MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Motoring
  • Video
MensHealth
  • News
  • Health
  • Fitness
  • Sex
  • Nutrition
  • Style
  • Weight Loss
  • Life
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Motoring
  • Video
Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

4 Male Masturbation Techniques You Probably Haven't Tried Before

4 Male Masturbation Techniques You Probably Haven't Tried Before

Women Are Sharing What An Orgasm Really Feels Like

Women Are Sharing What An Orgasm Really Feels Like

Blended Orgasms Might Be The Greatest Thing To Happen To Sex

Blended Orgasms Might Be The Greatest Thing To Happen To Sex

4 Reasons Why She's Faking Her Orgasms With You

4 Reasons Why She's Faking Her Orgasms With You

{headline}

{headline}

Research Reveals How Women Want You To Ejaculate

Research Reveals How Women Want You To Ejaculate

This Is The Most Common Sized Dildo Women Are Using

This Is The Most Common Sized Dildo Women Are Using

The Whole Internet Is Trying to Spell 'Coconut' After New Sex Move Goes Viral

The Whole Internet Is Trying to Spell 'Coconut' After New Sex Move Goes Viral

{headline}

{headline}

This Is How Long Oral Sex Should Last

This Is How Long Oral Sex Should Last

Penile Trauma: Guys Share Horrifying Masturbation Injuries

Penile Trauma: Guys Share Horrifying Masturbation Injuries

10 Ways To Make A Girl Orgasm

10 Ways To Make A Girl Orgasm

Here's How Often People Actually Masturbate

Here's How Often People Actually Masturbate

This Is When Women Are At Their Horniest

This Is When Women Are At Their Horniest

5 Sex Myths You Should Probably Know

5 Sex Myths You Should Probably Know

6 Things Men Get Wrong About Boobs

6 Things Men Get Wrong About Boobs

  1. Home
  2. Sex

7 Secrets of Female Masturbation

Her solo sessions are different from yours in a lot of ways. Learn the ins and outs of female masturbation - by Arielle Pardes
  • 02 Jul 2019
7 Secrets of Female Masturbation
Getty Images

Your recipe for masturbation is pretty simple: A bottle of lube, a browser tab open to Pornhub, and a five-finger grip deliver results in no time flat. But female masturbation is a bit more complicated.

They can’t do it wherever they want, they don’t always care about reaching orgasm, and they definitely aren’t flipping through Fifty Shades as much as you’d imagine. So what happens behind closed doors? Read on to discover the secrets of female masturbation. 

She’s quicker without you.

On average, women take longer to orgasm than men do. “For a woman’s nerve endings to be stimulated and for the blood flow to get down into her genitals, it can take up to 15 or 20 minutes of foreplay,” explains Sadie Allison, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Undercover Clitoris: Orgasmic Fingertip Touching Every Woman Craves.  

But she might be a lot faster going solo than she is with you in the sack. That could be because she’s more focused on her own pleasure (instead of yours) or because she knows exactly what she wants. “Many women can be there in 2 to 3 minutes on their own, but will take 10 or more—or can’t get there at all—with a partner,” says sex expert Carlyle Jansen, author of Sex Yourself, a book about women’s masturbation. 

She doesn’t do it quite as often

When you wake up with morning wood, there’s a decent chance you’ll give yourself a tug before the day is over. According to research, 25 percent of men masturbate at least 3 times per week, and 55 do it at least once a month. But for women, those stats are considerably lower: Only 10 percent of ladies report pleasuring themselves three times per week, and 38 percent go down below once a month. 

How come? She might see self-pleasure as more of a production, not just a quick rub-and-go activity. It could also be because of the stigma associated with female masturbation, which can follow many women into adulthood. “Most boys begin before they’re 10,” says Jansen, while “women start later, often in their 20s.” 

She preps differently

“Men can be in a dirty gas station bathroom and rub one out,” says Allison, but for the fairer sex, environment is everything. Maybe she pulls out a special lubricant, lights a few candles, or draws a bath before starting self-pleasure. “A lot of women need their heads to be there, and if there are any distractions whatsoever, that can throw them off,” she says. 

