- Dr. Rob Clark (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues):
-
It seems to me the campaign against AIDS has already destroyed many
taboos about discussion of sex in public. It seems to me that there
still remains a taboo against the discussion of masturbation. And
please forgive me for trying to do my tiny bit by announcing that I
masturbate and I do want to ask you what do you think are the
prospects [for] a more explicit discussion and promotion of
masturbation.
- Surgeon General Elders:
- I think you already know that I'm a very strong advocate of a comprehensive health education program, if you will, starting at a very early age. I feel that it should be age appropriate, it should be complete, and we need to teach our children the things that they need to know. And we know that many of our parents have difficulty teaching certain things and for that reason to make sure all of our children are informed I've always felt that we should make it a part of our school. I feel it's the only institution we have where all of the children go. And at present in our schools it's very incomplete and only five percent of schools have a comprehensive program. As per your specific question in regard to masturbation, I think that is something that is a part of human sexuality and it's a part of something that perhaps should be taught. But we've not even taught our children the very basics. And I feel that we have tried ignorance for a long time and it's time we try education.
[Ed.: In 1997 came word that Elders was hard at work on a book called The Dreaded M Word, written to "get rid of the myths and lies" that surround masturbation. According to Elder's co-author, Barbara Kilgore, "It's not a how-to manual.... We don't have anything new on masturbation. We didn't do any basic research. We've just taken what people—like scientists and other experts—have done and we've brought it together in a little book that can be easily read by average folk." Commenting on the book's potentially wide audience, Kilgore notes, "Everyone touches themselves some way or another."]
