(100) MASTURBATION: AN UNDERUTILIZED TREATMENT?

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Certain types of masturbation have been shown to affect genital and genitourinary health. However, the full range of health benefits associated with masturbation and its various forms remains inadequately studied. Objective This study aimed to investigate the literature addressing utilization of masturbation for various health conditions among females. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review of PubMed, Embase, and Medline from January 1980 to November 2023, adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The search incorporated keywords such as “masturbation,” “sexual pleasure,” “benefits of masturbation,” “sexual self-stimulation,” “solo sex,” “onanism,” and “self-pleasure.” Inclusion criteria for the analysis were clinical trials, cohort studies, and reviews with cisgender women over 18 years old as participants, and masturbation utilized as an intervention. Exclusion criteria were case reports, surveys, studies involving men, or those with a history of gender dysphoria. Results A total of 176 studies were initially identified. Only five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. Among these, four were clinical trials, and one was a systematic review. All but one study investigated the role of masturbation in the ability to orgasm with or without a partner. Orgasmic function was noted to be improved among participants in these four studies. One study investigated the endocrine changes associated with orgasm and found a significant elevation in post-orgasmic prolactin, similar to men. Participants in all the studies were cisgender women aged 18 to 55, predominantly heterosexual. The intervention duration ranged from 10 minutes per session to multiple sessions over the course of five weeks, with only one study specifying the mode of masturbation (vibrators). Four of the studies used erotica and pornography as augmentation to masturbation, and a partner was involved in the intervention in two of the studies. Only one study employed formal quantitative methods for outcome assessment. Conclusions Masturbation has primarily been investigated as an intervention for orgasmic dysfunction. There is a significant need for studies examining different types of masturbation and their effects on general and genitourinary health. Disclosure No.