Female Sexuality in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Factors and Sexual Response Associated with Masturbation

Abstract

Objectives

Sexual health includes the state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality. Masturbation is an important sexual activity with many potential benefits which has gained considerable interest in sexuality research in the past twenty years; however, this research is the first of its kind within the Aotearoa/New Zealand context. In this in-depth investigation, we examined frequencies of, reasons for, and activities during masturbation as well as the relationship between masturbation and other factors.

Methods

Participants were 698 New Zealand women at least 18 years of age participating in a 42-item anonymous online survey collecting comprehensive information about sexual practices and related factors.

Results

The results indicated that female masturbation has high prevalence in the New Zealand population.

Conclusion

The pattern of results enabled us to identify the positive effects of masturbation, masturbation practices commonly used by New Zealand women and the differences between New Zealand women who masturbate frequently and less frequently.

Keywords:

• Masturbation
• women
• reasons
• activities
• differences

IRB statement

All research methods were approved by and conducted in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Board (AUTEC no. 18/96).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Data availability statement

Raw data were generated at Auckland University of Technology. Derived data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author R.C. on request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Auckland University of Technology under Contestable Research Fund [2019].