Most women masturbate, though how often varies widely by age, relationship status, and individual preference. Among adult women in the UK, about 40% reported masturbating in the past month, according to a large national survey. There’s no “normal” number of times per week or month. The range spans from never to daily, and all of it falls within healthy sexual behavior.
What the Numbers Actually Look Like
Large-scale surveys give us the clearest picture, though the numbers likely undercount real behavior (more on that below). British national health data covering tens of thousands of people found that 40.3% of women ages 16 to 44 had masturbated in the past month. About 24% of women in the same survey reported never having masturbated in their lifetime, a number that has been steadily dropping over the past decade.
Among younger women, frequency tends to increase with age through the teens and twenties. Data from the U.S. National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior found that among adolescent girls who do masturbate, the largest group (about 46%) does so a few times per year, while roughly 32% do so a few times per month. About 16% reported two to three times per week, and around 7% reported four or more times per week. By the late teens, the balance shifts: monthly and weekly frequencies become more common than a-few-times-per-year.
For adult women overall, the most common pattern reported in surveys is somewhere between a few times a month and once a week. But averages can be misleading here. Some women masturbate daily, some a few times a year, and some never do. All of these patterns are typical.
Women Are Masturbating More Than a Decade Ago
Masturbation among women is becoming more common over time. A study analyzing British population data from the early 2000s to the early 2010s found a statistically significant increase. The percentage of women who reported masturbating in the past month rose from 37.0% to 40.3%, and the share of women who said they had never masturbated dropped from 28.5% to 24.1%.
Researchers attribute this partly to shifting cultural attitudes. As stigma decreases, more women both engage in and feel comfortable reporting solo sexual activity. Greater access to sexual health information online and wider conversations about female pleasure in mainstream media have likely contributed as well.
Why the Real Numbers Are Probably Higher
Survey data on female masturbation almost certainly underestimates the true frequency. Research on gender bias in sexual behavior perceptions has found that female masturbation “disrupts traditional gender norms,” leading to more negative social evaluations of women who masturbate compared to men who do the same thing. When people hold stronger beliefs in sexual double standards, they judge women who masturbate more harshly on traits like reliability and social standing.
This cultural pressure translates directly into underreporting. Women are more likely than men to skip questions about masturbation on surveys or to report lower frequencies than their actual behavior. The gap between reported and actual rates is thought to be larger for women than for men across nearly every country studied.
Physical Benefits of Masturbation
Orgasm triggers a release of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These act as natural pain relievers and mood boosters. For many women, this translates into practical benefits: easier sleep, reduced stress, and temporary relief from menstrual cramps. The pain-relief mechanism works because those same chemicals block pain signaling, which is why some women find masturbation helpful during their period.
There’s also a hypothesis that orgasm-induced uterine contractions can help push out the uterine lining faster, potentially shortening period duration slightly. During menstruation, increased blood flow to the pelvic area can actually heighten arousal and sensitivity, which is why some women report stronger orgasms during their period.
For women going through menopause, masturbation serves an additional function. Sexual arousal increases blood flow to genital tissue, which helps oxygenate and maintain those tissues over time. Nearly one in five perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in one study reported that masturbation provided relief from menopausal symptoms, particularly mood changes and sleep disturbances. Close to half said they would be open to trying it as a symptom management strategy if a doctor recommended it.
What Affects How Often Women Masturbate
Several factors influence frequency beyond simple desire. Relationship status plays a role, but not always in the direction you’d expect. Some research shows women in relationships masturbate more than single women, possibly because regular sexual activity increases overall libido. Other studies find the opposite. The relationship between partnered sex and solo sex is complicated and individual.
Stress and mental health matter significantly. Some women masturbate more during stressful periods because of the mood and sleep benefits. Others find that anxiety, depression, or certain medications reduce their desire entirely. Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle also play a role. Many women notice higher desire around ovulation, which can show up as increased masturbation frequency mid-cycle.
Age affects patterns too, but not in a simple decline. While some surveys show a dip in frequency during middle age, other data suggests that women who masturbate regularly in their twenties and thirties often continue or even increase the habit later in life, particularly after menopause when partnered sex may become less frequent or comfortable.
Cultural and religious background remains one of the strongest predictors of whether a woman masturbates at all. Women raised in environments where masturbation was treated as shameful are less likely to report doing it, though this gap narrows with each generation as attitudes continue to shift.