Masturbation is perfectly normal and healthy and can lead to an improved sex life with your partner
Key takeaways:
There’s a lot of stigma around masturbation, particularly female masturbation.
Men tend to masturbate more than women, but women tend to enjoy it more.
Regardless of gender, masturbation is normal and healthy.
It has many health benefits, including boosting your mood, helping you sleep, reducing stress, and more.
It can also improve your sex life with a partner.
A lot of us were taught that touching ourselves is shameful and dirty. Unfortunately, most of us learn shame about our bodies and sexuality from a young age. Masturbation is not something that’s usually encouraged – especially for women. There are many old-fashioned stigmas around female masturbation.
While research shows that most women over 18 have masturbated at least once, few admit to doing so regularly. According to a survey on sexual health and behavior, only about 8% of women between 25 to 29 masturbate two to three times a week. Meanwhile, three times the number of men (23.4%) say they do. Regardless of gender, masturbation is normal. In fact, it’s even healthy – and it can improve your sex life. Let’s chat about why.
Get the feel-good hormones going
Having an orgasm gets your feel-good hormones – oxytocin and dopamine – going. It doesn’t matter whether someone else gives you the orgasm or you do it yourself. Studies have shown that for women, orgasms are more intense when they masturbate, whereas, for men, orgasms are more intense during sex with a partner. Over a third of women even report that they use masturbation to boost their mood.
Strengthen your pelvic floor with solo play
Hate doing Kegels? Indulge in some self-stimulation instead! Orgasms give your pelvic floor a workout. During an orgasm, heart rate, respiration, and muscle tone are all increased. The uterus “lifts” itself from the pelvic floor. This can help strengthen the pelvic floor and keep it healthy.
It can help you fall asleep faster
Orgasms release mental and physical tension, which can help you unwind and destress. This is excellent for helping you get to sleep. Some people may even intuitively masturbate at night to help them fall asleep, not realizing that there’s a reason they’re doing it. Once you hit that “O”, oxytocin and other calming endorphins are released, relaxing your body and sending you to sleep.
Masturbation can ease pain
Endorphins, which are released during a climax, are natural pain relievers, so masturbation can help relieve pain. Masturbation has even been shown in studies to decrease the frequency and intensity of menstrual pain.
The body also releases opioids when sexually aroused, making its own natural painkillers. Men’s pain has also been known to be helped by masturbation.
Pleasuring yourself can actually improve your physical health
As if all of these benefits weren’t enough, female masturbation can actually improve your physical health. Namely, it can help prevent cervical infections and relieve those pesky (and painful) urinary tract infections. How? Because when women masturbate, the orgasm “opens” the cervix. The body’s natural fluids also lubricate the vagina and flush out bad bacteria from the cervix.
Other studies have shown women who had more orgasms – including self-induced ones – had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Who doesn’t have a few minutes to protect themselves from life-altering chronic illnesses?
There are literally no negative side effects
You may be asking yourself what the potential negative side effects are – well, great news! There are none. There’s no risk of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, heartbreak, or stage five clingers when it comes to self-stimulation. It’s the safest type of sex you can engage in. So put your phone on “do not disturb,” light some candles, and get comfortable. Note: Always masturbate with clean hands or toys to prevent spreading anything unclean (like herpes from a cold sore that you’ve touched) to yourself.
It helps you get comfortable with your body
Speaking of getting comfortable, masturbation is an amazing tool to help you get comfortable with yourself. It’s a great time to learn about your body and practice acceptance and appreciation for it. It can even empower you to get on an intimate level with your body, and give yourself mind-blowing orgasms.
Self-masturbation is a good tool whether you’re in a relationship or not. Sexual arousal begins in the brain – so if you aren’t in a relationship and you haven’t been thinking about sex, self-stimulation can keep you engaged and active with your sex life. It will help keep your tissues and blood flow healthy.
Masturbating helps you learn what you like in bed
One of the biggest benefits of masturbation is that you run the show. That means no bad sex. Once you learn what you like, you can ask your partner for it or show them how to do it.
All of these things – a good relationship with your body, a healthy body image, knowing what you like in bed, and feeling empowered by yourself– can help you improve your sex life.
Reach out to a supportive therapist in the Miami area
If you want to explore your sexuality – or even work on being closer with your partner – attending sex therapy or couples counseling is a great option. You don’t have to be in a relationship to attend sex therapy, either. Your therapist will help you explore your sexuality in a safe space, and can help you (and your partner, if applicable) explore a wide variety of challenges, including issues with intimacy, difficulty orgasming, performance anxiety, and many other concerns.
The team at Love Discovery is ready to welcome you with open arms. If you’re ready to get started in therapy to help facilitate healing within yourself and your interpersonal relationships, make an appointment with any of our therapists today. Feeling hesitant about how we can help? Call 786.571.4636 for a free 20-minute consultation.