Guest written by Rain Andersen (@wearenotfriends_) a veteran sworker with eight years in adult entertainment and six years working for Lovers.
Lovers is thrilled to share the results of our 2024 Masturbation May survey, where 1000 participants shared their intimate insights on self-pleasure.Â
The survey sheds light on various aspects of people’s masturbation habits, preferences, and experiences, offering a fascinating and perhaps surprising look into the empowering practice of self-love. This Masturbation May, we are honored to help you celebrate the joys of solo exploration by reflecting on the many ways that people prioritize their pleasure.
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Survey Background & Methods
Lovers conducted a quantitative survey to explore the modern day relationship with solo pleasure among a diverse group of participants in the United States. The study involved a self-reported questionnaire on masturbation habits, preferences, and experiences, revealing noteworthy statistics on frequency and techniques favored by adult toy users, with or without partners. The study aims to normalize and encourage open discussions about masturbation, presenting readers with a deeper understanding of their individualized pleasure, while providing practical advice to challenge existing stereotypes.
Masturbation Habits & Preferences
Is It Normal to Masturbate?
Masturbation is a natural part of your sexual development. In our study, a large majority of participants (98.57%) indicated that they engage in masturbation.
How Often Do People Masturbate?
Multiple variables can affect an individual's masturbation patterns, including their access to privacy, their personal stress levels, mood, and comfort with the act of masturbation. In our research, we observed variations in the frequency of masturbation among participants, with the majority of respondents engaging in this activity on a weekly basis (59.73%). Approximately 19% of survey respondents reported masturbating daily, in contrast to 16% of survey respondents who masturbated monthly.
What are the Most Popular Masturbation Positions?
Although masturbation cannot substitute or imitate partnered sexual experiences, it can offer valuable insights into our individual preferences. Masturbation focuses solely on our personal desires, rather than accommodating the preferences of a secondary party. The majority of participants in our survey (71.11%) indicated a preference for masturbating while lying on their back. 15.57% enjoy masturbating while sitting up, 9.22% while standing, and 4.10% while lying on their stomach. Other reported positions included Doggy Style, kneeling, and lying on one's side, all of which allow for unrestricted access to the genitals.
How Often Do People Orgasm from Self Stimulation?
Masturbation can be a helpful and effective way to gain insight into our bodies and the ways we like to express, receive, and provide pleasure. As we become more acquainted with our bodies and the methods that bring us satisfaction, reaching an orgasm can become more attainable. 65.27% of survey respondents reported they always had an orgasm when masturbating, 26.33% usually had an orgasm, and 4.82% sometimes had an orgasm. A small portion of our sample reported that they rarely (2.05%) or never (1.54%) had an orgasm. This may be attributed to things like medical or physical conditions, sexual trauma, cultural influences, or a less goal-oriented approach to self-pleasure.
Where Do People Masturbate?
Masturbation is a very personal experience. For this reason, most people choose to masturbate in the privacy of their own home, but masturbating in unfamiliar settings can provide its own novelty. According to our survey, 54.51% have masturbated outdoors, 38.52% have masturbated at work, 16.19% have masturbated at a family function, and 37.60% have masturbated at a friend's house.
Sex Toys for Masturbation
Masturbating can involve using Sex Toys, Stimulants, Pornography, and other erotic aids. Although a significant number of our survey participants (87.60%) had experience using Sex Toys, a considerable proportion (46.41%) expressed a preference for manual stimulation using their hands or fingers. Preferences among different Sex Toy styles were also evident among survey respondents, who favored Wand Vibrators (9.12%), Strokers (9.12%), and Air Pulsating Toys (8.20%), to competing toy categories like Grinders (0.31%), Cock Rings (3.18%), and Anal Plugs (3.28%).
Why Do People Favor Certain Sex Toys Over Others?
There are many factors that can affect a person's preference in Sex Toys.
Personal preferences may be influenced by media, social interactions, cultural stigmas, or simply a lack of personal interest. A lack of confidence or familiarity may also contribute to the popularity and allure of certain Sex Toys- such as G-Spot Vibrators, Strap-Ons, and Prostate Massagers.
What is the Most Popular Sex Toy for Masturbation?
Despite respondents ranking Wand Vibrators and Strokers the highest among 11 different Sex Toy categories, the Rose Vibrator was the most frequently mentioned. This best-selling Suction Vibrator gained popularity through a viral TikTok, showcasing the significant impact of social media on consumer shopping choices. Accruing thousands of 5-star reviews, the Rose Vibrator has become the inspiration for countless top rated Sex Toy Collections.
Is It Normal to Watch Porn or Listen to Audio Erotica While Masturbating?
Many people use pornography to enhance or expedite their sexual encounters, whether alone or with a partner. While it can serve as a valuable tool for sexual exploration, pornography frequently distorts or exaggerates crucial elements of the intimate experience. It is important to recognize that all forms of pornography are designed for entertainment purposes and do not always accurately reflect real-life interactions. Approximately 20.18% of survey participants always use porn while masturbating, 33.91% sometimes use porn, and 16.08% rarely or never use porn.
Masturbating While In a Relationship
Engaging in masturbation is a completely normal and beneficial practice, whether one is single or in a committed relationship. Our survey found that approximately 96% of individuals in relationships reported engaging in masturbation.
Can You Masturbate With a Partner?
Mutual Masturbation is the practice of self-pleasuring oneself alongside or under the observation of another. It can be used to enhance solo exploration, understand a partner's preferences, add excitement to routine, minimizing risks of STIs or pregnancies, offer an alternative to penetrative intercourse- and more! Around 82.89% of those surveyed have engaged in mutual masturbation, with another study revealing that couples who partake in this activity tend to report higher levels of sexual satisfaction.
How Often Do People Orgasm During Partnered Sex?
In our survey, 45.59% of participants mentioned always achieving orgasms with a partner, 44.77% reported usually or sometimes reaching climax with a partner, and 9.64% revealed rare or no instances of achieving orgasm together. These percentages appear notably lower than those who experience orgasms during self-stimulation. It is a common occurrence to have more consistent orgasms during solo activities as individuals often have a more intimate understanding of their bodies. A partner's ability to trigger an orgasm may be dependent on their communication skills, ability to interpret non-verbal signals, sexual education history, confidence levels, or sexual goals and objectives.Â
Survey Summary
This survey highlights the importance of having easily accessible and reliable sexual health resources. While the results of this survey provide a unique insight into modern day pleasure practices, further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to fully grasp the complexities of this topic. By fostering open discussions regarding sexual health and pleasure, we can pave the way for satisfying sexual experiences, while breaking down social taboos and internalized shame.
Want to Learn More About Masturbation?
Read Our Beginner's Guide to Masturbation to Discover More Tips, Tricks, and Sexual Health Resources!
Very informative