One of the main ways that teenagers learn about their sexual body is by self-exploration. 

As they change and develop, adolescents inspect their bodies to check on what is happening to them. 

Boys will look at, and even measure, the size of their penis, at the same time discovering the pleasurable sensations experienced when it is rubber and stroked. 

Gradually, adolescents tend to focus on their genitals and spend time masturbating – arousing themselves sexually. 

As well as discovering it for themselves, they may also find out about masturbation from brothers, sisters or friends, or books or magazines. 

Masturbation is a normal part of adolescent behaviour, and one which often continues on into adult life. 

Not all adolescents masturbate, however; not to masturbate is perfectly normal as well.

Boys usually start masturbating earlier than girls because, initially at least, their sex drive is more genitally focused. 

For young people of both sexes, however, masturbation often provides their first sexual experience. 

There are not fixed ways to masturbate. 

Each individual has their own way of giving themselves sexual pleasure, although there are certain patterns common to many people.

Boys can become aroused by thinking about something sexual, or by stroking their penis or other parts of their body that are especially sensitive. 

As he becomes aroused, the boy’s penis stiffens and becomes erect. 

A boy usually masturbates by grasping the shaft of his penis and moving his hand up and down rhythmically to stimulate the shaft and the glans (the head of the penis), its most sensitive part. 

Some boys may also stimulate their penis by rubbing it against a pillow. 

As a boy becomes more and more aroused, the muscles start to tighten around the base of his penis, anus and buttocks; he generally  increases the speed of rubbing or stroking until he reaches orgasm and ejaculates semen from the tip of the penis.

Although at first he may find he has an orgasm but does not ejaculate, because his semen-producing organs not yet working fully. 

Boys may use a tissue or their hand to catch the semen when it comes out, to stop it from leaving stains on the bed or wherever they may be masturbating. 

The penis then rapidly becomes soft, and it takes some time before a boy can become aroused again.