Study suggests masturbation may ease menopause symptoms like sleep issues and irritability

Researchers at Indiana's Kinsey Institute set out to investigate something rarely discussed in clinical settings: whether masturbation might ease the discomforts of menopause. They surveyed 1,178 women between 40 and 65, some experiencing the hormonal shifts of perimenopause—still having periods but with noticeable changes—and others fully menopausal, having gone a year or more without menstruation. The findings, published in the journal Menopause and funded by the sex toy company Womanizer, suggest that for some women, the answer is yes.

About four in five women in the study reported having masturbated at some point. Of those, roughly one in five said it provided at least some relief from their symptoms. For women in perimenopause, the improvements were most noticeable in two areas: sleep disturbances and irritability. Women further along in menopause reported different benefits—primarily relief from vaginal pain, bloating, and discomfort during urination. A small number reported that masturbation actually worsened their symptoms, though the researchers could not explain why.

The mechanism likely involves the body's response to orgasm itself. When a woman reaches climax, her body releases endorphins, the natural chemicals that elevate mood and reduce pain perception. The physical stimulation also increases blood flow to the genital area and can trigger vaginal lubrication, potentially helping maintain sexual function during a time when hormonal changes often work against it. These findings align with earlier research showing that masturbation to orgasm can reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, and diminish pain—benefits that extend beyond menopause.

Yet the evidence base remains thin. Masturbation has long carried social stigma, particularly for women, who often associate it with shame and rarely discuss their practices openly. This cultural silence has meant that clinical research into its health benefits has been sparse and fragmented. When compared to other non-medical interventions for menopause—exercise, dietary changes, stress reduction—the research supporting masturbation is minimal. The study itself found that women were substantially more likely to manage their symptoms through these better-studied approaches than through sexual self-stimulation.

What complicates the picture further is that masturbation is not an option for everyone. Nearly one in five women in the study had never masturbated. This proportion was higher among older, fully menopausal women, suggesting generational shifts in attitudes toward the practice. Some women cited moral or religious objections. Others faced practical barriers: limited privacy, lack of time alone, diminished desire, or physical limitations in flexibility and dexterity that come with age. The silence surrounding the topic also means that most women have never discussed masturbation with their doctors—nearly all the study participants reported this—even though more than half of the perimenopausal women said they would be willing to try it more frequently if a physician recommended it.

What makes this research valuable is not that it proves masturbation will work for everyone, but that it begins to normalize a conversation that has been largely absent from medical practice. The study demonstrates that most older women do masturbate and that doing so carries no risk. It offers a low-cost, accessible option that some women might not have considered as a tool for managing their symptoms. For those open to it, the evidence suggests it is worth trying. For healthcare providers, it suggests an opportunity to broach a subject that discomfort and convention have kept off the table—not as a replacement for other treatments, but as one more strategy in a woman's toolkit for navigating one of life's major transitions.