If a woman is unfamiliar with her own anatomy and sexual functioning, or has not yet been able to experience an orgasm, she may need to reassure herself of God's permission to learn about her body and its functioning. Initiating such learning may be embarrassing or uncomfortable for some women. Where there is strong resistance, there is likely to be negative mental conditioning and unnecessary inhibitions regarding sexual learning.

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While sexual touching or "petting" outside of marriage is inappropriate, within marriage it is a wonderfully right and proper part of lovemaking. Sexual stimulation involves touching the sexual part of each other's body to arouse sexual emotions. This shift in thinking from wrong (outside of marriage) to right (within marriage) is a difficult transition for some to make. Couples need to understand that sexual touching is indeed vital to happiness and fulfillment within the intimate relationship of marriage.

Masturbation (or solo self-pleasuring) is touching one's body for self-pleasuring outside the husband/wife relationship. It is an impulsive means of self-medicating or self-satisfying, and can send an unfortunate message to the spouse that he or she is not good enough in bed. Masturbation can become an ongoing habit or addiction, and is an act of lust for personal pleasure and gratification.