Solitary sexual behavior varies widely by demographic group. A recent study examining five specific aspects of this activity found distinct patterns based on the individual’s gender and sexual orientation. The findings were published in the journal Psychology & Sexity.
Although this act is a common sexual act, it has historically been studied primarily by counting how often people do it. Recently, scientists proposed that frequency alone does not provide a complete picture of an individual’s relationship with their sexuality. Understanding this aspect of sexual health requires behavioral experts to examine a broader range of characteristics. This approach involves assessing the age when a person first started having sex and the overall level of solitary sexual desire that person experiences.
Researchers also measured the subjective experience of orgasm, which refers to how individuals perceive the peak of sexual arousal both emotionally and physically. Assessing negative attitudes and guilt provides context for how social bias shapes individual behavior. By analyzing all these parameters together, researchers can build a more complete model of an individual’s sexual health.
The new study was authored by University of Granada psychologists Milan Landaruche, Juan Carlos Sierra, Oscar Cervilla, and Gracia M. Sánchez Pérez. The research team wanted to document how these various characteristics differ between men and women. They also sought to include people from sexual minorities who have often been excluded from historical research on the subject. The researchers hoped to capture the nuances of individual sexual behavior by examining how gender and sexual orientation interact.
For the study, the team surveyed 1,568 cisgender adults living in Spain. Cisgender individuals are people whose gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth. The sample consisted of heterosexual men, homosexual men, heterosexual women, and lesbian women. Participants completed a series of established questionnaires online that asked about their sexual history and current sexual activity.
To classify 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 continuous basis. Another questionnaire measured negative attitudes and feelings of shame related to solo sex. Another scale measured how often participants currently engage in the behavior and how often participants experience specific urges to do so.
The research team also used an extensive rating scale to assess the subjective experience of orgasm achieved alone. This scale asks individuals to rate 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 physiological events.
The intimacy dimension assesses personal, internal feelings of intimacy or connection. The reward dimension measures the satisfaction and pleasant aftertaste of the peak experience. The researchers calculated survey data to see how demographic variables mapped to these specific subjective measures.
When comparing men and women, researchers found several contrasting behavioral patterns. In general, men are reported to begin having sex alone at an earlier age than women. The authors note that early hormonal changes and gendered social expectations may explain this age difference. Boys are often socialized to prioritize their own sexual satisfaction, whereas girls frequently encounter social messages that diminish the importance of women’s pleasure.
Men reported acting out more frequently and experiencing higher levels of solitary sexual desire. At the same time, men also scored higher on the negative attitude scale. This means that male participants were more likely to feel guilty or view the behavior as immature. Some psychologists suggest that this may occur because heterosexual men use this behavior strictly to compensate for the lack of sexual activity with their partners, causing feelings of frustration.
Differences in desire and frequency may also be related to long-standing cultural norms. Social expectations often set different rules for men and women regarding sexual freedom. This unequal framework is known as the sexual double standard, and historically it has given men the freedom to explore sexual activity. Such social pressures may make women feel less entitled to sexual freedom, resulting in lower rates of reported solitary sexual desire.
Even though women reported participating in the behavior less frequently, female participants described their subjective orgasmic experiences as more intense. Female participants rated the sensory, emotional, and intimacy elements of the experience higher than male participants. The only item that did not differ between men and women was the compensation category. This indicates that both men and women are equally satisfied with the physical relief of the experience.
This study assessed how sexual orientation influences these behavioral markers. Participants who identified as gay or lesbian initiated solo sexual activity at an earlier age than heterosexual participants. Researchers suggest that people from sexual minorities may deviate from traditional heterosexual social norms early in life. This distance from traditional norms may allow for early exploration of an individual’s sexual behavior.
When researchers looked at how gender and sexual orientation interact, they found different trends. Gay men reported much higher levels of solitary sexual desire than straight men. They also practiced the behavior more often and valued the sensory, emotional, and rewarding aspects of the orgasm experience more highly. For women, the pattern was completely reversed.
Lesbian women reported lower solitary sexual desire than heterosexual women. They participated in this practice less frequently and rated the quality of the orgasms they achieved on their own as less intense. The study authors suggest that these interaction patterns may be related to broader levels of relationship satisfaction.
Previous research data has shown that gay men more often report lower sexual satisfaction in their relationships than heterosexual men. This lack of relationship satisfaction can lead to individuals seeking out personal sexual outlets more frequently. Conversely, lesbian women consistently report higher levels of sexual satisfaction in their relationships than heterosexual women. This enrichment of the relationship may reduce interest in solitary sex.
The researchers noted that the current findings have several limitations. Because participants were recruited through social media networks, the sample may not be completely representative of the entire population. This study utilized a cross-sectional design, meaning that data were collected at only one time point. Because of this methodology, the researchers cannot make clear claims about the causes of these behavioral differences.
Additionally, this study 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 limited to cisgender people who identified as strictly heterosexual or homosexual. Next steps for researchers should include studying a broader range of sexual orientations and gender identities.
Future studies may track individuals over many years to see how these characteristics change as they age. Examining the influence of different religious beliefs and early sex education may provide deeper context for these demographic differences. The authors note that understanding these specific parameters is an important step for clinical therapists helping individuals cope with sexual health challenges.
The study, “Parameters of Masturbation: The Effects of Gender and Sexual Orientation,” was authored by Milan Landaruche, Juan Carlos Sierra, Oscar Cervilla, and Gracia M. Sánchez Pérez.
