I was reading an article on change.org about a political candidate Christine O’Donnell regarding her views on Masturbation. She is extremely opposed to masturbation. This got me thinking about masturbation, and why it is such a contentious issue in our society.
Masturbation.
What thoughts does this word elicit? Everyone thinks it is such a dirty word, especially for women. We rarely talk about it, and if we do it is usually awkward and uncomfortable. Few like to admit that they actually do it. Why is everyone so ashamed of something that really doesn’t seem like that big of a deal? After all, when a man masturbates we label it as natural. So, here are some statistics to take some of the fear away from your own gear.
Masturbation
- In a study of undergraduate college students, 98% of men and 44% of women reported having ever masturbated (Pinkerton, Bogart, Cecil, & Abramson, 2002).
- Among undergraduate students, men reported masturbating an average of 12 times per month, while women reported an average of 4.7 times per month (Pinkerton, Bogart, Cecil, & Abramson, 2002).
- In a study of African-American women aged 15 to 64, 62% reported that they had masturbated at some point during their lives (Robinson, Bockting, & Harrell, 2002).
- About 60% of men and 40% of women reported masturbating in the past year (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).
- Nearly 85% of men and 45% of women who were living with a sexual partner reported masturbating in the past year (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).
- 35% of American men aged 18-39 do not masturbate while 37% masturbate sometimes, and 28% one or more times per week (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).
- 53% of men and 25% of women masturbated for the first time by ages 11 to 13 (Janus & Janus, 1993).
- 5% of men and 11% of women have never masturbated (Janus & Janus, 1993).
Orgasm
- Women are much more likely to be nearly always or always orgasmic when alone than with a partner. However, among women currently in a partnered relationship, 62% say they are very satisfied with the frequency/consistency of orgasm (Davis, Blank, Hung-Yu, & Bonillas, 1996
- Many women express that their most satisfying sexual experiences entail being connected to someone, rather than solely basing satisfaction on orgasm (Bridges, Lease, & Ellison, 2004).
- 75% of men and 29% of women always have orgasms with their partner (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, Michaels, 1994).
http://www.iub.edu/~kinsey/resources/FAQ.html#Laumann
Good topic, Lettie! I was talking to some of my guy friends the other day about the secrecy surrounding the act of masturbation, particularly within adolescent peer groups. I remember the girls my age being very reluctant to talk about self-pleasure until late into high school, and even then it was a struggle for most of us. The boys, however, were much more open about their "extra-curricular activities." Hopefully it gets talked about more today than when I was in school.
ReplyDeleteSome very interesting information there.
ReplyDelete"Why is everyone so ashamed of something that really doesn’t seem like that big of a deal?"
Because when men and women climax they look undignified to the point of ridiculous. Try watching yourself in a mirror - especially for men. It not quite so bad for a woman.
Furthermore the genitals are so ugly most people just ignore it and pretend that it is not there.
Plus a surprisingly high number of women have had the clitoris removed by old fashioned mothers; I have known two personally. And of course they see no point in masturbation at all and disapprove of it strongly.
Refreshing Frank