A new study published in The Journal of Sex Research provides a detailed look at how masturbation frequency changes over a significant portion of the human lifespan. The research found that for women, masturbation frequency tends to increase until their early 30s before slightly declining, while for men, the practice remains relatively stable from age 19 to 50. These patterns were largely independent of how often individuals engaged in sex with a partner.
Masturbation is a common and healthy aspect of human sexuality, yet it remains less studied than partnered sexual activity. Most existing research on the topic has been cross-sectional, meaning it captures a snapshot of different people at different ages at a single point in time. Such studies can suggest age-related trends, but they cannot show how an individual’s behavior actually changes as they grow older. This has left a significant gap in understanding the developmental path of this private sexual behavior.
Scientists have also debated the relationship between masturbation and partnered sex. One idea, the compensatory model, suggests people masturbate more when they lack opportunities for partnered sex. An alternative, the complementary model, proposes that masturbation supplements an active sex life. A third perspective views masturbation as an autonomous behavior, largely separate from partnered activities.
The researchers behind this new study sought to provide clarity by using longitudinal data, which follows the same individuals over many years, to map the trajectories of masturbation and examine how they are influenced by life events and personal characteristics.
To conduct their investigation, the researchers drew on data from the Young in Norway study, a long-term project that has tracked a large cohort of Norwegians since their teenage years. For this specific analysis, they focused on a sample of 2,562 individuals. They used survey responses collected at three different times, when the participants’ ages ranged from 19 to 58. This rich dataset allowed the scientists to model the development of masturbation frequency across the key life stages of young adulthood and midlife, up to age 50.
Participants provided information about how often they masturbated, had partnered sex, and experienced sexual fantasies. They also reported on their partnership status, whether they had children, their sexual identity, educational attainment, and religious affiliation. Using a statistical approach known as multilevel growth curve modeling, the researchers were able to create a detailed picture of how masturbation frequency changed over time and how various factors affected this pattern.
The analysis first revealed distinct trajectories for women and men. For women, the frequency of masturbation showed a gradual increase from age 19, reaching a peak around age 31, after which it began a slow decline. For men, the pattern was quite different. Their masturbation frequency remained largely stable across the entire age span from 19 to 50. The study also confirmed previous findings that men, on average, masturbate more frequently than women.
The researchers then explored how these patterns were affected by the frequency of partnered sex. When they statistically accounted for how often individuals had sex with a partner, the developmental trajectories for both women and men did not change in any significant way. This result lends strong support to the idea that masturbation is an autonomous sexual behavior, pursued for its own reasons and not simply as a replacement for or an extension of partnered intimacy.
The picture became more complex when other factors were introduced, particularly for men. While men’s masturbation rate appeared stable at first glance, this changed when the frequency of sexual fantasizing was taken into account. Controlling for sexual fantasy revealed an underlying pattern of declining masturbation from age 19 until about age 36, followed by an increase. A similar shift occurred when accounting for partnership status, which uncovered a trajectory that peaked in the mid-30s. In contrast, women’s masturbation patterns were not substantially altered when accounting for either sexual fantasizing or partnership status.
Life events such as parenthood also played a role. Individuals who did not have children showed a different masturbation trajectory compared to those who became parents. Childless participants experienced a more pronounced increase in masturbation frequency up to about age 30, but this was followed by a steeper decline later on. This suggests that major life transitions connected to family formation are associated with how solitary sexual habits evolve.
Other personal characteristics were linked to masturbation frequency as well. Participants who identified as nonheterosexual reported masturbating more frequently than strictly heterosexual individuals at all ages. The overall shape of their trajectory over time, however, was similar to their heterosexual peers. The study found no significant differences in masturbation patterns based on a person’s level of education. Religious affiliation was associated with a lower initial frequency of masturbation for women at age 19, but it did not affect their long-term trajectory, and it had no observable effect on men’s habits.
The study’s authors note certain limitations to their work. The research relied on self-reported information, which can be affected by imperfect memory or a person’s willingness to report on sensitive topics honestly. The findings are based on a cohort of Norwegians born in the 1970s, and the results might not be the same for people from different cultural backgrounds or generations.
Additionally, some of the categories used in the analysis were broad. For instance, the “nonheterosexual” group included people with a variety of sexual identities, and the study could not examine these groups separately. The research also did not explore the motivations behind masturbation, such as for pleasure, stress relief, or self-exploration. The researchers suggest that future studies could examine the dynamic interplay between partnered and solo sexual activities more closely, including the impact of relationship quality and individual levels of sexual desire.
The study, “Masturbation Trajectories from Late Adolescence into Mid-Adulthood: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study,” was authored by Anna Ivanova, Sam Fluit, Nantje Fischer, Tilmann von Soest, and Michal Kozák.
