This is quite good for beginners. I've used it on me (female), and I've used it on assorted males, and it always goes down (or up!) very well. The reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because there is no "handle" to make sure that you don't end up losing it inside somebody. The last bead isn't so big that this isn't a risk sometimes. If it had something to make sure that this doesn't happen, then I'd say it was perfect for beginners. As it is, be careful. Especially as it feels soooo good!