Solo masturbation and sexual exploration has long been taboo. And even more female masturbation! However, this practice that spice up your sex life and gives you pleasure also has fabulous health benefits.
So here are 10 reasons to fully indulge in it… without any guilt!
1. It accentuates the pleasure for two
Duo masturbation can be very exciting, plus it’s a way to get to know your partner better. Guide his hand towards caresses that stimulate you. It’s a great way to show the other how you like to be stroked! Harder, softer, with a sex toy or through your clothes… Foreplay with masturbation is a great way to have fun!
2. It helps reduce stress and anxiety
During masturbation, the brain secretes endorphins which promote well-being and reduce stress and anxiety. These hormones are multiplied during orgasm, resulting in muscle relaxation that accentuates the feeling of relaxation. Masturbation is therefore a significant ally of “zenitude”. Yes, masturbating is self-care!
3. It improves self-knowledge
Solitary pleasure is necessary for self-knowledge. Here is the parallel that I often mention: it is by cooking a variety of pasta that you end up knowing what you prefer! Are you more carbonara or lasagna, do you like cooking al dente or when it’s melting?! In other words, it is by experimenting with different caresses that you can discover what stimulates you sexually. If you don’t know, how can your partner know?
4. It promotes sleep
Many admit to practicing masturbation before bedtime because it promotes sleep. This is again thanks to the endorphins which act as a natural sleep aid. So here’s a great way to combine business with pleasure.
5. It multiplies the pleasure
Between you and me, does it sometimes happen to you to remain a little on your appetite after a sexual relationship? Part of the joy of masturbation is being able to have as many orgasms as you want. The multiorgasmic power is limitless in solo!
Moreover, I take this opportunity to tell you that masturbation does not have to be only part of foreplay. It can constitute a full sexual relationship as such. Penetration is always optional, and if you prefer caresses, treat yourself!
6. It is good for your health
Masturbation stimulates the heart rate, which is totally beneficial for the body! Some studies mention that the heart rate can even increase its rate up to 65% of its capacity, which is the equivalent of a brisk walk! And if you tend to tense your muscles during masturbation, you almost get the full workout! Well almost…
7. It is perfect for people in a hurry
According to some statistics, it takes an average of four minutes for a woman to reach orgasm during masturbation. Do you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and need to decompress? So give yourself a little four minutes of happiness.
8. It acts as a painkiller
It is once again thanks to the endorphins! The hormone secreted during masturbation helps calm pain related to migraines and menstrual cramps, among others. In this regard, the company behind the popular Womanizer sex toys conducted a clinical study in 2020 proving that masturbation can relieve menstrual pain. Over a period of six months, 486 people took part in the study. The results of this experiment? Masturbation would make the pain associated with menstrual cramps much less intense. Whether you prefer Tylenol or solo pleasure (or both!) is up to you.
9. It improves sexuality
For people with a vagina, the stimulation of the clitoris before penetration is not to be underestimated: this can enormously increase the sensations, in particular because the G-spot swells. And the fact of being caressed (or touching yourself) before, often increases the pleasure during the act..
For men (and people with penises) prone to rapid ejaculation, they can use masturbation to learn how to control their arousal. Alone, they have less performance anxiety (ah, toxic masculinity!) and become aware of their bodies, learn to breathe better, and better control their sexual mechanism.
10. It helps (maybe!) to prevent prostate cancer
Studies mention that the more men ejaculate between the ages of 20 and 50, the lower their risk of developing prostate cancer. Masturbation would decrease the accumulation of seminal fluid in the prostate ducts, thus preventing the risk of cancer. However, other studies have shown that the number of ejaculations does not necessarily have an impact on the rate of prostate cancer… One thing is certain in any case, masturbation cannot harm you!
Female masturbation: no more embarrassment!
Perhaps even more than male masturbation, female masturbation has fueled all taboos and prohibitions! This is among other things because for so long, a woman could not be “respectable” if she fully assumed her sexuality: “nymphomaniacs” were treated in psychiatry. Between the hypersexualization and the slut-shaming they have suffered from too young an age, it is difficult for women to masturbate in peace! She is also the one who generally bears all the burdens: contraception, pregnancy, motherhood… Difficult to emancipate oneself sexually.
This is why it is estimated that 50 years ago, less than 20% of women indulged in solitary pleasure… While today, it would be more than 75%. Do these numbers reflect actual practice or just a decrease in the embarrassment and shame of admitting it over time? Impossible to know. But female solo pleasure is much more accepted now. And that’s good, since it’s a completely normal and healthy activity.
Of the women who answer masturbation surveys in the affirmative, those who masturbate the most would be those in their twenties. The generation that masturbates the least? Women in their sixties. But we wish them the same pleasure! About 20% of women say they have never masturbated…Never in their life!
