Masturbation, sexual function, and genital self-image of undergraduate women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between factors related to masturbation, sexual function, and genital self-image among women has not been fully explored in the literature. AIM: The study sought to investigate the association between masturbation frequency, feelings, and behaviors with sexual function and genital self-image in young women. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey among 110 undergraduate female students was conducted. Online self-administered questionnaires to assess sociodemographic characteristics, masturbatory frequency, feelings, and behavior were completed. Participants also answered the Brazilian version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS). OUTCOMES: The outcome includes masturbation frequency and behaviors associated, as well as scores on the FSFI and FGSIS. RESULTS: Women showed higher scores in FSFI subdomains when masturbation was considered important for them, along with reported feelings of empowerment and satisfaction during this activity. However, those who experienced negative emotions during masturbation, such as shame or guilt, demonstrated a significant association with lower scores in both FSFI and FGSIS. Masturbation frequency was found to correlate with better sexual function specifically in the desire domain among women who engaged in daily masturbation. Additionally, an association was observed between higher scores in the FGSIS and increased scores in the domains of satisfaction, arousal, and orgasm within the FSFI. There was an association in the domain's satisfaction, arousal, and orgasm of the FSFI with greater scores in FGSIS. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The clinical implications encompass the augmentation of understanding pertaining to female sexual function. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: The study provides valuable insights into the sexual behavior of undergraduate female students, and its methodology improves openness in responses, as it provides anonymity given the sensitive nature of the topic studied. Study limitations include the unsuitability of the FSFI questionnaire for sexually inactive women in the past 4 weeks; the participation bias and reporting bias in sexuality searches; and the unknown validity of the investigator-derived questionnaire about masturbation, as it has not been previously validated. CONCLUSION: Masturbation frequency has minimal to no impact on female sexual function, whereas harboring positive feelings toward it and maintaining a positive genital self-image may exert a positive influence on sexual function.

Do Ejaculation Latency and Other Sexual Measures Differ Between Men With Lifelong and Acquired Premature Ejaculation?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether men with lifelong vs acquired premature ejaculation (PE) subtypes differ on their estimated ejaculation latencies (EL) and related sexual, relationship, and behavioral parameters. METHODS: Of 2679 men who responded to an online multinational survey about sexual health and met inclusion criteria, 540 reported "probable" or "definite" PE, as assessed by the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool. Lifelong and acquired PE subtypes were compared on multiple measures related to EL, as well as on sets of demographic, diagnostic, relationship, sexual behavioral, and sexual functioning measures during both partnered sex and masturbation. RESULTS: Nearly 73% of men with PE in this sample reported the lifelong subtype. No differences emerged in EL measures between subtypes, even when parsed according to age. Specifically, men 37years or under with either definite lifelong or acquired PE reported ELs of 1.9 minutes (SD=1.3). For men over 37, lifelong ELs were 2.0 minutes (SD=1.3), acquired ELs 2.4 minutes (SD=1.4). While the lifelong subgroup was younger and reported lower erectile functioning, these differences occurred only in the probable PE group and not the definite PE group. CONCLUSION: Our data do not support different EL criteria for men with acquired vs lifelong PE, as suggested by several professional definitions. Furthermore, differences in age and erectile functioning between the groups, often reported in clinical samples though not in our definite PE group, may be an artifact of the general health/patient characteristics that lead such men to seek medical assistance.

Regular penis-root masturbation: A promising behavioral treatment method for lifelong premature ejaculation.

AIM: We aimed to determine the effectiveness of penis-root masturbation (PRM), a newly defined behavioral therapy (BT) technique, in patients with unsuccessful medical treatment due to premature ejaculation (PE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 35 patients aged 25-43 years, who were diagnosed with lifelong PE. Patients and their partners were informed about the PRM technique and asked to practice PRM three times a week for three months, with or without sexual intercourse. The patients' Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) scores and intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) were recorded and compared before PRM training (T0) and at the third (T3) month after the start of PRM training. RESULTS: The mean±SD PEDT scores were 16.26±1.94 at T0, 10.63±1.14 at T3. When compared to T0, the PEDT values at T3 were significantly lower (P=0.021). In terms of IELT, the mean T3 values (192.43±56.71) were significantly longer (P=0.035) than at T0 (50.43±13.84seconds). CONCLUSION: PRM BT shows promise for lifelong PE patients who do not benefit from or discontinue to pharmacotherapy. Larger prospective trials are required to confirm these findings.

