural shame/pressure exerted upon women to be "pure," non-sexual beings, whereas it's okay to acknowledge (and even encourage) sexuality in boys.
This article is divided into three categories: what to expect for girls, what to expect for boys, and what to expect for both genders. I cannot imagine any scientifically supported reason to not include "masturbation" as a normal human experience for both boys AND girls. Many studies have been conducted demonstrating that women have an equivalent to "wet dreams," where they may experience nocturnal orgasms (which is not even to broach the topic of the female ejaculation). Therefore, it is highly sexist and scientifically inappropriate to relegate masturbation, or wet/erotic dreams, to the purely "male" experience of puberty.
I am wholeheartedly disappointed with this article and its negative impact on how parents will discuss emerging sexuality with their girls. It is IMPERATIVE that parents empower their young girls and let them know that masturbation is okay and normal for them, too. By publishing scientifically inaccurate statements about masturbation not being an equally important and significant part of girls' sexual development, you're sending a psychologically damaging message. I hope that a clarification and/or retraction of this article will rectify the harms the author has (presumably unwittingly) committed.
Obviously, they have not deigned to reply.
Here's what I wrote into CNN and into Parenting.com:
I was dismayed when I read the article titled "Holy Hormones! What to expect when puberty hits" by Denene Millner. I was shocked when Millner, whose goal was to establish a frank discussion about puberty, made the regressive, unfounded, and flippant parenthetical comment that "(Girls masturbate, too -- it just seems to be a bigger part of boys' lives.)
This statement is perpetuating ancient stereotypes about what is the "norm" for female sexuality. There is still a lot of cultural shame/pressure exerted upon women to be "pure," non-sexual beings, whereas it's okay to acknowledge (and even encourage) sexuality in boys.
This article is divided into three categories: what to expect for girls, what to expect for boys, and what to expect for both genders. I cannot imagine any scientifically supported reason to not include "masturbation" as a normal human experience for both boys AND girls. Many studies have been conducted demonstrating that women have an equivalent to "wet dreams," where they may experience nocturnal orgasms (which is not even to broach the topic of the female ejaculation). Therefore, it is highly sexist and scientifically inappropriate to relegate masturbation, or wet/erotic dreams, to the purely "male" experience of puberty.
I am wholeheartedly disappointed with this article and its negative impact on how parents will discuss emerging sexuality with their girls. It is IMPERATIVE that parents empower their young girls and let them know that masturbation is okay and normal for them, too. By publishing scientifically inaccurate statements about masturbation not being an equally important and significant part of girls' sexual development, you're sending a psychologically damaging message. I hope that a clarification and/or retraction of this article will rectify the harms the author has (presumably unwittingly) committed.
Obviously, they have not deigned to reply.