Masturbating and orgasms

[Marshmallow765]

So lately I've been trying to have an orgasm and I was thinking do you have to have a penis involved to have a orgasm or no because I haven't lost my virginity yet and was wondering if you need a penis or something else involved to have a orgasm.

[Sam W]

Hi Marshmallow765,

The short is: nope! People with vaginas can have orgasms in all sorts of ways that don't involve a penis. You can, for example, use your hands, pillows, sex toys to orgasm during masturbation (and during partnered sex). If you've been masturbating and are noticing you're not having an orgasm, it may be that you haven't found the types of stimulation that feel really good to you (for instance, some people prefer only stimulating the outside of their genitals, while others need some internal stimulation as well). It usually takes some experimentation to find what you like. You can read more about that, and about the different ways people masturbate, in this article: Going Solo: The Basics of Masturbation. Does that all make sense?