Erection Hardness Score in Masturbation Can Serve as a Preliminary Screening Tool for Organic Erectile Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy, in terms of sensitivity and specificity, of Erection Hardness Score (EHS) applied to masturbation in diagnosing predominantly organic erectile dysfunction (ED), compared to the actual standard, which is nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 189 consecutive patients who came to our outpatient clinic from October 2019 to October 2020, reporting ED and an abridged International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-6) score <26 were enrolled. Patients filled out two psychometric questionnaires: the IIEF-6 applied to partnered intercourse and the EHS applied to masturbation, then they underwent the NPTR test with Rigiscan for 2 consecutive nights in good sleep condition. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EHS and IIEF-6 scales with NPTR as the standard, as well as the correlation between EHS, IIEF-6, and NPTR results were calculated. RESULTS: Results show that the sensitivity of the EHS scale for the diagnosis of ED was 60.0%, the specificity was 95.7%, the positive predictive value was 83.3%, the negative predictive value was 86.9%, and the coincidence rate was 86.2%. The correlation coefficient was 0.572 and the area under the ROC curve was 0.78, which means the strength of erection in masturbation as evaluated by the EHS can effectively help in discriminating between predominantly organic and apparently nonorganic ED. CONCLUSION: An EHS score of 3-4, meaning good-optimal erectile function during masturbation, decreases the likelihood of predominantly organic ED and reduces the need for further NPTR testing.

Not Who You Are, But Who You Are With: Re-examining Women's Less Satisfying Sexual Debuts.

Gender differences in appraisals of first intercourse are among the largest in sexuality research, with women indicating less satisfying "sexual debuts" than men. Dispositional or "actor-level" explanations for this gender gap are pervasive, yet research has largely examined heterosexual debuts in which actor gender and partner gender are confounded. We assessed whether women's less satisfying sexual debuts are better explained by actor gender or partner gender, comparing experiences of women who debuted with men (WDM) with those of men and women who debuted with women (MDW, WDW). Retrospective accounts of sexual debut were collected from 3033 adults. At first intercourse, we found that WDW had equal physical and emotional satisfaction to MDW, and more satisfaction than WDM, suggesting satisfaction gaps owing to partner gender, not actor gender. This pattern did not extend to a comparison event (first masturbation), where WDW and WDM had similar satisfaction, but less satisfaction than MDW, suggesting an actor gender gap. To identify sources of satisfaction gaps, we probed for corresponding differences in the circumstances of sexual debut. Sexual circumstances were more strongly implicated than nonsexual ones, with relative deprivation of glans stimulation explaining relative dissatisfaction at first intercourse, but not first masturbation, and orgasm explaining it at both. Findings challenge the view that the satisfaction gap at first intercourse reflects an inherent difference between genders. Indeed, they demonstrate similarities when partner gender does not differ and suggest strategies for ensuring equal sexual satisfaction-and equal sexual rights realization-at (hetero) sexual debut.

Traumatic masturbation and erectile dysfunction: A matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify atypical masturbatory behaviors (AMB) and to reveal their effects on both sexual and masturbational erection hardness in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: Patients with ED and healthy controls were questioned about their masturbation habits. Accordingly, "rubbing in a prone position," "pressure on penis," and "masturbation through clothes" were included in the traumatic masturbation syndrome (TMS) group. Erection hardness score (EHS) is used to measure the erectile functions during masturbation (mast), foreplay (presex), and sexual intercourse (sex), separately. RESULTS: The data of 448 participants, 266 (59%) from the patient group, and 182 (41%) from the control group were analyzed. The mean ages were 30 years in both groups (p = 0.734). The rate of "rubbing in a prone position" and "penile pressure" while masturbating was higher in patients than the controls (10.2% vs. 6%, p = 0.024 and 8.6% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.0002, respectively). Patients had 2.2-fold (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-3.47; p = 0.001) increased risks of having at least one AMB, compared with controls. In the secondary analysis, the patient group was divided into 2 subgroups according to having TMS (ED + TMS) or not (ED). The percentage of patients with EHS≥3 during masturbation was higher than those during sex and presex in the "ED + TMS" group (60.2%, 38.8%, and 37.2%, respectively, p = 0.0001; n = 98). Comparing the percentage of patients with EHS≥3 during mast, presex, and, sex was found to be similar in the "ED" group (58.9%, 56.5%, and 56%, respectively, p = 0.753; n = 168). CONCLUSION: Atypical masturbatory behaviors are more common in young men presenting with erectile dysfunction. These patients have higher erection hardness scores during masturbation compared to partnered sex.

