Study: how often women masturbate in real life

Researchers in Germany found out just how often German women are really masturbating.

The sample group included 425 German women in their 20s and 30s, with about 60 per cent in committed relationships via an online survey with specialised questions.

Ninety-five per cent of the women said they had masturbated at least once in their life, with their first experiences with themselves at about age 14.

When asked to describe what masturbation was to them, they described it as ‘genital self-stimulation until reaching orgasm’

Over a quarter of the women reported masturbating 2-3 times per week or once a week.

Almost all women reported masturbating while in a relationship (92 per cent).

For the small percentage (6 per cent) who never masturbated, the main reasons reported were that they ‘hardly ever feel sexual desire’ and that ‘sex is only a partner thing’.

For the masturbaters, almost eight per cent said they never experienced an orgasm during masturbation, while about half said they always reached orgasm during masturbation.

Why do women masturbate?

The same reasons everyone masturbates!

• Sexual desire
• Relaxation
• Stress reduction

Women’s fantasies during masturbation

The most common fantasy included a partner, but 21 per cent fantasised about being ‘defenceless’, and nearly nine per cent thought about a ‘disturbing’ scenario that wasn’t explained.

What does the study tell us about female masturbation?

Women were not using masturbation as a ‘partner substitute’ for sexual pleasure but as a coping and relaxation strategy.

Conclusions of the study

There is a wide-ranging diversity in how often, why, how, and preference in masturbating amongst the studied women.

References

Masturbatory Behavior in a Population Sample of German Women. The journal of sexual medicine, ISSN: 1743-6109, Vol: 16, Issue: 7, Page: 963-974 2019 Masturbatory Behavior in a Population Sample of German Women.