Masturbatory Behaviors Among Older Adult Populations: A Literature Review

Sexual behaviors, such as masturbation, extend into older adulthood (50+ years in chronological age) and are present at all stages of the aging process. Different living situations and circumstances for older adults can affect masturbatory behavior, such as death of spouse, living in long-term care facilities, and cognitive decline. This literature review evaluates extant research on older adult masturbation, comprising 29 articles included in the final review, all published between 1991 and 2021. They consist of literature reviews, meta-studies, cross-sectional studies, semi-structured interviews, systematic reviews, and case studies. Current evidence suggests that masturbatory behaviors are an important part of older adult sexual health, although they decline in frequency across the aging, and increase in the absence of a spouse. Presence of masturbatory behaviors are not as conducive to life satisfaction as partnered sexual activity. However, older adults who masturbate in absence of partnered sexual activity have generally higher life satisfaction than those who are not sexually active. Findings suggest that older adult masturbatory behaviors are affected by social aspects, including class, religion, educational attainment, gender, and assigned sex, in addition to biological aspects, such as presence or absence of erectile dysfunction, arthritis, dementia, and so on.