Investigating the Masturbatory Behaviours of Canadian Midlife Adults

Investigating the Masturbatory Behaviours of Canadian Midlife Adults. Kovacevic, Katarina; Milhausen, Robin; Beaton, John; McKay, Alex. Univ. of Guelph, http://atrium.lib.uoguelph.ca/xmlui/handle/10214/11607?show=full

Abstract: Previous research indicates that masturbation is a common and pleasurable activity related to sexual satisfaction and sexual health outcomes (Herbenick, Reece, Sanders, Dodge, Ghassemi & Fortenberry, 2009; Phillippsohn & Hartmann, 2009; Hulburt & Whittaker, 1991; Pinkerton, Bogart, Cecil & Abramson, 2003; Shulman & Horne, 2003). This study examined masturbatory frequency, pleasure and approaches and potential impact for sexual health and satisfaction in a national sample of Canadian men (N= 1111) and women (N= 1010) aged 40-59. Gender differences in masturbation frequency and pleasure were robust: men were almost 7 times more likely than women to report masturbating 4+ times per week and women almost 2.5 times more likely than men to report no masturbation in the last year. Further, women were more likely than men to report vibrator use and report that masturbation was very pleasurable. Men who reported more frequent masturbation reported lower levels of sexual satisfaction in their relationship, whereas women’s masturbation frequency was not related to their sexual satisfaction in relationships. Men and women’s masturbation frequency was not related to sexual health. The limitations and implications of the results are discussed.

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No study to date has explored whether pleasure or sexual satisfaction is enhanced when
stimulation of women’s external genitalia is incorporated into penile-vaginal penetration
(whether by themselves or by a partner). It would be particularly relevant to investigate whether women enjoy, receive, perform, or feel restricted to perform clitoral stimulation during partnered sexual activity given their reported preference for clitoral stimulation over penetration during masturbation. We propose that future researchers consider investigating the relationship between self-stimulation of the external genitalia during partnered sex with orgasmic reliability during sex and sexual satisfaction in a current relationship.

Finally, we investigated the relationship between masturbation frequency and perceived sexual health, versus objective sexual health, observing that masturbation frequency was not at all related to perceived sexual health for both men and women. Investigations into causal relationship between masturbation and objective health outcomes warrant further investigation, as some authors have suggested potential links between masturbation and prostate cancer risk in men (Aboul-Enein, Bernstein & Ross, 2016) and masturbation as a means of overcoming sexual dysfunction in both men (Kunelaki, 2017) and women (Andersen, 1981).

Check also Lange L, Zedler B, Verhoff MA, Parzeller M. Love Death—A Retrospective and Prospective Follow-Up Mortality Study Over 45 Years. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/09/love-deatha-retrospective-and.html

And: Sexual diversity in the United States: Results from a nationally representative probability sample of adult women and men. Debby Herbenick et al. PLoS One, July 2017, http://www.bipartisanalliance.com/2017/08/sexual-diversity-in-united-states.html