Solitary Masturbation and Partnered Sexual Activity: Association with Sexual Functioning

What is it about?

When in a relationship, sexuality has traditionally been understood as dyadic or shared sexual activity, with solitary masturbation relegated to a secondary role. However, this practice is part of the sexual repertoire of many people in relationships and may play a relevant role in their sexual well-being. Despite this, there remains a certain cultural stigma surrounding masturbation, which has limited research on how its practice relates to sexual functioning in the context of a romantic relationship. With the objective of providing insight into this issue, this study analyze how patterns of solitary masturbation and partnered sex are associated with different indicators of sexual functioning (desire, arousal, and orgasm) and sexual satisfaction among Spanish adults in heterosexual relationships. The study included 1028 participants aged 18 to 75 who reported having exclusively different-gender sexual relationships. Through cluster analysis, three sexual profiles were identified based on the frequency of masturbation and partnered sex: (1) high frequency of partnered sex and high frequency of solitary masturbation (PS + M); (2) high frequency of partnered sex and low frequency of solitary masturbation (PS); and (3) high frequency of solitary masturbation and low frequency of partnered sex (M). The results showed that the combined practice of partnered sex and solitary masturbation (PS + M) was associated with positive indicators of sexual health, especially among women. Women in the PS + M group reported better overall sexual functioning, higher dyadic sexual desire, greater arousability and lower sexual inhibition, fewer arousal/lubrication difficulties, and greater orgasm satisfaction and overall sexual satisfaction, indicating a complementary pattern of masturbation in their sexual lives. However, men in the PS + M group reported more erectile difficulties than those in the PS group, which could suggest a compensatory role of male masturbation in relation to sexual difficulties. Both men and women in the M group (i.e., high masturbation frequency and low partnered sex frequency) were characterized by poorer sexual health, reporting lower dyadic sexual desire toward their partner and lower sexual and relationship satisfaction. This reinforces the idea that the almost exclusive presence of solitary masturbation may be an indicator of sexual or relationship dissatisfaction among partnered individuals.

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Photo by Kate Kozyrka on Unsplash

Photo by Kate Kozyrka on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study highlights the importance of considering masturbation as part of couple sexual health. While its combination with partnered sex is associated with greater sexual well-being, when masturbation is the only or primary sexual activity, it may reflect sexual or relational dissatisfaction. Furthermore, it underscores the need to normalize and destigmatize masturbation in sexual education and clinical interventions.

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