Tips on Masturbation?

[JaneDoberman]

To summarize, I'm 19 and have never had any sexual encounters nor masturbated. I do get horny but I've never acted on it out of fear of being caught (I still live with family) and not knowing *how* to.

Recently I've realized that I have a small clit and larger labia/hood as well. Are there any tips on how I can masturbate without using toys? Preferably without penetration.

[Heather]

So, how we masturbate is something we learn by experimenting with ourselves. No one can really give someone else good tips, because no one else has lived inside your body or your sexuality. Just knowing the relative size of some of your genitals doesn't actually give the information you might think it does: there's no one way or set of ways any given person with what they consider a small clitoral glans and larger hood masturbates, or things that will feel good for everyone whose genitals have that kind of configuration. Ultimately, something like that usually has nothing at all to do with what someone wants or what feels good.

Here's a piece that can help get you started with some basics, though: Going Solo: The Basics of Masturbation. Why don't you start there and see if that gives you some ideas about where to start?