Who are we?
SPECS stands for Sex Positive Education for College Students. We are a peer education group in Health and Wellness Education that are trained to provide workshops, information sessions, and resources related to sexual health education and consent to Middlebury College students. We are committed to providing inclusive, accurate, informative, medically accurate and non-judgemental sexual health information. Since 2017, we have been leading workshops, game nights and events, and have continuously been working to improve the sexual health information and programming Middlebury provides to first year students.
During the COVID pandemic, we are continuing to work remotely, and are available—as always—to answer questions. Additionally, as we spend more time online, we want to point you towards some accurate and recommended sources that are out there. Throughout this article, we have linked relevant, fact-based articles from sources we trust. Feel free to click on them for even more information.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected] (we will have a digital anonymous question box coming soon).
Interested in joining SPECS? We are still accepting applications to join SPECS as a peer educator. Fill out this application by Sunday May 10th at 8pm EST. The application is short, non-competitive, and we do not expect anyone to have prior experience as a sexual health peer educator – we welcome applicants of all voices, identities, and backgrounds who are interested in learning, enjoy sharing their knowledge with others, and are excited to facilitate programs on campus.
Why is everyone talking about masturbation?
We noticed that among the many changes that are happening to our world during quarantine, a lot more people are talking online about masturbation. Maybe you saw that PornHub has given Premium access to all, maybe you’ve seen a meme, or maybe you read the article about Sex work during COVID in the New York Times. As a sex positive group that works to normalize these conversations, we also recognize that not everyone wants to engage with them in the same way. Whether you are content with the way you pleasure yourself, interested in exploring, or just want to learn what all the fuss is about, we encourage all readers to browse these resources to ensure the healthiest, safest experience.
Since masturbation is a hot topic right now, you may be feeling pressure to start masturbating, or to do it more than usual. Or maybe you’re in a mental headspace that isn’t conducive to feeling horny or wanting to masturbate—after all, we know mental health can affect libido. This is all normal! Quarantine does not have to be your productive, perfect self-discovery journey!
Here are some things to think about:
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First off, what exactly is masturbation? The dictionary definition is the stimulation of the genitalia by oneself for sexual pleasure. However, it can look different for everyone. Some people use sex toys, others use their hands, and some people find sexual pleasure in ways other than touching their genitals. What we want to emphasize is that it is normal, it is healthy, and lots of people do it.
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Getting intimate by yourself is a great way to get to know yourself, and what you like. You can explore at your own pace, find where and how you like to be touched, and what things turn you on. You don’t have to go straight to the genital area when looking for pleasure—maybe you want to get a soft blanket first or turn on some music.
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Masturbation can be a part of a self-care plan! Some studies show that there are multiple health benefits to orgasming, such as stress reduction.
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Many people have (mixed) feelings about masturbation. Depending on the culture, community, and families where we were raised, there may be social stigma around masturbation that comes from religious, cultural, or educational institutions. Typically, people with vulvas and vaginas and womxn folk are criticized more heavily if they are vocal about masturbation. Likely because of this, and because of the history of repressing female masturbation and sexuality, people who experience shame or are given negative messages about masturbation may be less likely to engage in it.
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Remote learning from…a new location. You also might be at home with your family right now, or in a physical space where you are not totally comfortable or able to masturbate. We encourage you to look into other ways of blowing off steam like exercising, cooking, or pressing as hard as you can on the surface of a table for 10 seconds with your hands. There are lots of ways of practicing self-care during these times.
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Genital-specific tips and tricks if you have a vulva and if you have a penis.
Looking to buy a sex toy?
Sex toys can be a great way for some people to find pleasure, and can be used either solo or with others.
Body safe materials include:
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100% silicon products, glass, stainless steel, or wood products (note: wood can never be fully disinfected)
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Avoid other plastics and gels as they are porous and trap bacteria
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Water-based lubricant
Check out this informative LGBTQ-informed, trauma-informed, and medically accurate resource with toy recommendations and COUPONS! We know that toys can be expensive and may not be in everyone’s budget. Luckily a lot of companies are having sales right now!
When we talk about masturbation, we usually talk about porn.
Here’s what we want to say about the connections between porn and masturbation:
- Pornography is not a substitute for comprehensive, sexual health education
- There is a risk of addiction—while it is uncommon and can be uncomfortable to talk about, it is important to know the symptoms and how to address it.
- The ways certain videos are directed, cast, produced, and consumed can reinforce existing racist and sexist dynamics and stereotypes. The eroticization of violence against womxn, queer folks, people of color, and people with disabilities are increasingly present in pornography and normalize systems of oppression. We think it is important to highlight the role that gender and race often play in porn, and that the way these categories are emphasized in porn can reinforce dangerous stereotypes. Lots of porn is binaristic, heterosexual, objectifies womxn and hypersexualizes black and brown people. In popular porn companies, womxn and womxn of color are often paid less and do not have control over what is produced and published.
- Some sites are more ethical than others (for example, PornHub has a history of allowing unethical uploads) when it comes to equal pay, health screening and STI testing, informed consent, and ensuring that all actors are above the age of 18.
- Not all porn is bad, dirty, or oppressive and neither are the people who work in the industry. Sex work, including erotic films, can be incredibly empowering to womxn and others on screen. Consider paying for porn if you are a consumer, and be on the lookout for keywords like queer, feminist, ethical, and fair-pay porn.
- You may have heard talks about “feminist porn.” For feminist scholars, porn has always been a hot topic as it involves theories of gender, sex, agency, and violence—in fact there is so much to talk about that we cannot possibly cover it all! There is no singular “feminism” and no singular view of feminist porn. Feminism at its core is about equal rights and so we encourage you to use your judgement and values to determine what seems fair, equal, and just to you. Research different porn producers and websites to learn more about where the content you are consuming comes from and to continue to critique what you consume, as you would with any media source.
Stay in the loop!
Follow SPECS via our website, Instagram, Facebook, and keep your eye out for articles in The campus
newspaper by the Sex Panther.