The evolution of masturbation is associated with postcopulatory selection and pathogen avoidance in primates.

Masturbation occurs throughout the animal kingdom. At first glance, however, the fitness benefits of this self-directed behaviour are unclear. Regardless, several drivers have been proposed. Non-functional hypotheses posit that masturbation is either a pathology, or a byproduct of high underlying sexual arousal, whereas functional hypotheses argue an adaptive benefit. The Postcopulatory Selection Hypothesis states that masturbation aids the chances of fertilization, while the Pathogen Avoidance Hypothesis states that masturbation helps reduce host infection by flushing pathogens from the genital tract. Here, we present comprehensive new data documenting masturbation across the primate order and use these, in conjunction with phylogenetic comparative methods, to reconstruct the evolutionary pathways and correlates of masturbation. We find that masturbation is an ancient trait within the primate order, becoming a more common aspect of the haplorrhine behavioural repertoire after the split from tarsiers. Our analyses provide support for both the Postcopulatory Selection and Pathogen Avoidance Hypotheses in male primates, suggesting that masturbation may be an adaptive trait, functioning at a macroevolutionary scale.

Actual and Desired Masturbation Frequency, Sexual Distress, and Their Correlates.

We investigated the prevalence of problematic masturbation using different criteria. We also investigated if masturbation-related distress was associated with sexual abuse history, family attitudes towards sexuality during childhood, and depression and anxiety symptoms. Here, 12,271 Finnish men and women completed a survey reporting masturbation frequency, desired masturbation frequency, sexual distress, childhood sexual abuse, sex-positive family background, as well as depression and anxiety symptoms. Among both sexes, those whose masturbation frequency did not match with desired frequency experienced more sexual distress. Different conceptualizations of problematic masturbation resulted in different proportions of individuals categorized as having it (i.e., 8.3% of men and 2.7% of women experienced self-perceived problematic masturbation, that is masturbating more than they desired and experiencing sexual distress; 2% of men and 0.6% of women masturbated more frequently than average and meanwhile experienced self-perceived problematic masturbation; 6.3% of men and 2.1% of women masturbated less frequently than average but still experienced self-perceived problematic masturbation). Moreover, among both sexes, self-perceived problematic masturbation was positively associated with childhood sexual abuse, depression, and anxiety, while negatively associated with a sex-positive family background. Our results point to the complexity of defining problematic masturbation. Causes of sexual distress related to masturbation need to be carefully examined case by case to choose an appropriate clinical approach.

Masturbatory insanity: the history of an idea, revisited.

In the eighteenth century, masturbation was extended from the moral to the medical sphere and conceptualized as being the cause of various deteriorative physical illnesses. In the nineteenth century, psychiatrists accepted that difficult to control masturbation was a feature of many mental disorders. They also believed that masturbation could play a casual role in a specific type of insanity with a distinctive natural history. In 1962, E.H. Hare published an article on the concept of masturbatory insanity that became an important explication of the masturbation and mental illness relationship in the history of psychiatry. Historical research published subsequent to Hare's article suggests several updates to his analysis. Hare did not note that the masturbation and mental illness relationship was promoted to the general public by quacks peddling quick cures. Hare emphasized psychiatrists' condemnatory language only, neglecting the aspiration of psychiatrists to treat disorders caused by excessive masturbation, not punish the sin of masturbation. Hare recognized the importance of hebephrenia and neurasthenia to this history but attributed the decline of masturbation related mental illness in part to the rejection of an irrational, unscientific hypotheses about masturbation's causal role. As an alternative, we suggest that before the causal role of masturbation was widely abandoned, the concepts of hebephrenia and neurasthenia gained a competitive advantage and became primary diagnoses for cases that once would have been conceptualized as masturbatory insanity.

