Sexual Response Differs in Men and Women Between Masturbation and Sexual Relationships

What is it about?

The sexual response encompasses the components of drive, arousal, erection/lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction. Its study must adopt a contextual perspective, since sexuality can be expressed in two different contexts: the sexual relationships context (interpersonal) and the masturbation context (individual). Studies comparing sexual function between the two contexts are scarce and sometimes reductionist, as they are based on a single component of sexual response or analyze the experiences of a single gender in isolation, eluding comparisons between men and women. In this regard, this study analyze the effects of sex (male vs. female), sexual context (solitary masturbation vs. sexual relationships) and the interaction between both variables on the components of sexual response mentioned above, following the proposal of the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale, an instrument widely used to assess sexual function. In general terms, significant effects were obtained, both according to the sex of the person and the sexual context, as well as a significant interaction between both variables. The results indicated, overall, a worse sexual function in women compared to men (less arousal and less facility in reaching orgasm). Regarding the sexual context, in women no differences were observed between masturbation and sexual relationships in any of the components of the sexual response evaluated, while in men there is variability. Specifically, men are more aroused during sexual relationships, although they obtain orgasm more easily during masturbation. Concerning the interaction of sex and context, significant effects were obtained in all the components of the sexual response under study. Regarding sexual arousal, both men and women reported higher levels during sexual relationships than during masturbation, with a significantly higher increase in men. In reference to erection/lubrication, while in men there was a decrease in erection during sexual relationships compared to masturbation, in women the opposite effect was observed with respect to lubrication. The facility in reaching orgasm decreases in sexual relationships with respect to solitary masturbation, being this decrease significantly greater in women than in men. Finally, in terms of satisfaction from orgasm, women indicated greater satisfaction with orgasms obtained through masturbation, the opposite pattern to that observed in men, who show more satisfaction with those obtained in sexual relationships.

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Photo by lalo Hernandez on Unsplash

Photo by lalo Hernandez on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The results of this study report differences in the components of sexual function between men and women, with better results generally for men. It can be concluded that men and women present different patterns in their sexual response when comparing the contexts of solitary masturbation and sexual relationships. The results found are clinically relevant, as they encourage psychotherapists to individualize sexological interventions, making them more personalized, due to the way these individual and contextual differences can affect sexual experience.

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