Autoeroticism,sexual satisfaction,and sexual adjustment among university females: Past and current patterns

A review of the research literature reveals a general paucity of rigorous scientific analyses of masturbatory behavior in adult females. The availability of a data base from a pilot study concerned with self‐perceptions of the orgasmic response during masturbation and sexual intercourse has provided the opportunity to investigate the role of masturbation in the sexual repertoire of university female students. This data base also permitted an assessment of what differences, if any, exist among those respondents who are currently masturbating, have masturbated but not currently masturbating, and have never masturbated.

Questionnaire data were obtained from 512 never‐married, female university students enrolled in lower and upper division courses in anthropology, biology, psychology, and sociology. Respondents in the currently masturbating group were more likely to have experienced their first orgasm via masturbation, to have had greater success in achieving orgasm via masturbation, and to enjoy masturbating alone more when contrasted with the not currently masturbating group. Other findings suggest that masturbating to orgasm serves as an enhancement and/or supplement to sexual intercourse. The currently masturbating respondents were more likely to have experienced sexual intercourse and those who had experienced sexual intercourse reported a greater number of sex partners than those respondents in the never masturbated group. Finally, no statistically significant differences were found in sexual adjustment, using self‐evaluations of physiological satisfaction and psychological satisfaction, between the three respondent groups.