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Gina Rodriguez From 'Jane The Virgin' Gets Real About Masturbation Guilt

Everyone. Does. It.
Actress Gina Rodriguez, wearing a bright blue Manon Gabard gown, arrives at the 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 22, 2015. Rodriguez recently won a Golden Globe for her role in
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Actress Gina Rodriguez, wearing a bright blue Manon Gabard gown, arrives at the 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 22, 2015. Rodriguez recently won a Golden Globe for her role in

When you're on a TV show that centres around both sexuality and a Catholic family, specific questions about sex will inevitably arise during interviews.

For Gina Rodriguez, star of "Jane the Virgin," her recent cover story with Bust led to a discussion about feeling shame around sex, and she wasn't shy about the topic.

"I was definitely raised with purity culture," she told the publication. "In all honesty, I used to feel guilty for masturbating. Oh my god, this extreme guilt! And that lasted way too long. Or maybe I masturbated too much!

"It's OK to look back in retrospect and be like, it wasn't good that I felt bad about touching myself. And it isn't bad that I want to share my love with my boyfriend. I'm 32 years old, I'm an adult, I can do that!"

It's a topic that was once taboo, but now, more celebrities are opening up about it.

In an interview with Net-A-Porter last year, Shailene Woodley noted, "As a young woman you don't learn how to pleasure yourself. You don't learn what an orgasm should be, you don't learn that you should have feelings of satisfaction."

She, for one, thinks masturbation should be taught in schools' sex ed classes as a way to curb STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

Shailene Woodley poses at the premiere of the HBO television series "Big Little Lies" in Los Angeles.
Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
Shailene Woodley poses at the premiere of the HBO television series "Big Little Lies" in Los Angeles.

And those wouldn't be the only benefits. According to the Telegraph, masturbating could help prevent depression, ease menstrual cramps, help you sleep and boost your self-esteem.

Considering all that, is there anything to feel guilty about when it comes to self-pleasure? We think not.

Also on HuffPost:

Jane The Virgin' Actress

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