About 40% of women report masturbating at least once in any given month, and informal surveys suggest the average lands around once per week. Among married women specifically, the numbers vary widely depending on age, relationship dynamics, and hormonal changes, but solo sexual activity is a common part of life across all relationship stages.
What the Numbers Actually Show
A 2017 survey found that 40% of women had masturbated within the past month. A separate large international survey put the average frequency at roughly once a week, or about 49 times per year. These figures cover women broadly, not just married women, and the research doesn’t consistently separate the two groups. That said, being in a committed relationship doesn’t eliminate solo sexual activity. Many married women masturbate regularly, and many don’t at all.
One important caveat: these numbers are almost certainly low. Women face more social judgment around masturbation than men do, a pattern researchers call the sexual double standard. Women tend to report lower frequencies partly because of genuine behavioral differences but also because stigma discourages honest answers on surveys. The true rates are likely higher than what the data captures.
How Frequency Changes With Age
Masturbation frequency tends to decline with age among women, but it doesn’t disappear. Roughly half of healthy women over 60 still masturbate. During perimenopause (the transitional years before periods stop completely), frequency actually tends to increase before dropping off again after menopause.
The hormonal shifts of menopause play a direct role. As estrogen levels fall, vaginal and vulvar tissue becomes thinner and drier, which can make partnered sex less comfortable. Some women turn to masturbation during this phase as a way to maintain blood flow to genital tissue, which helps with arousal and lubrication over time. So while overall frequency trends downward across the lifespan, the perimenopausal years can be an exception.
Why Married Women Masturbate
The reasons are practical and varied. Stress relief is one of the most commonly cited motivations. Orgasm triggers a cascade of feel-good chemicals: endorphins (the body’s natural pain relievers), dopamine (tied to pleasure), and oxytocin (which lowers cortisol, the primary stress hormone). For many women, masturbation is simply a fast, reliable way to decompress.
Mismatched desire is another common driver. When one partner wants sex more frequently than the other, masturbation fills the gap without creating pressure or conflict. This is a normal part of long-term relationships where libidos rarely stay perfectly in sync year after year. Some women also use it as a space for private fantasy, exploring scenarios they may not want to act on in real life but enjoy thinking about. Others masturbate to fall asleep more easily or to manage menstrual cramps, since orgasm can temporarily relieve pain.
Does It Affect Relationship Satisfaction?
This is where the picture gets more complicated. A 2024 comparison study of 120 married women in India found that women who didn’t masturbate reported higher average scores for both marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction than women who did. That finding sounds alarming at first glance, but it doesn’t mean masturbation causes unhappiness in a marriage.
The relationship likely runs in both directions. Women who are fully satisfied with their partnered sex life may simply have less motivation to masturbate. And women who feel emotionally disconnected from their partner, or whose sexual needs aren’t being met, may turn to masturbation more often as a result. In other words, higher masturbation frequency can be a signal of unmet needs rather than the cause of dissatisfaction.
Context matters enormously. A woman who masturbates because she enjoys it alongside an active sex life with her partner is in a very different situation than a woman who masturbates because partnered sex has stopped entirely. The behavior is the same, but the meaning behind it is not. When masturbation replaces intimacy with a partner rather than complementing it, that pattern can point to deeper issues worth addressing.
Physical Benefits Worth Knowing
Beyond stress relief, regular masturbation offers measurable physical benefits. Increased blood flow to the genitals helps maintain tissue health, which becomes especially important after menopause when declining estrogen thins vaginal walls. Women who stay sexually active (solo or partnered) tend to experience less vaginal dryness and discomfort over time.
Orgasm also strengthens pelvic floor muscles through involuntary contractions, supporting bladder control and sexual function. The oxytocin released during orgasm can lower blood pressure temporarily and promote better sleep. None of these benefits require a partner, which is part of why masturbation remains a consistent habit for many women well into later life.
What “Normal” Actually Looks Like
There is no single normal frequency. Some married women masturbate daily, some weekly, some a few times a year, and some never. All of these patterns fall within the range of typical human behavior. The more useful question isn’t how often other women masturbate but whether your own frequency feels right to you and fits comfortably within your relationship. If it causes no distress and doesn’t replace connection you want with your partner, frequency is a matter of personal preference rather than a problem to solve.