Decades of research show that masturbation offers significant individual, relational, and health benefits—from stress reduction and pain relief to deeper sexual self-awareness and improved sexual function with partners. However, despite this evidence, masturbation remains stigmatized in many cultures, communities, and even healthcare settings. Female masturbation in particular is often surrounded by misinformation, silence and lingering social discomfort.
A recent study of almost 500 Portuguese cisgender women provides new insight into how genital knowledge, genital self-image, and early sexual experiences shape adult masturbation behavior and orgasmic function during sex. These findings offer valuable lessons for sexual health professionals working to promote empowered, informed, and shameless sexual development.
Who Masturbates?
Masturbation is a common sexual behavior throughout life. Rates usually increase during adolescence, peak 😉 in young adulthood, and gradually decrease with age.
Access to comprehensive sexuality education and accurate information is associated with higher rates of masturbation, likely because these environments normalize sexual action and reduce fear-based messages. Masturbation rates vary by countryinfluenced by several educational, political, social and religious factors.
Masturbation patterns also vary significantly by gender. Studies consistently show that:
Women report masturbating less often than men.
Girls and young women are often taught that masturbation is less acceptable, less normal, or inferior to a partner’s sexual behavior.
Adolescent boys more often receive messages that masturbation is healthy and expected, while girls may have mixed or negative messages.
Interestingly, while male masturbation is often framed as a substitute for sex with a partner, female masturbation is more often complementary, it is associated with stronger sexual activity, better functioning and higher sexual satisfaction. A recent systematic review found that more often men reported a negative relationship between masturbation and sexual satisfaction, while this relationship was found to be positive for more women.
Sexual orientation may also play a role: several studies suggest this Queer women report higher rates of masturbation than heterosexual women.
Why this study matters
Although masturbation is beneficial and widely practiced, women are rarely given precise or affirming instructions about:
The structures of their external genitalia
The anatomy and function of the clitoris
The developmental value of self-exploration
How masturbation contributes to sexual empowerment
This study contributes to filling these gaps by examining:
Level of anatomical knowledge of female genital organs
Prediction of masturbation frequency in adults
How masturbation during adolescence relates to orgasm with a partner later in life
Key Findings: Female Masturbation
Genital knowledge gaps
Knowledge of female genital anatomy was generally low to average. Misconceptions centered around the clitoris:
Almost 48% of participants answered clitoris size questions incorrectly and many thought it was only 1-2 cm long.
Objects that reflect sexual myths: “The vagina becomes more “loose” with frequent sex” were associated with lower knowledge of clitoral anatomy.
These findings match previous research showing:
Women are more familiar with internal anatomy (eg, uterus, ovaries) than external structures (eg, labia, clitoral complex).
Schooling often focuses on reproduction and risk rather than pleasure and body literacy.
Many women have no practical knowledge of what their genitals look like or how they function sexually.
Since the clitoris is one of the most important structures for female sexual arousal and orgasm, this gap has real implications for sexual satisfaction, self-confidence, contraceptive decision-making, and navigating health care.
Patterns of female masturbation
Masturbation was almost universal in the sample:
96% had masturbated at some point, with an average age of first experience of 14.1 years
Most started masturbating between the ages of 10 and 19
In adolescence:
In adulthood:
About 25% reported masturbating once a week and only 5% reported masturbating less than once a year
7% had never reached orgasm through masturbation, while 13% reported orgasm every time
What predicts masturbation frequency?
Several demographic and social factors were associated with more frequent masturbation in adulthood:
Women masturbated more if they were:
They also masturbated more if they had:
Greater knowledge of genital anatomy
A more positive genital self-image
More frequent orgasm during masturbation
History of masturbation during adolescence
These findings align with the broader literature showing that sexual shame, religious messages, and limited sex education suppress masturbation, while body confidence and sexual knowledge enhance it.
Adolescent masturbation predicts adult orgasm
One of the most important findings is that women who masturbated more during adolescence were more likely to reach orgasm during sex in adulthood, such as:
This reinforces masturbation as a learning process. Women who understand how their bodies respond tend to incorporate this knowledge into partner intimacy, improving sexual satisfaction.
Implications for sexual health professionals
Incorporate pleasure and anatomy into training
Many women never receive accurate information about:
Clinical and community education should:
Use accurate visual diagrams
Teach the anatomy of the clitoris, including its internal structure
Normalize self-exploration and masturbation throughout life
Specifically, even among adult clinical patients, few can correctly name or identify vulvar structures, reflecting missed educational opportunities.
It is also important to note that the definition of female genitalia continues to be debated among international clinical and anatomical societies. This has implications and consequences for communication, research and health.
Shame remains a major barrier to healthy sexual development. Another recent Portuguese study found:
Sexual health professionals should:
Ask about early sexual development
Based on this research, discussions may benefit from including:
How people first learned about masturbation
Early messages from family, religion, school, peers or media
Either early shame or prohibitions continue to influence adult experiences
This is not to pathologize masturbation, but rather to recognize that early experiences can shape adult comfort, expectations, and sexual agency.
Recognize that masturbation can serve different purposes
This study also found that people who consistently orgasmed with partners tended to masturbate less, suggesting that for some, masturbation acts as a compensatory strategy when sex with a partner is:
Clinicians may ask:
Different reasons may apply. As mentioned earlier, gender differences have been found between masturbation and sexual satisfaction, which also enhance partner sex. Either way, the distinction can guide support strategies.
Conclusions: Female Masturbation
This research makes one message clear: When people understand their bodies and feel allowed to explore them, sexual outcomes improve.
For sexual health professionals, this means:
Normalize masturbation at all ages
Prioritize body literacy and clitoral anatomy
Actively challenge shame-based or gender-based sexual norms
Treat pleasure as a legitimate, measurable sexual health outcome
The stigma remains strong, but so is the knowledge. The earlier individuals are given accurate information about their anatomy, pleasure, and agency, the more confidently they can carry that knowledge into adulthood, relationships, and lifelong sexual well-being.
Supporting sexual travel with SHA certification programs
Many people grow up without comprehensive sex education or guidance. SHA certification programs help bridge this gap by training professionals in inclusive, gender-positive, and evidence-based approaches to sexual health.
These certifications emphasize pleasure, anatomy, trauma-informed care, and supportive communication, equipping providers to help individuals explore sexuality with confidence, reduce shame, and develop lifelong sexual wellness skills.
