Relationship between the frequency and duration of masturbation and the sexual health literacy and sexual function of women in western Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although sexual life and its knowledge are still taboo in many cultures, especially for women, it can negatively affect women's sexual health.

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the frequency and duration of masturbation and the sexual health literacy among young Muslim women of reproductive age between 18 and 25 years living in western Turkey.

Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 921 young women in western Turkey between March and December 2023. Participants were included in the study per the snowball method. The data consisted of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding masturbation, sexual life, and sexual health literacy. Data were obtained on an online platform and analyzed with SPSS (version 24; IBM). Difference, correlation, and regression analyses were performed. The significance level for statistical analyses was accepted as P < .05.

Outcomes: The outcomes of the study are the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding masturbation, orgasm, sexual health literacy, and sexual function in women.

Results: The participants were young Muslim women aged 21.00 ± 1.89 years (mean ± SD). The frequency of masturbation was 5.06 ± 2.03 times per month, and the duration was 3.47 ± 1.77 minutes per day. Masturbation frequency and duration were significantly associated with sexual health literacy and sexual function (P < .001). According to regression analysis, sexual function increased and sexual health literacy increased as masturbation frequency and duration increased (P < .001).

Clinical implications: This study presents results on the current situation regarding the sexual health literacy and sexual lives in women from different geographies and cultures, and it serves as a source for future studies on areas that need to be improved.

Strengths and limitations: The limitation of the study is that it was conducted only with Muslim and Turkish women who use smartphones and are sexually active, so it cannot be generalized to all women. The strengths of the study are that it was conducted with a sample of 921 women, it was based on self-report and addressed many dimensions related to masturbation and female sexuality, and the results were reached through exploratory analysis.

Conclusion: The study found that the higher the duration and frequency of masturbation in young women, the better their sexual function and higher their sexual literacy.