The sex life of male patients with cirrhosis and its organic factors: What we have got so far?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the sex lives of male cirrhotic patients organic factors affect them. METHOD: We did an observational study of 220 cirrhotic men's satisfaction with their sexual lives. Assessment of sex satisfaction was carried out using the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale. The frequency of intercourse and masturbation was estimated. Then, the levels of albumin, total bilirubin, vitamin D, and sex steroids were examined. Ascites and sarcopenia subgroups of our patients were stratified. RESULTS: Along with sex steroids, albumin, total bilirubin, and vitamin D all had an impact on how satisfying sex was (r = 0.22), (r = 0.24), and (r = -0.17) affected sex satisfaction. There were strong positive correlations between vitamin D (r = 0.33), albumin (r = 0.59), and free testosterone, along with a negative correlation between total bilirubin (r = -0.63) and free testosterone. An imbalance in sex steroid levels was observed, leading to decreased frequency of intercourse(p < 0.0001), weakened erections(p < 0.0001), and reduced quality of orgasm (p < 0.0001). Significant new sex behavior changes were found, such as an increase in masturbation. Physical limitations such as ascites and sarcopenia also impacted the decreasing sex life. CONCLUSION: The sex life of cirrhotic men is affected. The decrease in the frequency of intercourse and sexual satisfaction is noticeable in male patients and leads to increased masturbation. Free Testosterone, vitamin D, albumin, and bilirubin play role in their sex life. In addition, ascites and sarcopenia not only affect their sex life but also hamper the quality of their well-being.

Measurement Invariance across Sexual Orientation for Measures of Sexual Attitudes.

Despite the growing interest in the study of sexual attitudes across sexual orientation, few studies have tested whether the instruments used to measure them are invariant. This study examined measurement invariance (configural, weak, strong, and strict) across sexual orientation in three different sexual attitude scales: the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) to assess erotophilia, the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Fantasy (HISF) to assess attitudes toward sexual fantasies, and the Negative Attitudes Toward Masturbation Inventory (NATMI) to assess negative attitudes toward masturbation. A total of 2293 Spanish adult men and women with different sexual orientations (i.e., heterosexual, bisexual, and gay) participated in the study. The results indicated strict invariance for HISF across sexual orientation and only weak invariance for SOS and NATMI. Differential item functioning was also found in two items of the NATMI scale. Evidence of validity was provided for the three scales that were studied.

Characteristics of men who report symptoms of delayed ejaculation: providing support for empirically derived diagnostic criteria.

BACKGROUND: Little is known regarding the demographic, sexual, and relationship characteristics of men with symptoms of delayed ejaculation (DE). AIM: To identify differences between men with and without DE symptomology to validate face-valid diagnostic criteria and to identify various functional correlates of DE. METHODS: A total of 2679 men meeting inclusion criteria were partitioned into groups with and without DE symptomology on the basis of their self-reported "difficulty reaching ejaculation/orgasm during partnered sex." Men were then compared on a broad array of demographic and relationship variables, as well as sexual response variables assessed during partnered sex and masturbation. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included the identified differences between men with and without DE symptomology. RESULTS: Men with DE-whether having comorbid erectile dysfunction or not-differed from men without DE on 5 face-valid variables related to previously proposed diagnostic criteria for DE, including ones related to ejaculation latency (P < .001); self-efficacy related to reaching ejaculation, as assessed by the percentage of episodes reaching ejaculation during partnered sex (P < .001); and negative consequences of the impairment, including "bother/distress" and (lack of) "orgasmic pleasure/sexual satisfaction" (P < .001). All such differences were associated with medium to large effect sizes. In addition, men showed differences on a number of functional correlates of DE, including anxiety, relationship satisfaction, frequency of partnered sex and masturbation, and level of symptomology during partnered sex vs masturbation (P < .001). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Face-valid criteria for the diagnosis of DE were statistically verified, and functional correlates of DE relevant to guiding and focusing treatment were identified. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: In this first comprehensive analysis of its kind, we have demonstrated widespread differences on sexual and relationship variables relevant to the diagnosis of DE and to its functional correlates between men with and without DE symptomology during partnered sex. Limitations include participant recruitment through social media, which likely biased the sample; the use of estimated rather than clocked ejaculation latencies; and the fact that differences between men with acquired and lifelong DE were not investigated. CONCLUSION: This well-powered multinational study provides strong empirical support for several face-valid measures for the diagnosis of DE, with a number of explanatory and control covariates that may help shed light on the lived experiences of men with DE and suggest focus areas for treatment. Whether or not the DE men had comorbid erectile dysfunction had little impact on the differences with men having normal ejaculatory functioning.

