Talking about sex can be a big hurdle for many friendships, with people shying away from sharing truthful details out of embarrassment or fear that whatever they're doing, or feeling, is somehow wrong.

That fear seems to quadruple when masturbation is in the mix.

And that makes sense, right? It's a super private thing that people usually figure out how to do kinda by accident or through the woeful guidance of porn. In fact, based on the results of our MamamiaSex Survey, most people have their first orgasm at 14... during masturbation... completely by accident.

So, we decided to kick start the conversation that we probably should all have been having much more candidly, much earlier on. We simply asked the question: How do you masturbate?

And 1,895 of them told us.

While it should be noted that 361 women simply put their answer as 'vibrators' (so we know that's a crowd favourite), the responses listed below gave a little more insight into each solo session.

So, read on. Learn a little. And start talking about masturbation more.

Female masturbation stories

"Humping a pillow. I lay on a pillow and thrust with sex-like motions."

"I lay on my back with my legs bent and slightly apart. I put my hand over my undies, firm pressure to the clitoris, slow circular motion."

"I use two fingers, rubbing my clitoris while I think about going down on a woman."

"Used to be just my fingers but now I have to always have my Womanizer."

"Lying on my back with no toys. Just me, remembering my sexual highlights."

"Grinding my clitoris on something like the bed."

"Sometimes using a toy, sometimes just my hand."

"I use my fingers to play with my clitoris, or I whip out my favourite vibrator: The Satisfyer Pro 2!"

"Lying in bed watching my favourite porn videos on my phone, with my right hand moving in circular motions on my clitoris."

"I need a lot of mental stimulation. So I read stories and use my penis-shaped battery vibrator."

"I lie on my tummy and use my palm to stimulate my clitoris and use my fingers around the entrance to my vagina."

"Sometimes some porn, (gay men, anal, girls squirting), and always lying on my front with either my hand there or my trusty vibrator and I effectively f**k my hand or vibrator. There must be pressure, but I don't like any penetration - just pure clitoral stimulation. When Madonna performed her 'Like A Virgin' song on a bed simulating masturbation, I thought "HA, I wank just like Madonna!"

via GIPHY

"Just the standard, trusty manual method. I prefer to save electronics for couples' play."

"I just used my fingers ('acoustic' I think they say) on the side of my vulva. I try not to use anything but imagination, but when that's running low, I'll turn to a picture."

"A finger on my clit while watching porn. I never bother with inserting anything."

"I always use toys."

"Lube and a mix of porn, sex toys and using my own hands."

"When I was a teenager, I would hump a big soft toy I had, now I just use my hands and porn. I've never owned a sex toy but would like to soon."

"It always starts with reading one of my erotic romance books."

"Clitoral stimulation coupled with a naughty fantasy."

"I use my Satisfier vibrator first thing in the morning (hubby leaves for work early), and if it takes too long, I put Pornhub on for a quick look.. with two kids I don't have time to dawdle."

"My wand. That thing is powerful! I usually don't like anything in me while masturbating... it takes a while for me to orgasm if I'm using a toy."

"I use my Elixir Play." (Which is a L ady Startup sex toy brand, BTW.)

"Usually I read or look at something sexy, breathe deep to get into my body, using my fingers or sometimes the shower head for stimulation. Don't use toys but would be open to it. At the moment though, I don't really feel the need."

"I lay on my stomach, scrunching up the corner of my doona and rubbing it against my clit."

"I only use my hands because my husband would be appalled if I owned toys."

"I use a vibrator that has three different vibrating bits - one for the g-spot, one for the clit and one wand for the whole area."

"Rubbing my clitoris, sometimes inserting a finger. I also like rubbing my anus."

"I use a vibrator and swap between being on my front or back!"

"Suction style clit sex toy while playing with my nipples."

"Digital masturbation, lying on my back. I've tried using toys on my own but don't find it easy to get off that way."

"I use my vibrator or the handy-dandy hand-held shower head."

