(420) Female Masturbation Experiences and Their Effect on Sexual Satisfaction

Introduction Masturbation involves the manipulation of one’s genital organs for purposes of sexual gratification. Female masturbation has been around since the beginning of time, but is still heavily stigmatized. Nowadays, masturbation could be viewed as an aid in enhancing one's sexual life, helping to release sexual tension and a process of self-discovery. Objectives The current study is aimed at exploring the feelings and practices of masturbation and sexual activities in Latvian women. The study is focusing on the following areas regarding masturbation and sexual activities in Latvian women: (1) at what age masturbation first occurred (2) current feelings towards masturbation, (3) use of erotic material (4) techniques used in masturbation, (5) if sex and masturbation were discussed with parents, (6) sexual activities with a partner. Methods Participants completed an online survey comprising 22 questions. A total of 491 women aged 18 years or older (mean age, 31.5; SD, 9.5; range, 18-89) completed the survey. Participation in the study occurred through self-selection, with the only promotion being social media advertisements identifying the need for women aged 18 and up for a survey on masturbation and sexual satisfaction. IBM SPSS was used to analyze the results. Results: 99% (486) of women have masturbated at least once in their lives. The mean age at which women started masturbating was 15,34 (SD 6.22, range 3-45). 34% (167) of women felt positively about masturbating at the age they started, 28.2% (138) felt rather positively, 12.1% (59) felt neutral, 9.4% (46) felt rather negatively, and 16.2% (79) of women felt negatively. Women started consuming erotic materials at the age of 15,8 (SD 5,67, range 4-45). Just 3.9 % (19) of women discussed sex and masturbation with their parents, 78,6% (386) of women did not discuss it. The mean time of masturbation was 16,56 minutes (SD 14,55; range 1-120 minutes). The most used method was clitoris stimulation, 96.5% (474). Women were asked to rate how they feel about masturbation now on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being bad and 5 being good. The mean rating was 4,43. The mean age of the first sexual encounter was 17,98 (SD 3,16; range 7-36). 74,4% (354) of respondents reach orgasm in sex with a partner, and 25,3% (120) don’t. Women reach orgasm 1,32 times during a single intercourse (SD 1,42, range 0-20). Women were asked how masturbation affects their sexual lives, where 1 was bad and 5 was good. The mean rating was 4,33 (SD 0,93). 1,4% of women rated masturbation as having a bad influence on their sexual lives, and 58,8% of women rated masturbation as having a positive effect on their sexual lives. Conclusion Our research shows there is a statistically significant association between women who are satisfied with their sexual lives and how they feel about the impact of masturbation on their overall sexual lives. (p<0,001) Disclosure No