The influence of sexual activity on sleep: A diary study.

Aiming to promote overall health and well-being through sleep, the present studies examine to what extent sexual activity serves as a behavioural mechanism to improve sleep. The relation between sexual activity, i.e., partnered sex and masturbation with or without orgasm, and subjective sleep latency and sleep quality is examined by means of a cross-sectional and a longitudinal (diary) study. Two hundred fifty-six male and female participants, mainly students, completed a pre-test set of questionnaires and, thereafter, a diary during 14 consecutive days. The cross-sectional study was analysed using analysis of covariance and demonstrated that both men and women perceive partnered sex and masturbation with orgasm to improve sleep latency and sleep quality, while sexual activity without orgasm is perceived to exert negative effects on these sleep parameters, most strongly by men. Accounting for the repeated measurements being nested within participants, the diary data were analysed using multilevel linear modelling (MLM). Separate models for subjective sleep latency and sleep quality were constructed, which included 2076 cases at level 1, nested within 159 participants at level 2. The analyses revealed that only partnered sex with orgasm was associated with a significantly reduced sleep latency (b = -0.08, p < 0.002) and increased sleep quality (b = 0.19, p < 0.046). Sexual activity without orgasm and masturbation with and without orgasm were not associated with changes in sleep. Further, no gender differences emerged. The present studies confirm and significantly substantiate findings indicating that sexual activity and intimacy may improve sleep and overall well-being in both men and women and serve as a directive for future research.

Asexuality, Graysexuality, and Demisexuality: Distinctions in Desire, Behavior, and Identity.

As identities within the ace spectrum gain greater visibility in describing those who experience limited or no sexual attraction, it is vital to understand points of commonality and distinction among individuals who identify as asexual, graysexual, and demisexual. Among respondents to the Ace Community Survey, a large international sample of individuals who identify on the ace spectrum, we found that those who identified as asexual (n = 9,476, Mage = 22.3, 61.0% female, 12.5% male), graysexual (n = 1,698, Mage = 24.2, 58.8% female, 16.5% male), or demisexual (n = 1,442, Mage = 24.2, 62.8% female, 12.6% male) varied in indicators related to sexual desire, behavior, and identity. Asexual individuals were the least likely to be in a relationship, experience romantic attraction, or identify with orientation labels signifying genders of attraction such as straight, bisexual, heteroromantic, and biromantic. Asexual individuals were the most likely to identify as aromantic, graysexual individuals the most likely to identify as grayromantic, and demisexual individuals the most likely to identify as demiromantic. Asexual individuals also scored the lowest on measures of sex drive, personal disposition toward engaging in sex, and masturbation frequency, with graysexual individuals scoring lower than demisexual individuals on the first two.

Masturbation in middle and late adulthood: its relationship to orgasm.

