Female self-pleasure is widely regarded as an act of self-love. It’s an intimate way to truly get to know your body, relieving stress and providing deeper insight into how you experience pleasure. More women every day are reclaiming their sexuality and dismantling religious conditioning that has labeled self-pleasure as something dirty.
However, it’s easy to wonder whether masturbating often can pose the opposite effect.
The Benefits of Self-Pleasure
Before uncovering whether too much self-pleasure is harmful, it’s important to note the scientific benefits. The natural act of self-stimulating your genitals for arousal not only relieves stress and improves sleep, but it can also tame menstrual cramps and boost your mood. The act naturally increases your libido day-to-day, making it easy to be lubricated when being intimate with a partner.
Beyond that, you’re collecting valuable information to share during intimacy with a partner. When you have more explicit awareness about what your body’s likes and how you most successfully orgasm, it can make it easier to communicate that. Its natural endorphins are priceless, and it can deepen your connection with your body while empowering you to know what you want and how you want it.
How Much Is Too Much?
Exploring whether you are doing the act too much is a bit complicated. There is no potential harm in too much self-pleasure; however, there are some potential symptoms to be aware of.
The clitoris is an incredibly sensitive organ with a huge amount of nerve endings. If you find yourself doing the act too often or aggressively, it may lead to reduced sensation. Your clitoris may temporarily go numb, making it difficult to climax as easily, either by yourself or with a partner.
It’s also worth noting that too much self-pleasure can make it more difficult to orgasm during partnered sex. This is because the body can get used to the clitoral stimulation that may be neglected during intercourse. While this is worth paying attention to, the solution is less about decreasing self-pleasure and more about bringing awareness to clitoral stimulation during partnered intercourse. Orgasms through penetration are rare for women, which is why it’s important to be explicitly communicative during sex.
Ultimately, there’s no set amount of times in which you should or shouldn’t engage in self-pleasure. All potential disadvantages are temporary, reversible and minimal. Be discerning and follow your body’s own lead. However, if you find yourself compulsively masturbating or experiencing injury due to the friction of masturbation, it may be helpful to step back and assess.