Her touch is softer

When you masturbate, you’ve got a firm grip, your fingers are clenched, and you stick to a rough, up-and-down motion. Women, on the other hand, tend to be slower, gentler, and more subtle. 

“Think about if you had an eyelash in your eye and you were trying to rub it out,” says Allison. “You’d pull your eyelid back and gently use your fingertip to rub around. That’s how soft you should touch a woman’s clitoris. Yes, that soft.” 

The clitoris has twice as many nerve endings as the head of the penis, so it’s super-sensitive to even the softest touch. Some women like it rougher—and they’ll tell you if they do—but most need to be eased in gently before they can stand too much contact with their clitoris. 

She explores her whole body

While you pretty much have just one tool at your disposal, she likes to make masturbation a full-body activity. “Women tend to stimulate the whole body more—the neck, breasts, arms, and labia,” explains Jansen. She might massage her nipples or inner thighs first before settling on her genitals. Comparatively, “men are generally okay with the beginning, middle, and end focus on the penis,” Jansen says. 

She doesn’t always care about orgasm...

This might be the biggest difference of them all. When you masturbate, you probably have a clear goal in mind: bust a nut or bust. “But for a lot of women, whether you get there or not isn’t the key,” says Allison. Some women are satisfied with their self-pleasure well before orgasm occurs, or regardless of whether there’s a climax. “It’s more about taking time for yourself and giving to yourself in a pleasurable way,” she says. 

...But when she does, she's going for seconds

When you ejaculate, it creates a huge physical release. 

“It takes a lot of energy for the body to actually push all of that fluid from the prostate, through the spiral tubing, then through the testicles, up and out of the penis,” explains Allison. “That’s why when [men] are finally done, it’s over. They’re like, ‘Whew, I need a nap.’” 

Women's orgasms are physical, too, but they don’t have the same “refractory period” after climaxing, which makes it more likely for them to go for multiple rounds. So while some women aren’t necessarily vying for orgasm at all, others don’t stop at just one. Lucky ladies.  

This article originally appeared on Men's Health

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Subscribe Now-

Subscribe Now
Subscribe Now

Recommended to you

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic
Watch 0:10

Bjornsson Deadlifted 1,026 pounds On The Elephant Bar To Win 2020 Arnold Classic

{headline}

{headline}

4 Male Masturbation Techniques You Probably Haven't Tried Before

4 Male Masturbation Techniques You Probably Haven't Tried Before

Women Are Sharing What An Orgasm Really Feels Like

Women Are Sharing What An Orgasm Really Feels Like

Blended Orgasms Might Be The Greatest Thing To Happen To Sex

Blended Orgasms Might Be The Greatest Thing To Happen To Sex

4 Reasons Why She's Faking Her Orgasms With You

4 Reasons Why She's Faking Her Orgasms With You

{headline}

{headline}

Research Reveals How Women Want You To Ejaculate

Research Reveals How Women Want You To Ejaculate

This Is The Most Common Sized Dildo Women Are Using

This Is The Most Common Sized Dildo Women Are Using

The Whole Internet Is Trying to Spell 'Coconut' After New Sex Move Goes Viral

The Whole Internet Is Trying to Spell 'Coconut' After New Sex Move Goes Viral

{headline}

{headline}

This Is How Long Oral Sex Should Last

This Is How Long Oral Sex Should Last

Penile Trauma: Guys Share Horrifying Masturbation Injuries

Penile Trauma: Guys Share Horrifying Masturbation Injuries

10 Ways To Make A Girl Orgasm

10 Ways To Make A Girl Orgasm

Here's How Often People Actually Masturbate

Here's How Often People Actually Masturbate

This Is When Women Are At Their Horniest

This Is When Women Are At Their Horniest

5 Sex Myths You Should Probably Know

5 Sex Myths You Should Probably Know

6 Things Men Get Wrong About Boobs

6 Things Men Get Wrong About Boobs

MensHealth
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Chris Hemsworth Hugo Boss
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Chris Hemsworth Hugo Boss
  • Terms
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement

Brands

  • Women's Health

Our Network

  • Paragon Media Pty Ltd
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from Men's Health

Magazine Subscription Offer

Subscribe Now-

Shop This Offer
Subscribe Now