Lesbian women report lower desire for solitary sexual activity than heterosexual women

Solitary sexual behavior varies widely across different demographic groups. A recent study exploring five specific aspects of this activity found distinct patterns based on an individual’s gender and sexual orientation. The findings were published in the journal Psychology & Sexuality.

The practice is a common sexual activity, but it has historically been studied mostly by counting how often people do it. Recently, scientists have proposed that frequency alone fails to capture the full picture of an individual’s relationship with their own sexuality. To understand this aspect of sexual health, behavioral experts must examine a broader set of characteristics. This approach includes assessing the age when a person first begins the practice and the overall level of solitary sexual desire they experience.

Researchers also measure the subjective experience of orgasm, which refers to how an individual emotionally and physically perceives the peak of sexual arousal. Assessing negative attitudes or feelings of guilt provides context for how social stigma shapes personal behavior. By analyzing all these parameters together, investigators can build a more complete model of personal sexual health.

University of Granada psychologists Millán Landaluce, Juan Carlos Sierra, Oscar Cervilla, and Gracia M. Sánchez-Pérez authored the new research. The team wanted to document how these various characteristics differ between men and women. They also sought to include sexual minority populations, which have frequently been left out of historical research on the topic. By looking at how gender and sexual orientation interact, the researchers hoped to capture nuanced variations in personal sexual behavior.

For this research, the team surveyed 1568 cisgender adults living in Spain. Cisgender individuals are people whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. The sample consisted of heterosexual men, gay men, heterosexual women, and lesbian women. Participants completed a series of established questionnaires online that asked about their sexual history and current practices.

To categorize sexual orientation, the researchers used an adapted version of the Kinsey scale. This is a standard assessment tool that asks individuals to rate their sexual encounters on a continuum. Another questionnaire measured negative attitudes or feelings of shame related to solitary sexual activity. A separate scale gauged how often participants currently engage in the behavior and how frequently they experience the specific urge to do so.

The team also used an extensive rating scale to evaluate the subjective experience of orgasm achieved while alone. This scale asks individuals to assess their experiences along four specific dimensions. The sensory dimension measures the physical perception of arousal throughout the body. The affective component captures the emotions felt during the physiological event.

The intimacy dimension evaluates the personal, internal feelings of closeness or connection. The rewards dimension measures the satisfying or soothing aftereffects of the peak experience. The researchers computed the survey data to see how demographic variables mapped onto these specific subjective measurements.

When comparing men and women, the researchers found several contrasting behavioral patterns. Men generally reported starting solitary sexual practices at an earlier age compared to women. The authors note that early hormonal changes mixed with gendered social expectations might explain this age gap. Boys are often socialized to prioritize their own sexual satisfaction, while girls frequently encounter societal messages that diminish the importance of female pleasure.

Men reported higher frequencies of the behavior and experienced greater levels of solitary sexual desire. At the same time, men also scored higher on measures of negative attitudes. This means male participants were more likely to harbor feelings of guilt or view the practice as immature. Some psychologists suggest this might occur because heterosexual men sometimes use the behavior strictly to compensate for a lack of partnered sexual activity, leading to feelings of frustration.

Differences in desire and frequency might also relate to long-standing cultural norms. Social expectations often dictate different rules for men and women regarding sexual freedom. This unequal framework is known as the sexual double standard, and it historically affords men more leeway to explore sexual activities. Such societal pressures might make women feel less entitled to sexual freedom, resulting in lower reported rates of solitary sexual desire.

Despite finding that women reported engaging in the behavior less frequently, female participants described their subjective orgasmic experiences as more intense. Female participants rated the sensory, affective, and intimacy components of the experience higher than male participants did. The only dimension without a difference between the sexes was the rewards category. This indicates both men and women find the physical relief of the experience equally satisfying.

The study evaluated how sexual orientation affects these behavioral markers. Participants who identified as gay or lesbian initiated solitary sexual activity at an earlier age than heterosexual participants. The researchers suggest that sexual minority individuals might step outside traditional heterosexual social scripts earlier in life. This distance from conventional norms may allow for an earlier exploration of personal sexual behaviors.

When the researchers looked at how gender and sexual orientation interact, they noticed diverging trends. Gay men reported much higher levels of solitary sexual desire than heterosexual men. They also practiced the behavior more frequently and rated the sensory, affective, and rewards dimensions of their orgasmic experiences more highly. For women, the pattern was entirely reversed.

Lesbian women reported lower solitary sexual desire than heterosexual women. They engaged in the practice less often and rated the quality of the orgasms achieved on their own as less intense. The study authors suggest these interacting patterns might relate to broader levels of relationship satisfaction.

Previous survey data indicates that gay men often report lower sexual satisfaction in their partnered relationships compared to heterosexual men. This lack of relational satisfaction may lead them to seek personal sexual outlets more frequently. Conversely, lesbian women consistently report higher sexual satisfaction in their relationships than heterosexual women. This relational fulfillment could reduce their interest in solitary sexual activity.

The researchers noted several limitations to the current findings. The participants were recruited through social media networks, meaning the sample might not be completely representative of the entire population. The study utilized a cross-sectional design, meaning data was collected at just one point in time. Because of this methodology, the researchers cannot make definitive claims about what causes these behavioral differences.

Additionally, the survey only measured behavior based on the Kinsey scale, which focuses on physical encounters rather than broader aspects of sexual identity or romantic attraction. The sample was restricted to cisgender people who identified as strictly heterosexual or gay. Next steps for investigators should involve studying a wider spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities.

Future investigations might follow individuals over many years to see how these characteristics evolve as people age. Exploring the impact of varying religious beliefs and early sexual education could provide deeper context for these demographic differences. The authors note that understanding these specific parameters is an important step for clinical therapists who help individuals navigate sexual health challenges.

The study, “Parameters of masturbation: effects of gender and sexual orientation,” was authored by Millán Landaluce, Juan Carlos Sierra, Oscar Cervilla, and Gracia M. Sánchez-Pérez.