About one in ten premenopausal or menopausal women masturbate to relieve their symptoms, according to a study that has sparked media interest around the world.
This interest may be due to the fact that masturbation is a novel (and perhaps somewhat erotic) strategy for alleviating these symptoms, and older women are often viewed as asexual.
Does masturbation actually relieve symptoms, as the study published in the scientific journal Menopause indicates? Let’s see if the evidence confirms itself.
Health benefits of masturbation
The study was conducted in the United States and was led by researchers at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, one of the most famous research institutes specializing in sex and relationships in the world. The study was funded by sex toy company Womanizer.
The researchers interviewed a representative sample of 1,178 premenopausal and menopausal women between the ages of 40 and 65.
Women who reported changes in menstrual periods but still had at least one menstrual period in the previous year were classified as premenopausal. Women who said they had not had a period for a year or more were classified as menopausal.
About four out of five women said they had masturbated. Of these, about 20% said masturbation somewhat relieved their symptoms.
For premenopausal women, the symptoms that improved most were difficulty sleeping and irritability. For a small number of menopausal women, masturbation primarily helped relieve vaginal pain, bloating, and painful urination.
The results are consistent with previous research showing that masturbation to orgasm can help reduce anxiety and psychological distress, improve sleep, and reduce vaginal pain.
However, research on the benefits of masturbation for health, social life or relationships, including menopause relief, is scant.
In particular, we cannot be completely sure how masturbation improves symptoms. But researchers suggest that the relaxing effects of orgasm and the release of endorphins can improve mood, aid sleep and reduce pain. Sexual stimulation can also stimulate vaginal lubrication and blood flow to the genital area, which may help maintain vaginal function.
A small number of women in the study said masturbation made their symptoms worse, although it’s not clear why.
Stigma surrounding masturbation
Masturbation is no longer considered a sin or dangerous most of the time. But it still carries a certain stigma.
Women, in particular, often associate masturbation with sexual shame, and tend not to talk openly about their masturbation habits.
Therefore, the stigma and invisibility of masturbation means that it is rarely the subject of clinical research investigating its benefits.
As a result, we have very little evidence about their effectiveness in relieving menopausal symptoms, especially compared to other non-medical interventions such as physical activity or stress relief.
The US study showed that women were significantly more likely to manage menopausal symptoms through evidence-based strategies of physical activity, diet or stress reduction compared to masturbation.
But many of the women in the study may have never considered masturbating to relieve their symptoms.
Masturbation is not for everyone
Masturbation is free, relatively easy, and enjoyable for most women. There is no reason why it cannot be promoted as an affordable strategy for relieving menopausal symptoms that may benefit some women. However, it’s not always that simple. There may be barriers for some women.
Not all women masturbate or want to masturbate. The North American study showed that nearly one in five women surveyed had never masturbated. This number was higher among older postmenopausal women, perhaps reflecting a generational shift in attitudes toward masturbation. Some women in the study indicated moral or religious resistance to masturbation.
Other studies have similarly shown that many women do not masturbate. There can be many reasons for this, ranging from not wanting limited privacy or a lack of “alone time.” Older women may face complex physical barriers, including loss of sexual desire or limited dexterity and flexibility.
The silence and stigma surrounding masturbation can make it difficult for healthcare professionals to discuss the topic with women. This was evident in the US study, where almost everyone reported that they had never spoken to a doctor about masturbation for any reason.
However, many women were open to these conversations, with about 56% of premenopausal women indicating that they would masturbate frequently to treat menopausal symptoms if their doctor recommended it.
Masturbation as a new strategy
While there is no guarantee that masturbation will relieve menopausal symptoms in all women, suggesting that trying it should not cause any harm. It is the safest sex practice ever.
We don’t talk much about masturbation, especially among older women. But by demonstrating that most older women masturbate and that it may offer health benefits, this recent study is groundbreaking and valuable.
This article was originally published in English