This Is How Often Vulva Owners Masturbate, Plus 9 Tips - Healthline

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If You’re Wondering How Often Vulva Owners Should Masturbate, Read This

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Litner, PhD, LMFT, CST — Written by Simone Marie on June 1, 2021

Short answer
Average amount
Why it varies
‘Masturbation gap’
When masturbation is ‘too much’
Changing masturbation frequency
Benefits of masturbation
Making it more pleasurable
Tackling shame
Takeaway

person wearing a gray and white bralette and jeans lazing about at home — Aleksey Tugolukov/EyeEm/Getty Images

What’s the short answer?

So… you want to know how often you should self-pleasure?

The short answer: as much as you want to. (Yes, seriously.)

As long as masturbation feels good, it’s enjoyable to you (i.e., you’re not experiencing any pain), and your habits aren’t getting in the way of other priorities (like work or social engagements), then you can do it as much or as little as you want to.

That’s the fun part: Masturbation is all about what you want and what you like. What anyone else thinks simply doesn’t matter.

Is there a ‘normal’ amount?

Everyone’s different, so there really isn’t a ‘normal’ amount of masturbation. How much you masturbate depends on your preferences.

However, research does give us some general trends among men and women.

You’ll notice that the language used to share stats and other data points is pretty binary, fluctuating between the use of “male” and “female” or “men” and “women.”Although we typically avoid language like this, specificity is key when reporting on research participants and clinical findings.Unfortunately, the studies and surveys below didn’t report data on, or include, participants who were transgender, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, genderqueer, agender, or genderless.

It’s something almost everyone does at some point

According to a 2011 study of adolescents aged 14–17 years in the United States, roughly 73 percent of males and 48 percent of females reported masturbating at some point in their lives.

An older study found that, among adults aged 57–64 years, 63 percent of men and 32 percent of women reported masturbating at some point in the past year.

Most people do it regularly

In a 2012 study of Portuguese women, approximately 29 percent reported masturbating within the past month.

In 2017, researchers studied the results of a 2015 survey of U.S. adults more in-depth. Their data suggests that about 40 percent of women masturbated in the past month.

Meanwhile, a 2019 study of German women found that around 94 percent had masturbated at least once in their life, with the majority reporting masturbating once per week or 2 to 3 times per week.

Most German women reported still masturbating frequently while they were in a relationship, too.

Some people do it together

The 2017 study above also found partnered masturbation to be the third most common sexual behavior that two people did together.

A 2016 survey by adult retailer TENGA found that nearly 25 percent of U.S. millennials have masturbated with a partner over technology.

Think: over the phone, in a video call, or via another virtual technique.

Lots of people use sex toys to masturbate

The results of TENGA’s 2016 survey also revealed that people who lived on the West Coast were the most likely to own a sex toy, with 34 percent of participants owning at least one.

Thirty percent of survey respondents in the South owned at least one sex toy, with folks in the Midwest and Northeast trailing slightly at 29 percent.

Of those people with a sex toy, 70 percent said it improved their masturbation experience.

Most people with vulvas do it for the orgasm

Approximately 50 percent of German women in the 2019 study above shared that they orgasmed every time they masturbated.

Roughly 7 percent reported never experiencing an orgasm during masturbation.

The study’s participants reported that other reasons they masturbated included stress relief, sexual desire, and relaxation.

Most participants said they fantasized about a partner.

Why does the frequency vary?

Some people have a higher libido, causing them to want to experience a sexual release more often.

Others have a lower libido, so they might not want to masturbate or have partner sex very often.

In fact, some people don’t want to masturbate at all — and that’s OK, too.

Your libido can also change over time. Age, relationship status, mental health, physical health, hormones, and medications can all impact it — causing you to want more or less masturbation.

For example, one study found that women with high levels of stress experienced lower levels of genital arousal, even when they’re psychologically aroused.

This could get in the way of pleasurable masturbation.

What exactly is the ‘masturbation gap’?

On average, cisgender men masturbate more frequently than cisgender women. This is called the “masturbation gap.”

Several studies have confirmed this gap.

A 2001 research review found that men and boys are more likely to masturbate — and do so more frequently — than women and girls.

Per the 2017 study discussed above, about 64 percent of men and 40 percent of women reported masturbating in the past month.

This same study found about 8 percent of men had never masturbated in their lifetime. For women, that number was around 21 percent.

This gap is thought to be the result of stigma and societal norms.

According to pioneering sexual health researchers Masters and Johnson, folks with male anatomy and folks with female anatomy experience the same sexual response cycle.

However, as a result of gender roles and societal norms, people who have female anatomy are more likely to feel “dirty” or a sense of shame for masturbating.

