Sexual Subjectivity in Solo and Partnered Masturbation Experiences Among Emerging Adult Women

A critical review of sociological research on sexual pleasure

“…Conversely, sexual dissatisfaction can be seen as symptomatic of other marital issues (Leavitt et al., 2017). When looking at committed relationships more broadly, there are similar connections between sexual pleasure and level of commitment (Armstrong et al., 2012; Beckmeyer et al., 2021; Fahs, 2014; Foust et al., 2022; Frederick et al., 2021; Frith, 2013; Leistner & Mark, 2023; Lentz & Zaikman, 2021; Ritter et al., 2018; Rivas‐Koehl et al., 2023; Stephenson et al., 2011; Thorpe et al., 2021). Entrenched beliefs frame committed relationships as the only context in which pleasure can be achieved, and (a man's) pleasure as vital to relationship quality.…”

Can sociocultural and contextual factors explain gender differences in sex drive? A response to Frankenbach et al. (2022).

“…The media that heterosexual men ingest are optimized for their titillation—men are habitually guided toward sexual arousal. By the same token, media consistently portray men (of all sexual orientations) as overtly sexual, even sex-starved (see, e.g., the volume by Reichert & Lambiase, 2003)—which reasonably explains why people associate sexual subjectivity more with men than with women (Fetterolf & Sanchez, 2015; Foust et al, 2022; Horne & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2005, 2006; Sanchez et al, 2006). This is the social context in which children’s and adolescents’ desire to masturbate and, later, to “have sex” emerges; clearly, it is not a level playing field for the development of females’ and males’ sex drive (Abramson & Pinkerton, 2002).…”

The Role of Mutual Masturbation within Relationships: Associations with Sexual Satisfaction and Sexual Self-Esteem

“…As noted by Fahs and Frank ( 2014 ), an advantage of cultural silence and secrecy surrounding masturbation might be freedom from traditional scripts given that there is no single norm about how often one should masturbate, what behaviors occur during masturbation, and/or the method(s) used to masturbate (Fahs & Frank, 2014 ; Kirschbaum & Peterson, 2018 ). However, not having norms about masturbation might also be problematic as easily accessed traditional sexual scripts for heterosexual sex which overvalue male pleasure might be internalized and applied to individuals’ own meaning and stories of masturbation (e.g., heterosexual women may feel pressured to masturbate in front of their partner to please or provide stimulation for him; Fahs & Frank, 2014 ; Foust et al., 2022 ). Gendered sexual practices and scripts limit women’s opportunities for sexual pleasure (Laan et al., 2021 ), while sexual script flexibility has been associated with couples’ greater sexual satisfaction (Bouchard et al., 2023 ).…”

“…Only one qualitative study has explored young women’s experiences with partnered and solo masturbation (Foust et al., 2022 ). While some women in this study reported desire to connect with their partner and improve intimacy as a motivation to engage in mutual masturbation, they also engaged in the behavior to arouse/stimulate and please their partner, sometimes upon the male partner’s request without their own desire to do so or, occasionally, to guarantee their own pleasure during partnered sex.…”

“…Feelings of guilt and shame were also discussed both in partnered and solo masturbation contexts but were less salient in partnered contexts. While some women talked about normalizing solo masturbation, none mentioned the need to normalize partnered masturbation (Foust et al., 2022 ). Therefore, while partnered masturbation is less commonly reported than solo masturbation (Dodge et al., 2016 ; Herbenick et al., 2022 ), it may be perceived more positively among women due to the sexual scripts and societal norms overvaluing partnered sexual activities (Foust et al., 2022 ; Muehlenhard & Shippee, 2010 ).…”