Women’s sexual health has long been a topic cloaked in mystery, misconceptions, and cultural taboos. Consequently, albeit sadly, many questions about what actually drives a woman’s sexual satisfaction and how women can better understand their bodies are often either left unanswered or provided with incomplete ones. Despite their importance, conversations around women’s sexual autonomy, literacy, and functioning remain sidelined, leaving many women without the tools to embrace their sexual well-being fully.
Fortunately, however, a recent study has brought much-needed clarity to a crucial topic in women’s sexual health, masturbation.
Current Insights on Masturbation and Women’s Sexual Health
Masturbation is defined as an autoerotic act wherein an individual pleasures their genitals. Among women, the methods of masturbation vary from one woman to another. For example, where some women find physical contact with their body more stimulating than finger or toy penetration, other women prefer to penetrate their vagina or anus with fingers or toys.
Masturbation may provide a sense of enjoyment but it also has a few additional advantages that contribute to women’s sexual and general wellbeing. Research suggests that masturbation makes you more self-conscious, experiences higher self-worth, lowers your stress level, enhances your sleep patterns, and can be used as a substitute for analgesic medications.
Interestingly, with regards to health, masturbation is supposed to be good for women in some respects but it also has its potential downsides. This is especially true when it becomes excessive. Studies have shown that when it becomes excessive, masturbation could interfere with your daily activities, relationships, or responsibilities such as working and doing laundry.
The Average Sexually Active Woman Masturbates 5 Times A Month
Building on what we currently know about masturbation and its impact on women’s health, the study’s authors Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet and Fatma Sule Bilgiç set out to answer the following questions:
How often do sexually active women masturbate?
How does the frequency of masturbation affect women’s sexual functioning and sexual health literacy?
To address these questions, they recruited 921 sexually active young women aged 18-25 from Western Turkey. Participants were required to be unmarried, free of any drugs that could suppress their sexual drive, and free of any disease that might compromise their sexual functions. Subsequently, the subjects were instructed to provide data on the frequency and duration of their masturbation episodes.
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The study’s findings which are published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine identified that on average, participants involved in the study reported that they masturbated about five times every month with each session lasting between 3 to 4 minutes (Karaahmet & Bilgiç, 2024)
Masturbation Improves Sexual Satisfaction and Knowledge
The participants were then made to complete standard assessments that measured their sexual health literacy and sexual functioning. The Sexual Health Literacy Scale – SHLS was used to measure the former while the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale was used to assess the latter.
Investigating the level of sexual satisfaction and literacy among the participants, the study observed a positive correlation between the frequency of masturbation and sexual literacy and functioning. This implies that women who masturbated more had better sexual functionality and were more sexually literate (Karaahmet & Bilgiç, 2024).
Clinical Significance
The study offers insightful information about young women’s masturbation habits in Western Turkey. Aside from demonstrating the high prevalence of masturbation in the area, the study shows that masturbation may have a positive impact on women’s sexual satisfaction and literacy. Consequently, to better understand this relationship, future studies may explore the exact processes behind this relationship to understand its potential clinical applications better.
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Conclusion
Sexual desire is a natural human instinct and masturbation is no doubt one of the ways humans have developed to satisfy this instinct. Little wonder why it is quite prevalent. This study also demonstrated however that masturbation may have benefits far beyond what is currently known about the act, helping to improve sexual functioning and literacy.
FAQs
Does masturbation affect fertility in women?
No, there is no scientific evidence that masturbation affects male or female infertility (Burch, 2021).
Is masturbation safe in pregnancy?
Yes, masturbation is generally considered to be safe during pregnancy for women with low-risk pregnancies. However, masturbation may be considered unsafe for women with high-risk pregnancies complicated by any of the following: a weakened cervix, vaginal bleeding, history of preterm labor, placenta previa, or vaginal infections. It is important to seek advice from your healthcare provider if you have any of these complications.
References
Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet, & Fatma Şule Bilgiç. (2024). Relationship between the frequency and duration of masturbation and the sexual health literacy and sexual function of women in western Turkey: a cross-sectional study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(8), 676–682. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae059
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