For example, in a small 2011 study of college students, most women participants reported struggling with the contradiction between stigma and pleasure or with accepting that masturbation was normal.

How do you know if it’s become ‘too much’?

Frequent masturbation isn’t a problem unless it starts to affect other aspects of your life.

If you’re missing work or unable to fulfill other responsibilities as a result of your time spent self-pleasuring, you might be compulsively masturbating.

Compulsive masturbation can harm your relationships, lower your productivity, and have negative impacts on your overall well-being.

If you’re worried you’re masturbating too much, talk with a doctor, psychologist, or sex therapist. They can help you figure out why this is happening and help you find a way to move forward.

What do you do if you aren’t OK with your frequency?

The good news is: With masturbation, you’re in the driver’s seat. You get to determine how much or how little you masturbate.

If you want to masturbate more

Try scheduling some “me time.” For example, some people like to masturbate before bed to help them relax after a long day.

Others like doing it in the shower or bath. In fact, some people like gently aiming the stream from a shower head on their clitoris for stimulation.

You can also watch a sexy video or read a steamy book to help you get in the mood.

It can also help to set the mood: Turn down the lights, light a few candles, and listen to some relaxing music.

If you want to masturbate less

If you want to cut back on how often you masturbate, opt for a different form of entertainment or stimulation the next time you have the urge.

Depending on what you enjoy, this might include:

going for a walk or run
working out at the gym
spending time with friends
watching a movie
writing in a journal
baking or cooking

If that doesn’t work, and you’re worried about your ability to stop, reach out to a healthcare professional.

Talk therapy can help, as can certain medications and support groups for compulsive sexual behavior.

What are the potential benefits of masturbation?

Masturbation is a safe and easy way to feel good. It can’t get you pregnant, and it doesn’t come with any major side effects.

In fact, research and anecdotal reports suggest masturbation might help you:

relax
relieve pain
sleep better
boost your mood
gain a better understanding of your turn-ons
increase sexual desire and sensitivity
have better partner sex

What can you do to make it more pleasurable?

Consider different kinds of masturbation. Explore clitoral, vaginal, and anal play — or even stimulate a combination of different erogenous zones.

Don’t rush. There’s no reason to jump to the end. Make sure you have the time to truly explore yourself.

Eliminate distractions. Dim the lights, mute your phone, and just focus on yourself.

Don’t forget the lube. Lube can help make things go, well, more smoothly.

Turn on an adult movie or read an erotic book. It can help turn up the heat and turn you on before you even start touching yourself.

Use a sex toy. Vibrators and dildos, just to name a few options, can make things more fun and introduce you to new sensations.

What if feelings of shame come up?

If you’re feeling ashamed, try reminding yourself that masturbation is normal. Even if you don’t talk or hear about it much, almost everyone does it.

Also remind yourself that no one has to know you’re masturbating or how often you do it. This is something you can do alone and for your own enjoyment.

And if you just aren’t feeling it, it’s absolutely OK to stop. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You can always come back to it later if you decide you want to.

The bottom line

Masturbation is a healthy activity that has no side effects and lots of benefits (hello, pleasure and relaxation).

And there’s no such thing as a ‘normal amount’ — how often you masturbate is up to you. So do it as much (or as little) as you want.

Simone M. Scully is a writer who loves writing about all things health and science. Find Simone on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Baumeister RF, et al. (2001). Is there a gender difference in strength of sex drive?http://assets.csom.umn.edu/assets/71520.pdf
Burri A, et al. (2019). Masturbatory behavior in a population sample of German women.https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(19)31159-2/fulltext
Carvalheira A, et al. (2012). Masturbation among women: Associated factors and sexual response in a Portuguese community sample.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2011.628440
Hamilton LD, et al. (2014). Chronic stress and sexual function in women.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199300/
Herbenick D, et al (2009). Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by women in the United Stateshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19453881/
Herbenick, D et al. (2017). Sexual diversity in the United States: Results from a nationally representative probability sample of adult women and men.https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(15)32585-6/fulltext
Kaestle, CE. (2011) The role of masturbation in healthy sexual development: Perceptions of young adults.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49810277_The_Role_of_Masturbation_in_Healthy_Sexual_Development_Perceptions_of_Young_Adults
National survey of sexual health and behavior.https://nationalsexstudy.indiana.edu/index.html
Robbins CL, et al. (2011). Prevalence, frequency, and associations of masturbation with partnered sexual behaviors among U.S. adolescents.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/1107656
Waite LJ, et al. (2009). Sexuality: Measures of partnerships, practices, attitudes, and problems in the national social life, health, and aging study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763521/

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Medically reviewed by Jennifer Litner, PhD, LMFT, CST — Written by Simone Marie on June 1, 2021

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