"Good old fingers, never used any toys or anything else."

"Battery operated 😉."

"Watching porn in bed."

"I use my rabbit vibrator. E.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e."

"Nowadays my little We Vibe Tango - it's a little bullet that gets me where I need to. Just a quickie before I go to sleep."

"I prefer to use my vibrator: touch and tease to start with and then it's go-time after I lube it up."

"Love my Vush."

"Just pure clitoral stimulation. No toys and no penetration."

"I use my Satisfyer Pro vibrator and port when there is no one else in the house. I'm straight but only watch lesbian porn because it's the only thing that doesn't have anal or men coming all over women's faces."

"A small, hard vibrator putting pressure onto the left side on my clit. I hold it still in this exact spot until I cum, usually within a minute."

"Quick porn video then getting down to it."

"Laying down on the bed with fingers. Maybe reading some sex stories."

"A combination of porn, clitoral suction vibrator and fantasising about whoever I'm currently keen on."

"Usually just a good old rub."

" Bullet vibrator in the shower mostly or other sex toys if I have a good chunk of time."

"Three middle fingers, moving in a circular motion on my clitoris."

"On my back with legs spread. Plenty of lube and my fingers."

"Using my right hand on my clit, around in circles, until I orgasm. Sometimes watching porn, sometimes reading erotic literature, sometimes just fantasising."

"Watching porn and using my hand."

"Fingering."

"Rubbing. Usually non-penetrative. But it often depends on how I'm feeling."

"Vibrator now, on my back. Or quickly in the bathroom before my shower."

"Watching girly porn, either getting the vibe out or sometimes prefer just doing it myself."

"Previously just my hand, but now I have a Womanizer which is easier, but only if no one is home (the noise!)."

"I didn't masturbate for years. I never got pleasure from it because I knew I couldn't orgasm, and that really got me down. During COVID-19 I decided to get myself the Vush Empress vibrator... life changing! I love it! I orgasm! I feel amazing and I use it five to six days a week."

"I actually don't really like toys... and I generally masturbate around my husband. Which sounds ridiculous because I could just have sex with him but after four kids... it seems exhausting most of the time."

"Vibrator for sure. Still to this day I have never had an orgasm during sex, only whilst using a vibrator!"

"Hand, laying on my back, in bed. Or the using the Vush Empress (but still in bed...)."

"For the last 9 years I've been masturbating by myself with the help of porn or the good ol' imagination! The older I get however, the more into sex toys I am."

"Just a bit of lube and a couple of fingers. I do have a small butt plug if I need it and a big dildo, but it's a bit too big. I must have been really horny when I bought it."

"I'm super lazy so I almost always use a vibrator, so now have to retrain myself to come from normal masturbation... without a vibrator it's usually clitoris focussed."

"Good old-fashioned hand. Yet to try anything else."

"I use toys for clitoris-only stimulation if I need to be quick, using either my standard g-spot vibrator or my Satisfyer Pro 2. Or I really go to town with both clitoral stimulation and my g-spot vibrator."

"The first time I had an orgasm I was 24, and it was with the Womanizer vibrator that uses air stimulation. That is now my go-to method, always."

"I don't masturbate now really but I used to use carrots and also hump my pillow."

"I like to take it slow... listening to audio porn to really set the mood."

"Dirty romance novel sex scenes whilst holding a vibrator on and around my clit."

"I use my middle finger with some paw paw cream on it and move it in circular motions around and on the clitoris."

"To be honest, it's clit stimulation all the way for me. No toys needed. Hands are good enough."

"Index finger on my clitoris, hand under my back to tilt my hips a bit, so I get the sweet spot."

"Baby oil with my hand and generally of a morning just as I'm getting into the shower."

"I watch porn and use toys. Sometimes just an external one, sometimes an external and an internal one."

"Probably fingers/hands. I have no need anymore though. I have an extremely fulfilling, open and experimental sex life