Masturbation is safest sex you can have. You don’t have to worry about condoms, STIs, awkward sexual mishaps, and you’re always guaranteed to have an orgasm. It's so good for you, physically and mentally, that it only makes sense that it would be given a whole month of celebration: National Masturbation Month. What's also great about masturbating is you can literally do it anywhere. It's just about being creative.
"Get your brain on board with masturbation and your body will thank you," Dr. Emily Morse, a doctor of human sexuality and host of the Sex With Emily podcast, tells Bustle. "Remember that arousal starts in your head and works its way down. If your mind is good and turned on, it won’t be long until the rest of your body follows suit."
Because masturbation is so healthy and accessible, sex toy company, We-Vibe, just released their first annual We-Vibe Masturbation Report. The report researched men and women across the United States, ages 20 to 70, of all relationship statuses, to see who's masturbating, how often, where they're doing it, and, of course, what they’re using to get themselves off. Of the 600 respondents, the overall consensus is that masturbation definitely isn’t as taboo as it used to be. People are finally catching on to just how important it is and how fun it is, too.
Here are nine things to know about masturbation in honor of National Masturbation Month, thanks to We-Vibe’s report.
1. People Are Talking About Masturbation More Than Ever
Of the respondents, 85% said they were comfortable more than ever before to talk about masturbation thanks to things like TV and movies that are making the subject less taboo. Which is definitely great news; it needs to be talked about and talked about regularly in positive ways.
"The more we talk about [masturbation]," Dr. Nikki Goldstein, a sexologist and author, tells Bustle. "The more we start to understand that everyone does it or at least has the desire to. The other is swapping secret and tips. Masturbation shouldn't just be straightforward. There are so many ways to do it and to make it feel good."
According to the research, 69% have talked about masturbation with their friends, 32% had done so a lot, and 63% had only discussed it a few times. At 34% versus 29%, men are still more comfortable than women when it comes to talking about masturbation.
2. Millennials Are The Most Comfortable With The Topic Of Masturbation
Although this shouldn’t be totally surprising, it’s nice to know that millennials are far more open to masturbation than past generations. While 85% of millennials have talked about masturbation with their friends, only 65% of Gen-Xers had indulged in masturbation chatter with their buddies. Let's hope this trend continues for the generations to come.
3. Most People Start Masturbating In Their Teens
According to the research, 45% of respondents reported that they had started touching themselves for the first time between ages 13 to 19. However, 20% of women said they didn’t start exploring that part of their bodies until they were in the 20s... all those lost years of orgasms. We can, mostly likely, blame our culture for that.
"While for boys, masturbation is framed to them as natural, unavoidable, and even healthy — girls experience a very different narrative," Polly Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of sex toy company Unbound, tells Bustle. "Told from the get-go that their sexuality is to be controlled and contained, girls aren't taught about masturbation, so many view it as unnatural or even shameful. They're also rarely taught about their own pleasure when it comes to sex. This means that not only are they unaware about sources of pleasure, they're often too embarrassed or scared to explore them. If we were to teach young girls about their bodies, about pleasure, about the clitoris, and about their sexuality (beyond how to defend against male sexuality), I think we might see more equivalent masturbation rates."
4. The Majority Of People Masturbate When They're Horny
Although 38% of people masturbate to reduce any stress or anxiety they might be feeling, and 26% do so out of the boredom, at 87%, most masturbate when they’re feeling, well, sexy.
But no matter one's reason for masturbating, the research found that 76% felt satisfied after doing so, 59% felt less stressed, and, one to five percent, a very minimal amount, felt shame or lonely because of it.
5. People Are Masturbating In Their Car
While 80% prefer their bedroom for their self-love moments, 20% of men and 19% of women admitted to having masturbated in their car at some point. Which makes sense: have you ever sat in rush hour traffic and not considered killing time with some hot and heavy masturbation And, interestingly enough, of those masturbating in their car most often, 35% were from the Midwest. Apparently, those long, long roads with the tumbleweed do have a purpose after all.
As for the rest of the country, 8% of the East Coast respondents masturbate in the kitchen (because food, obviously), 25% of Southerners prefer the shower, and back to those Midwesterners, 41% masturbate in the bathroom... because easy clean up? On the West Coast, the couch is a happening masturbation spot for 19%.
6. People Masturbate More In The Winter
When it comes to seasons, winter sees the most action with 82% of respondents reporting that they masturbate more in the winter months than any other time of year. As for the most ideal time of day, 51% reported preferring night over day for their self-love dalliances. Considering the benefits of masturbating before bed, preferring night to day can actually be a good thing — but day over night is also great in its own way.
7. Half Of Women Use A Vibrator To Get Off
Not only do 55% of women masturbate at least once a week or more, but 50% of them use vibrators to do so. Half the women also reported to being able to climax easier during masturbation than with a partner, because of course.
"Women masturbate in a dazzling array of ways," Vanessa Marin, sex therapist and creator of Finishing School, an online orgasm course for women, tells Bustle. "Female masturbation doesn't get talked about very openly, but I think it's truly amazing to learn about all of the different ways that women can experience pleasure."
Not to mention all the different types of orgasms that can be experienced.
8. Most People Don’t Watch Porn During Masturbation
While porn makes for a great aid when masturbating for some people, more than half, at 53%, prefer their own imagination over visual stimulation when getting themselves off. But of those who did report to having watched porn while jerking off, 81% were male, because you know how much guys just love that visual stimulation.
In addition, 20% of respondents listen to music while masturbating, although there’s no say in the research as to what type of music people prefer. Although I'm willing to bet there's some Marvin Gaye action in there somewhere.
9. Women Are Just As Likely To Masturbate When They’re In A Relationship As When They're Single
To further prove that masturbation is absolutely not something that only “lonely” women do, the report found that three in four women were just as likely to masturbate when they were in a relationship then if they were single.
"Masturbation is a healthy way to determine what is pleasurable," Rachel Hoffman, LCSW, M.Ed, a PhD candidate in human sexuality, tells Bustle. "It may also help relieve stress and promote sleep. Regardless of your relationship status, masturbation is a healthy form of sexual expression. Be open and honest with your partner about masturbation, as majority of individuals feel worse about their partner lying than about the behavior itself."
Takeaway? No matter where you are, you should be reaching for your vibrator right about now. (Assuming, of course, you're flying solo.)
This post was originally published on May 4, 2015. It was updated on September 6, 2019.
