Though attitudes around sex, masturbation and relationships have come a long way, we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking all the work is done.
Still now, many of us hold onto outdated ideas around this subject, as suggested by sex toy brand Womanizer’s latest research.
As part of their ‘International Equal Masturbation Day’, marked to symbolise the gap between genders when it comes to masturbating, they surveyed 14,500 people across the globe to see how attitudes have changed compared to last year.
Statistically, men are still found to be masturbating more than women, by around two and a half times.
Though the results show women are experiencing self-pleasure a little more than last year, it reveals old-age thoughts around this gendered issue haven’t shifted much.
In the UK, 39% of people believe that masturbation is more accepted among men.
Over half believe this is down to pop culture, which normalises the act for men more so than it does for women.
It’s also widely believed by those surveyed that men speak about self-love more than women do, likely because it’s more socially acceptable.
Meanwhile nearly a third believe female masturbation is tainted with shame and negativity, so it’s no wonder that men globally are averaging out on having more solo time than women.
Education plays a role here, as while sex education is a formal part of British curriculum, hardly any participants felt that masturbation was discussed.
The awkwardness we feel around the subject in youth can linger and affect how the act is viewed in adulthood.
A lack of education here was noticed by 87% of people, and only 5% say the function and full size of the clitoris was discussed in class in the UK.
The paradox in Womanizer’s research – which might seem empowering at a first glance, but needs to be dissected – is that women use sex toys more than men.
While there is a noticeable change in the messaging around how sex toys are marketed and it’s a good thing that women feel freer to buy these products, the study is telling of how systemic thoughts around gender and sex are rife.
More than half believe it’s more acceptable for women to use toys than it is for men, and one in three believe that men don’t need a product to help them orgasm.
Mainstream sex toys can be feminised, meaning they could be seen as a threat to traditional sense of masculinity if used by a man.
It also sadly reveals a belief that women ‘need’ assistance to reach orgasm, tapping into conversation around the orgasm gap.
Progress in these areas is being made, but a patriarchal belief system is still affecting our solo sex lives.
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