Women masturbate as a coping mechanism and way to relieve stress — rather than a craving for sex, according to a new study.
Researchers in Switzerland surveyed 370 women aged 18 to 56 years old on how often they masturbate and the reasons behind it.
In total, the entire group only masturbated nine times a month.
But those who were psychologically distressed — regularly anxious or stressed — masturbated more often than those who were not.
Previous research has suggested the activity can help to relieve stress because it prompts the feel-good hormone dopamine to be released in the brain.
One woman wrote in response to the survey: ‘For me, it is also a valve to relieve stress. I notice that I masturbate more often during exam periods, for example.’
A second said: ‘[Masturbation] distracts me and relieves me from stress’, while a third added, ‘it brings me back to the here and now and makes me forget everything else for a moment’.
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In the study, published online, scientists recruited 370 women who had masturbated at least once over the last three months via Facebook, Instagram and university mailing lists.
Each completed a 35-minute survey in January 2021 on their masturbation frequency, habits and a questionnaire that determined whether they were psychologically distressed.
Results were then adjusted for factors such as relationship status, age and education level.
Of those who completed the survey, 85 percent were heterosexual, while 64 percent were in relationships and about half had a university degree.
Overall, 12 percent of the women — or 44 participants — said they masturbated as a coping mechanism to relieve stress.
But the main reason women masturbated, according to the survey, was to promote calm and relaxation, with 64 percent saying this was why they did the activity.
A further 55 percent also said they masturbated because it evoked feelings of joy.
Few women said they masturbated for reasons such as to help them fall asleep or to relieve any physical pain.
In the paper, they wrote: ‘According to the women in our study, masturbation serves as a strategy to induce positive emotions and promote relaxation when experiencing stress.
‘These findings are consistent with previous research that has highlighted the role of masturbation as a coping strategy for psychological stress and as a means of relaxation.’
In the initial group of 800 women, 15 were excluded because they said they had never masturbated while another 53 were excluded because they said they had not masturbated in the last three months.
Participants on psychiatric medication or who reported using anal stimulation were also excluded from the study.
