If you’ve ever been to any kind of educational institution in the UK – namely high school and college – then you’ll know that there’s definitely a certain stigma that surrounds women/girls/vagina owners and masturbation. Boys will brag about the number of times they can wank in a day, yet girls will exclaim “EW I DON’T DO THAT!” to avoid any kind of shame.
While women’s understanding of their own sexuality is being acknowledged as an important part of their sexual health now more than ever, female pleasure still doesn’t get the same air time. But it seems that thanks to COVID lockdowns and limited options, more women are FINALLY indulging in masturbation. Pureeros, the women’s intimate wellness platform, has taken a peek under our covers and surveyed 17K people in their community to gain insight on the impact of lockdown on female self-pleasure.
45% of those surveyed became more interested in self-pleasure, with 33% masturbating and 28% using sex toys more often.
As a result of people spending more time at home, there has been more focus on wellbeing and a desire to maintain long distance relationships. We are making time for self-care and exploring our bodies independently. The first lock down saw an organic traffic increase of 60% for sexual wellness products.
Masturbation is not just about unfulfilled libidos; it can be empowering and healing. The sudden disruption to our structure and routine, made anxiety levels rise; masturbation has helped relieve the stress and boredom heightened during lockdown. Masturbation causes hormonal changes in the body, releasing dopamine and endorphins which makes us feel calm and happy, boosting our overall well-being during this difficult time.
The survey showed that 21% enjoy masturbation more than sex with a partner, with 24% finding it more satisfying. 85% use sex toys, while only 8% use sex toys with a partner. Overall, 33% found self-pleasure, helped improved their sex life.
The last year has taught women to view self-pleasure in a much more healthy way, but 26% still choose to keep it a secret from their partners. When women fake orgasms to protect their partner’s egos and prioritise male pleasure, it leaves their own needs unmet. A study showed that over 80% of women in the UK could not orgasm through penetration alone. Masturbation is normal whether you are in a long distance relationship or live in the same household. No matter your gender, communicating openly with your partner and focusing on relationship enhancement can help improve sexual fulfillment, in turn helping close the orgasm gap.
Generations of socially enforced sexual repression has allowed society to control women’s behaviour. It is believed that women who mastered self-pleasure, would be inspired to pursue self-sufficiency in areas outside of the bedroom.
Viriginia Cerrone, Co Founder and CMO of pureeros says: “ Sexual equality, along with many other issues we face are dominated by unequal power between genders, the patriarchal structure and power systems. Sexual freedom is an intimidating symbol of female independence. Our society’s discomfort with female sexuality is so deeply embedded, that it makes it harder for us to challenge. Taking ownership of our intimate wellness should be celebrated; female masturbation doesn’t deserve separate pedestals for judgement and shame! We urge women to take control of their body and own their pleasure, so we can continue seeing positive changes post-pandemic.”