Q: You always hear about how all males masturbate, but I was wondering what percent of females masturbate? And why is it that guys tend to be more honest about saying they masturbate? If you can answer, I thank you.
A: Therapists aren’t experts on masturbation statistics, so all I can say is that I’ve heard that about 50% of women masturbate regularly (and I don’t remember where I heard it, how “regularly” was defined, whether this included people in a sexual relationship, etc.).
And my own experience doesn’t agree with yours. I don’t think men are more honest about it. I’ve found that most everyone is honest about it – if there is a good reason to ask based on the needs of the person being asked (for instance, if someone is working on sexual issues in therapy).
What matters to me about your question is the very basic question of privacy. If you would have written to me and asked me if I masturbate, I would have refused to answer simply because masturbation and sexual acts of all kind are private for the person or persons involved. You wouldn’t have “a good reason to ask based on the needs of the person being asked.”
