Sexual Response Differs during Partnered Sex and Masturbation in Men With and Without Sexual Dysfunction: Implications for Treatment.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether men who experience sexual difficulty during partnered sex experience similar difficulty during masturbation. AIM: To determine whether sexual functionality and dysfunctionality were similar or different during masturbation vs partnered sex. METHODS: We compared sexual responsivity during masturbation vs partnered sex in a multinational sample of 4,209 men with and without a sexual dysfunction to determine whether dysfunctionality was greater, less, or about the same during these 2 types of sexual activity. OUTCOMES: Consistently lower impairment of sexual function was found during masturbation compared with partnered sex for all 3 sexual problems assessed: erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and delayed ejaculation. CLINICAL TRANSLATION: These findings reiterate the potential value of assessing sexual responsivity during masturbation as well as melding masturbation strategies with couples therapy in order to attenuate impaired response during partnered sex. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: Although this study provides the first empirical evidence based on a large multinational sample indicating that sexual functionality is consistently higher during masturbation than partnered sex, it does not provide an empirically-derived explanation for this difference. CONCLUSION: Understanding a man's response potential during masturbation may be important to improving sexual response during partnered sex, with the need for more targeted research that more directly evaluates the use of such strategies in the treatment of men's sexual problems. Rowland DL, Hamilton BD, Bacys KR et al. Sexual Response Differs during Partnered Sex and Masturbation in Men With and Without Sexual Dysfunction: Implications for Treatment. J Sex Med 2021;18:1835-1842.

Orgasmic Latency and Related Parameters in Women During Partnered and Masturbatory Sex.

INTRODUCTION: Orgasmic latency (OL) during partnered sex (POL) and OL during masturbatory sex (MOL) in women with and without orgasmic difficulty have received minimal attention. AIM: To ascertain POL and MOL both overall and more specifically in women with and without difficulty reaching orgasm and to explore interrelationships between masturbatory and partnered latencies and sexual satisfaction. METHODS: Participants for this study were 2,304 women drawn from community-based samples in the United States and Hungary who completed an investigator-derived questionnaire regarding their sexual history and response, including items related to frequency of masturbation and partnered sex, sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasmic response, OL, distress, partner distress, and sexual satisfaction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Self-reported OL and related orgasmic parameters during masturbation and partnered sex in women with and without difficulty reaching orgasm were assessed. RESULTS: POL were longer than those during MOL. Women experiencing difficulty reaching orgasm showed even longer latencies during partnered sex but comparable latencies during masturbation. Covariates related to POL included age, overall relationship quality, masturbation frequency, MOL, and level of distress about not reaching orgasm. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: POL in women are substantially longer than men's, suggesting the potential need for an increased repertoire of stimulatory behaviors to increase the woman's arousal. STRENGTH AND LIMITATIONS: The study was well powered and drew from a multi-national population. However, specific types of sexual stimulation during partnered and masturbatory sex were not included in this analysis. CONCLUSION: MOL for women and POL differ significantly, with latencies during partnered sex being substantially longer than masturbation, although women reporting the greatest difficulty reaching orgasm have the longest latencies and are likely to find masturbation more satisfying than women who do not. Rowland DL, Sullivan SL, Hevesi K, et al. Orgasmic Latency and Related Parameters in Women During Partnered and Masturbatory Sex. J Sex Med 2018;15:1463-1471.