RELATIONSHIFTS: Masturbation. It’s the first sex act that we discover, whether or not we actually realize we’re doing it. It’s often the first time we connect the ideas of pleasurable touch with something we can provide for ourselves. It’s a spiritual awakening, in the sense that when we become one with our pleasure, we understand a little bit more about who we are. So this week, let’s not talk about the fact that Britney Spears has gone crotchless, or argue over how many glasses of wine a pregnant woman should be able to drink in a week - instead, lets briefly touch on masturbation.

Sex and religion are powerful forces that shape our lives and help define who we are. Both are feared, loved and misunderstood, and often lead to great debate. Along those same lines, masturbation is fascinating because not only is it hated in religious circles, it was also loathed by the medical community.

I’m currently writing a book on the subject, it’s called The M Word: Women and Masturbation, and I need women to help me complete the project. So, if masturbation is of any interest to you (even if you don’t do it) - Find the link to my survey here.

Or just copy and paste from below - and email me at hottwax@gmail.com.

Now, before you begin - please provide me with the following

For Follow-up purposes ONLY:

1. Real Name:

2. Address:

3. Phone:

4. Email:

And then for publishing purposes

5. Pseudonym (or name you’d like to be published under):

6. Age:

7. Do you masturbate? If yes, how often? If no, why not?

8. How did you discover masturbation? At what age?

9. Where, when and how - the first time you masturbated to orgasm? Please be as specific and as detailed as possible.

10. How do you masturbate? Describe techniques, positions - in detail, and tell me your favorite! Do you prefer clitoral stimulation? Vaginal Stimulation? Anal stimulation? A combination of the above?

11. Why do you masturbate? Do you physically enjoy masturbating? Psychologically? Again please be specific!

12. Do you have any concerns, health or otherwise, regarding masturbation? If so, please explain.

13. If you’re in a relationship, how do you feel about your partner masturbating? How do you feel about mutual masturbation? If you’ve done it, what have you learned from mutual masturbation?

14. What movies, books, websites or other erotica do you use for masturbation material? (Meaning either fodder for masturbation or masturbation information).

15. What’s your best masturbation tip?

16. What sex toys do you use while masturbating? How do you use them?

17. What concerns do you have about using sex toys? Or why do you like using sex toys?

18. Describe your favorite fantasy to masturbate to? Do you remember your first masturbation fantasy? If so, will you share that too please?

19. Growing up, what messages were you given about masturbation?

20. What mainstream media outlets provided you with information about sex (TV, Radio, Magazines)? Was it positive or negative information? Do you remember what they specifically told you?

21. What were/are your parents attitudes towards sex? How did this affect you? How did your religion, values, etc. affect your view on masturbation?

22. What did you learn might happen to you and your body as a result of masturbating? (both, good and bad, i.e. Hair on palms, you’d get acne, better self awareness…)

23. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest) how important is masturbation in your life?

24. How do you think society’s view on female sexuality, in particular masturbation, have changed in the past thirty years?
LEGAL RELEASE: I do hereby give and grant to the author, Jamye Waxman, her agents and representatives, full right and permission to use, publish in such form as they shall deem appropriate, including book form, and to copyrights same, all information and original material which I have submitted to her.

By this consent and authorization, I do hereby release and forever discharge the author, her agents and representatives, from any and all claims arising out of their use of such material, including, without limitation, any claim of right of privacy, copyright, or any other claim of ownership or interest, or any claim arising out of the publication and circulation of such materials in book or other form.

Participation in interviews that are quoted in the book “The M Word” entitles the undersigned to free entry to any parties, signings or readings held for the book.

I have read this Consent, Authorization, and Release prior to signing same, and I fully understand it.

Print Name:

Signed:

Dated:

*(If answering by email, type “I agree” and your name).