About one in ten perimenopausal or menopausal women masturbate to relieve their symptoms, according to a study that has generated media interest around the world.
The attention is likely because masturbation is a novel (and possibly somewhat salacious) strategy to ease these symptoms, and older women are often seen as asexual.
So does masturbating really relieve symptoms, as the study published in the journal Menopause suggests? Let’s see if the evidence stacks up.
Related: Menopause Isn’t as Responsible For Lost Libido as We Always Thought
The 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 world’s best known research institutes that specializes in sex and relationships. The study was funded by sex toy company Womanizer.
Researchers surveyed a representative sample of 1,178 perimenopausal and menopausal women aged 40–65.
Women who reported changes in their periods but still had at least one period in the previous year were categorized as perimenopausal. Women who said they had not have a period in a year or longer were categorized as menopausal.
About four in five of the women said they had ever masturbated. Of those, about 20 percent said masturbating relieved their symptoms to some degree.
For perimenopausal women, the most improved symptoms were sleep difficulties and irritability. For a small number of menopausal women, it helped most with vaginal pain, bloating and painful urination.
The findings are consistent with previous research showing masturbating to orgasm may help reduce anxiety and psychological distress, improve sleep and reduce vaginal pain.
However, research on the health, social or relationship benefits of masturbation, including for menopause relief, is sparse.
In particular, we cannot be sure exactly how masturbating might improve symptoms. But researchers propose the relaxation effects of orgasm, and the release of endorphins, can improve mood, help sleep and reduce pain. Sexual stimulation may also induce vaginal lubrication and blood flow to the genital area, which can help maintain vaginal function.
A small number of women in the study said masturbating worsened their symptoms, although it was unclear why.
There’s still stigma around masturbation
Masturbation is mostly no longer regarded as sinful or dangerous. But it still carries a level of stigma.
Women, in particular, often associate masturbation with sexual shame and tend not to talk openly about their masturbation habits.
So the stigma and invisibility of masturbation means it is rarely the subject of clinical research investigating its benefits.
As a result, we have very little evidence on its effectiveness to relieve menopause symptoms, especially compared to other non-medical interventions such as physical activity or stress relief.
The US study showed women were substantially more likely to manage menopause symptoms through evidence-based strategies of physical activity, diet or stress reduction, than with masturbation.
However, many women in the study might have never considered masturbation to relieve their symptoms.
Masturbation isn’t for everyone
Masturbation is free, relatively easy and, for most women, enjoyable. There is no reason why it should not be promoted as an accessible menopause relief strategy that may benefit some women.
However, it is not always so simple. There may be barriers for some women.
Not all women masturbate or enjoy masturbation. The US study showed nearly one in five women surveyed had never masturbated.
This number was higher among older, menopausal women, perhaps reflecting generational change in attitudes about masturbation. Some women in the study indicated a moral or religious resistance to masturbation.
Other studies have similarly shown that a number of women do not masturbate. There may be many reasons for this, from lack of desire through to limited privacy or “alone time”.
Older women may experience complex physical barriers, including loss of libido or limited dexterity and flexibility.
Silence and stigma around masturbation may also make it difficult for health professionals to discuss masturbation with women. This was evident in the US study, with almost all reporting they had never spoken to a doctor about masturbation for any reason.
Many women were open to these conversations, however, with about 56 percent of perimenopausal women indicating they would masturbate more often to treat menopause symptoms if their doctor recommended it.
Masturbation as a novel strategy
Although there can be no guarantee masturbation will relieve menopause symptoms for all women, suggesting women give it a go is unlikely to cause harm. It is the safest sex available.
We don’t talk much about masturbation, especially among older women. But by demonstrating that most older women do masturbate and this may offer health benefits, this latest study is novel and valuable.
Jennifer Power, Principal Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
