Masturbation in People Over 50 Years old: Taboo or Indicator of Sexual Health?

What is it about?

In recent years, in much of the world, there has been an increase in the population of people 50 years of age and older. Culturally, it has been assumed that at advanced ages sexual interests and practices diminish or disappear. This fact could be more significant when we talk about masturbation. Although it is known to be a behavior that is practiced at all ages, its study has been slightly addressed in older people. A characteristic of masturbation in this age group is that it may be accompanied by negative feelings of guilt, as a consequence of the education received in a historical stage in which masturbation was condemned. This could influence the frequency of its practice and the subjective orgasm experience, which together with sexual desire, are relevant parameters of this behavior. In this context, this study compared different parameters of masturbation (age at first masturbation, current frequency, solitary sexual desire and subjective orgasm experience toward masturbation) among men and women over 50 years old, who had current sexual activity and had masturbation experience. In addition, they were interested in finding out which parameters could explain facility and orgasmic satisfaction in sexual relationships. First, the results obtained indicated differences between men and women in the parameters of masturbation. Thus, men reported having had their first masturbation experience younger, current masturbation more frequently, and showing a more negative attitude towards masturbation in comparison with women. On the other hand, women experiencing orgasm obtained through solitary masturbation more intensely. Secondly, the facility and orgasmic satisfaction in the sexual relationship context could be explained by these masturbation parameters. In men, age, current masturbation frequency, and negative attitude toward this behavior explained 8% of the orgasmic facility, while age and negative attitude explained 8% of orgasmic satisfaction. In women, the affective dimension of the subjective orgasm experience in masturbation explained 11% of the orgasmic facility and 15% of satisfaction with orgasm in sexual relationships. Finally, it was found that people with difficulties in the orgasmic facility and orgasmic satisfaction in sexual relationships had less intense subjective orgasm experience in masturbation than people without orgasmic difficulties.

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Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash

Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash

Why is it important?

t is concluded that although men show a more negative attitude toward masturbation, they practice it more frequently, possibly due to the perception of this behavior as a substitute and not as a complementary form of pleasure; while women experience orgasm in the context of masturbation more intensely, as has also been described in the context of sexual relationships. Both the attitude toward this behavior and the frequency of its practice are variables that play an important role in orgasmic facility and satisfaction in sexual relationships. In addition, the association between the intensity of the subjective orgasm experience of masturbation and the orgasmic response in sexual relationships has been shown.

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