ArticleArchives of sexual behavior2023
Masturbation Prevalence, Frequency, Reasons, and Associations with Partnered Sex in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a U.S. Nationally Representative Survey.
Article in Archives of sexual behavior, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Masturbation grip strength and perceived intravaginal pressure differential are associated with self-estimated intravaginal ejaculation latency time: a retrospective study.International journal of impotence research · 2026Article
- Why Do Male Users Engage with Connected Sex Toys? A Latent Class Analysis of Motivational Profiles.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- A Qualitative Study of Indian Women's Experiences with Sexual Pleasure and Masturbation.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- The role of masturbation in relieving symptoms associated with menopause.Menopause (New York, N.Y.) · 2026Article
- Does Sex Today Relieve Stress Tomorrow? Examining Lagged Associations Between Partnered Sexual Activity and Stress Among Newlywed Couples.Archives of sexual behavior · 2026Article
- Hallmarks of primary headache: part 4 - rare headache syndromes.The journal of headache and pain · 2025Review
- Sexual Behaviour and Masturbation Practices: Impacts on Psychological well-being among tertiary students in Ghana.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Masturbation frequency and experiences among US women aged 40-65 years: comparisons across different stages of the menopause transition.Menopause (New York, N.Y.) · 2025Article
- Implications of the Russian Invasion on Ukrainians' Pornography Consumption: Insights from Big-Data Processing.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Article
- Associations between masturbation frequency, anxiety, and sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 era.International journal of impotence research · 2025Article
- Choosiness as a Predictor of Sexual (In)frequency in Single Heterosexual Adults.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Prevalence of masturbation and masturbation guilt and associations with partnered sex among married heterosexual Chinese males in an outpatient clinical setting: a retrospective single center study.Basic and clinical andrology · 2025Article
- The Multifaceted Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Sexual Health, Function, and Behaviors: Implications for Public Health: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Male Responses to Female Partners with Genitopelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder: A Systematic Review of Biopsychological Impacts and Coping Strategies.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2025Article
- Masturbation parameters: their relation to sexual arousal in young people who engage in same-sex relationships.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Do inflammation and relational motivation coordinate having better sex? The interplay between C-reactive protein and relational approach motivation on sexual well-being.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2025Article
- The Association Between Atypical Masturbation and Male Sexual Dysfunction: A Study Based on Men in Heterosexual Relationships.Archives of sexual behavior · 2024Article
- Exploring the Role of Masturbation as a Coping Strategy in Women.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2024Article
- What Sexual Problems Does a Sample of LGB+ People Report Having, and How Do They Define Sexual Pleasure: A Qualitative Study to Inform Clinical Practice.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Despite well-documented individual, relational, and health benefits, masturbation has been stigmatized and is understudied compared to partnered sex. In a US nationally representative survey of adults, we aimed to: (1) assess the prevalence and frequency of participants' prior-year masturbation, (2) describe reasons people give for not masturbating, (3) describe reasons people give for masturbating, and (4) examine the association between masturbation frequency and actual/desired partnered sex frequency in the prior year. Significantly more men than women reported lifetime masturbation, past month masturbation, and greater masturbation frequency. The most frequently endorsed reasons for masturbating related to pleasure, feeling "horny," stress relief, and relaxation. The most frequently endorsed reasons for not masturbating were lack of interest, being in a committed relationship, conflict with morals or values, or being against one's religion. Among women, those who desired partnered sex much more often and a little more often were 3.89 times (95% CI: 2.98, 5.08) and 2.07 times (95% CI: 1.63, 2.62), respectively, more likely to report higher frequencies of past-year masturbation than those who desired no change in their partnered sex frequency. Among men, those who desired partnered sex much more often and a little more often were 4.40 times (95% CI: 3.41, 5.68) and 2.37 times (95% CI: 1.84, 3.06), respectively, more likely to report higher frequencies of past-year masturbation activity than those who reported that they desired no change in their current partnered sex frequency. Findings provide contemporary U.S. population-level data on patterns of adult masturbation.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.