The relation of masturbation to orgasmic facility and orgasm satisfaction in the sexual relationships context was examined in elderly population. This cross-sectional study included 546 Spanish heterosexual adults aged 50-83 years. They completed a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire, and scales to assess negative attitude towards masturbation, solitary sexual desire, subjective orgasm experience in the solitary masturbation context and orgasmic facility and orgasm satisfaction in sexual relationships. Significant differences were observed on all the masturbation-related indicators between men and women. For men, a regression model was obtained in which age (ß = 0.15), current masturbation frequency (ß = 0.18) and negative attitude towards masturbation (ß = 0.17) explained 8% of the difficulty in orgasmic facility, and another in which age (ß = 0.14) and negative attitude towards masturbation (ß = 0.13) explained 8% of orgasm satisfaction. For women, two regression models were obtained, in which the Affective dimension of the subjective orgasm experience in masturbation explained 11% of orgasmic facility (ß = -0.22) and 15% of orgasm satisfaction (ß = -0.33) in sexual relationships. Significant differences in the intensity of the subjective orgasmic masturbation experience were observed between elderly people with and without difficulties in orgasmic facility and orgasm satisfaction in sexual relationships.

Masturbation in the Animal Kingdom.

Masturbation is one of the most common sexual behaviors in humans. It is also a phylogenetically widespread trait of various other mammalian and some non-mammalian species. Several hypotheses have been proposed aiming to explain the function of masturbation in primates and other species. These were mainly based on observations of nonhuman primates such as rhesus macaques or bonobos and rodents such as African ground squirrels. Based on these observations various scholars suggested that masturbation improves ejaculate quality, decreases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections or is merely a by-product of sexual arousal and thus an alternate outlet to copulation. While these theories may explain some facets of masturbation in some species, they do not explain why masturbation is so widespread and has developed in various species as well as our hominid ancestors. Moreover, the research on which these theories are based is scarce and heavily focused on male masturbation, while female masturbation remains largely unexplored. This sex difference may be responsible for the one-sided theorizing that attributes a specific biological benefit to masturbation. We propose that the widespread prevalence of masturbation in the animal kingdom may be better explained by viewing masturbation as a primarily self-reinforcing behavior that promotes pleasure both in human and in nonhuman species.

Do pornography use and masturbation play a role in erectile dysfunction and relationship satisfaction in men?

Both masturbation frequency and pornography use during masturbation have been hypothesized to interfere with sexual response during partnered sex as well as overall relationship satisfaction. However, results from prior studies have been inconsistent and frequently based on case studies, clinical reports, and simple binary analyses. The current study investigated the relationships among masturbation frequency, pornography use, and erectile functioning and dysfunction in 3586 men (mean age = 40.8 yrs, SE = 0.22) within a multivariate context that assessed sexual dysfunctions using standardized instruments and that included other covariates known to affect erectile functioning. Results indicated that frequency of pornography use was unrelated to either erectile functioning or erectile dysfunction (ED) severity in samples that included ED men with and without various sexual comorbidities or in a subset of men 30 years or younger (p = 0.28-0.79). Masturbation frequency was also only weakly and inconsistently related to erectile functioning or ED severity in the multivariate analyses (p = 0.11-0.39). In contrast, variables long known to affect erectile response emerged as the most consistent and salient predictors of erectile functioning and/or ED severity, including age (p < 0.001), having anxiety/depression (p < 0.001 except for a subset of men ≤ 30 years), having a chronic medical condition known to affect erectile functioning (p < 0.001 except for a subset of men ≤ 30 years), low sexual interest (p < 0.001), and low relationship satisfaction (p ≤ 0.04). Regarding sexual and relationship satisfaction, poorer erectile functioning (p < 0.001), lower sexual interest (p < 0.001), anxiety/depression (p < 0.001), and higher frequency of masturbation (p < 0.001) were associated with lower sexual and lower overall relationship satisfaction. In contrast, frequency of pornography use did not predict either sexual or relationship satisfaction (p ≥ 0.748). Findings of this study reiterate the relevance of long-known risk factors for understanding diminished erectile functioning while concomitantly indicating that masturbation frequency and pornography use show weak or no association with erectile functioning, ED severity, and relationship satisfaction. At the same time, although verification is needed, we do not dismiss the idea that heavy reliance on pornography use coupled with a high frequency of masturbation may represent a risk factor for diminished sexual performance during partnered sex and/or relationship satisfaction in subsets of particularly vulnerable men (e.g., younger, less experienced).

