About one in ten women in perimenopause or menopause masturbate to relieve their symptoms, according to a study that has generated media interest around the world.
The attention is probably due to the fact that masturbation is a new (and possibly somewhat prurient) strategy for relieving these symptoms, and older women are often seen as asexual.
So, masturbation really alleviates symptoms, as the study published in the scientific journal suggests. Menopause? Let’s see if the evidence confirms itself.
Health benefits of masturbation
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The study was carried out in the United States and led by researchers at the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, one of the best-known research institutes specializing in sex and relationships in the world. The study was funded by sex toy company Womanizer.
Researchers interviewed a representative sample of 1,178 perimenopausal and menopausal women aged 40 to 65.
Women who reported changes in their menstrual periods but still had at least one menstrual period in the previous year were classified as perimenopausal. Women who said they had not had a menstrual period in a year or more were classified as menopausal.
About four in five women said they have masturbated. Of those, about 20% said masturbation relieved their symptoms to some extent.
For perimenopausal women, the symptoms that improved most were difficulty sleeping and irritability. For a small number of menopausal women, masturbation has primarily helped with vaginal pain, bloating, and painful urination.
The results are consistent with previous research showing that masturbating 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 relieving menopause, is scant.
In particular, we can’t be sure exactly how masturbation might improve symptoms. But researchers propose that orgasm’s relaxing effects and release of endorphins can improve mood, help with sleep and reduce pain. Sexual stimulation can 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 masturbation made their symptoms worse, although it’s not clear why.
Stigma surrounding masturbation
Masturbation is no longer considered sinful or dangerous for the most part. 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 little evidence about its effectiveness in relieving menopause symptoms, especially compared to other non-medical interventions such as physical activity or stress relief.
The US study showed that women were substantially more likely to manage menopausal symptoms through evidence-based strategies of physical activity, diet or stress reduction than through masturbation.
But many women in the study may never have considered masturbation to alleviate their symptoms.
Masturbation is not for everyone
Masturbation is free, relatively easy and, for most women, enjoyable. There’s no reason it can’t be promoted as an affordable menopause relief strategy that may benefit some women. However, it’s not always that simple. There may be barriers for some women.
Not all women masturbate or like to masturbate. The North American study showed that almost one in five women surveyed had never masturbated. This number was higher among older, menopausal women, perhaps reflecting a generational shift in attitudes toward masturbation. Some women in the study indicated a moral or religious resistance to masturbation.
Other studies have similarly shown that many women do not masturbate. There could be many reasons for this, from a lack of desire to limited privacy or lack of “alone time.” Older women may face complex physical barriers, including loss of libido or limited dexterity and flexibility.
The silence and stigma surrounding masturbation can also make it difficult for healthcare professionals to discuss the issue with women. This was evident in the American study, with almost all reporting that they had never spoken to a doctor about masturbation for any reason.
Many women, however, were open to these conversations, with about 56% of perimenopausal women indicating that they would masturbate more frequently to treat menopause symptoms if their doctor recommended it.
Masturbation as a new strategy
While there’s no guarantee that masturbation will alleviate menopause symptoms in all women, suggesting they try it shouldn’t cause any harm. It is the safest sexual practice there is.
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.
*Jennifer Power, Senior Principal Research Fellow, Australian Center for Research in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original here.
