Suggested Citation: Papadakou, C. (2021, May 31). The Taboo of Masturbation and its Relation to the Orgasm Gap. Queer Academia. URL
The Taboo of Masturbation and its Relation to the Orgasm Gap | Christiana Papadakou
In heterosexual relationships, one cannot help but notice that at times gender inequality exists. More specifically, there is a prevalent phenomenon called the orgasm gap – by definition, the orgasm gap is the large inconsistency in the frequency between males orgasming when engaging in heterosexual intercourse, in comparison to women (Jordan, 2019). In a survey conducted by Wade and colleagues, out of a sample of 985 undergraduates at the University of Wisconsin-Madison it was reported that 91% of men experienced an orgasm in their sexual engagements when only 39% of women said the same (Akers et al., 2020). In a similar study conducted with a sample of Canadian people above the age of 18, more than 87% of men reported having an orgasm in their sexual relations, but less than 63% of women reported the same (Andrejek & Fetner, 2019). There is also literature showing that even though 64% of heterosexual women report orgasming, 85% of heterosexual men report believing that women have orgasmed (Akers et al., 2020), suggesting that men have a false perception of whether women were sexually satisfied during a sexual interaction, which in turn suggests that men might be unaware of the orgasm gap. Writing about the orgasm gap and focusing on one of its main causes will enhance readers’ understanding of sexual inequalities among heterosexuals since topics as such are often not discussed or even remain unacknowledged by many.
There are multiple causes contributing to the orgasm gap. As Mazzoni (2016) reported, there is a large pool of reasons that prevent females from reaching orgasm, some of them being the lack of sexual knowledge and knowledge regarding the female sex organ, the lack of attention given to women’s sexual satisfaction in contrast to men’s, and the taboo of female masturbation. Focusing on the latter, when it comes to sexuality, sexual pleasuring oftentimes is male-centered, and that includes masturbation practices as well (Fahs & Frank, 2013). In other words, masturbation is typically seen as a male-only experience and female masturbation is regarded as taboo. This paper, focusing on heterosexual relationships, will discuss self-pleasuring and its frequency among males and females and will attempt to relate possible differences in frequency findings to the orgasm gap. The benefits of masturbation that relate to the possible reduction of the orgasm gap will be mentioned. This will be studied based on the taboo nature of the subject, which is more prevalent in females.
Masturbation has accurately been described as a gendered subject, meaning that it differs for all genders (Kaestle & Allen, 2011). All research findings display males masturbating more frequently than females, and in some studies, female self-pleasuring has even been characterized as a “no regular occurrence,” expressing how uncommon and even weird it is thought to be (Arafat & Cotton, 1974; Crawford & Zamboni, 2003; Das, 2007; Pinkerton et al., 2003). This difference in frequency demonstrates that female masturbation is a taboo and a controversial topic. Masturbation is thought to be more acceptable for men than for women. Studies have even shown that most women have not confronted the social disputes on masturbation, completely not accepting it, having judgments clouded by shame and sinfulness, and even going as far as claiming it as unnatural, or a mental illness, proving the existence of the taboo of female masturbation (Kaestle & Allen, 2011). Sometimes these viewpoints are because of strong belief systems that prevent women from experimenting with the act of self-pleasuring, or other times there is an internal debate between craving its acceptance and normalization, and the unbearable shame and fear of this form of sexual exploration, all of which take a toll on the mental wellbeing of women (Kaestle & Allen, 2011).
Among the many benefits that masturbation brings to both genders, it helps people get to know more about their sexual preferences, which enhances future partnered sexual activities (Crawford & Zamboni, 2003). Various studies suggest that these benefits apply to females. For instance, Kinsey et al., (1954) wrote that problems in sexual intercourse are often eliminated if women know how to sexually satisfy themselves (even after marriage), and Crawford and Zamboni (2003) supported that women who masturbate in adolescence will potentially have improved sexual relations later in life leading to more orgasms, and may even experience less pain during sexual activity. All these prove that the orgasm gap can potentially be bridged if masturbation becomes more common and less taboo among women.
One cannot deny that a double standard exists on the topic of self-stimulation. The sensitivity of the subject along with the stigma it has carried throughout the past and present has potentially been a factor against this topic’s research. However, the existing literature does show that women who masturbate tend to have benefits in their sexual lives just from the sole act of self-stimulation, but unfortunately, a relatively small number of women do so or at least admit to doing so possibly due to social desirability bias (Leonard, 2010). The female masturbation taboo is one cause of the masturbation gap, which, in turn, is one of the multiple causes that are contributing to the root of the orgasm gap in heterosexual relationships. This correlation between the orgasm gap and the masturbation gap leaves room for more research on the correlation between the orgasm gap and the masturbation gap mediated by the level of the stigma of female masturbation since there are not a great number of findings on this prevalent issue. Even though some limited knowledge already exists in society about the orgasm gap and its relation to the masturbation taboo, due to social unawareness, it remains out of reach for many people. As Fahs and Frank (2013) correctly pointed out, confronting gender stereotypes about female self-pleasuring and having women own their sexuality instead of suppressing it, will only allow us to find out more about the spectrum of female sexuality and so we can assume that it might also bridge the orgasm gap. Bridging this gap is one of many ways to make heterosexual relationships more fulfilling, and it would enhance the sexual satisfaction of both parties. This issue is one aspect of heterosexual relationships in which one form of inequality is manifested, and so it is of great importance to get to the root of it and find out more about whether the taboo of female masturbation is positively correlated with the orgasm gap.
References
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Written by: Christiana Papadakou
Reviewed by: Kanav Sahgal, Mohit Dudeja, and E. Richard Shane Hammish
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