Masturbation Prevalence, Frequency, Reasons, and Associations with Partnered Sex in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a U.S. Nationally Representative Survey.

Despite well-documented individual, relational, and health benefits, masturbation has been stigmatized and is understudied compared to partnered sex. In a US nationally representative survey of adults, we aimed to: (1) assess the prevalence and frequency of participants' prior-year masturbation, (2) describe reasons people give for not masturbating, (3) describe reasons people give for masturbating, and (4) examine the association between masturbation frequency and actual/desired partnered sex frequency in the prior year. Significantly more men than women reported lifetime masturbation, past month masturbation, and greater masturbation frequency. The most frequently endorsed reasons for masturbating related to pleasure, feeling "horny," stress relief, and relaxation. The most frequently endorsed reasons for not masturbating were lack of interest, being in a committed relationship, conflict with morals or values, or being against one's religion. Among women, those who desired partnered sex much more often and a little more often were 3.89 times (95% CI: 2.98, 5.08) and 2.07 times (95% CI: 1.63, 2.62), respectively, more likely to report higher frequencies of past-year masturbation than those who desired no change in their partnered sex frequency. Among men, those who desired partnered sex much more often and a little more often were 4.40 times (95% CI: 3.41, 5.68) and 2.37 times (95% CI: 1.84, 3.06), respectively, more likely to report higher frequencies of past-year masturbation activity than those who reported that they desired no change in their current partnered sex frequency. Findings provide contemporary U.S. population-level data on patterns of adult masturbation.

The effects of bilateral stimulation using eye movements on sexual fantasies with follow-up.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sexual fantasies represent a common aspect of human sexuality that can support sexual well-being but also contribute to psychopathology. The latter warrants intervention and bilateral stimulation with eye movements (EMs) may be a suitable intervention for impairing mental imagery of sexual fantasies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of multiple rounds of EMs on sexual fantasies, gauge the effect over time with a one-week follow-up, and assess how impaired sexual imagery may influence behaviour and behavioural intention. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14 male, Mage = 44.10, SDage = 9.77) selected a favoured sexual fantasy and engaged in five repeated rounds of an EM task, either face-to-face or via telehealth. Baseline phenomenological characteristics of sexual fantasies were compared against repeated measures after each round of EMs and at one-week follow-up, as well as hypothetical behavioural intention and frequency of fantasy masturbation. RESULTS: All sexual fantasy characteristics (e.g., vividness, sensations, arousal, believability) diminished progressively between each round of EMs. These characteristics increased from round five to follow-up. However, they remained significantly reduced compared to baseline. Participants' hypothetical behavioural intention and frequency of masturbation associated with their sexual fantasies also reduced post-EM task. LIMITATIONS: Use of self-report measures; participants' mental imagery could not be measured directly; and no comparison groups were included. CONCLUSIONS: As an imagery impairing task, bilateral stimulation with EMs is effective for diminishing the phenomenological properties of sexual fantasies, extending upon extant literature. Collectively, the progressive research regarding EMs and sexual fantasies encourages replication in specific populations (e.g., individuals with problematic or harmful sexual fantasies).

Observation of Masturbation After Visual Sexual Stimuli From Conspecifics in a Captive Male Bearded Capuchin (Sapajus libidinosus).

Masturbation is part of the natural behavioral repertoire of primates, with visual sexual stimuli known to trigger this behavior. Here, we report masturbation events triggered by visual sexual stimulus (VSS) in the South American primate Sapajus libidinosus. We observed a multi-male multi-female captive colony of 17 bearded capuchins between January and October 2014. Over this period, we registered 11 copulation events, 68 attempt copulations, and five masturbation events. The same low-ranking male (named Fu) performed all masturbation events. Fu directly looked at other individuals engaged in sexual displays while he masturbated in three events. The masturbation events associated with VSS lasted up to 2 min and 40 s. Our observations show that VSS can trigger masturbation in capuchin monkeys. The low hierarchy rank of the male, and the consequent lack of mating opportunities in the multi-male multi-female recently formed group in captivity, may have prompted the masturbation events.