Is Masturbation The Secret To Perimenopause & Menopause Relief?
What OB-GYNs have to say about leaning into the Big O to battle symptoms.
Ah, menopause. That old chestnut. You know, the life-altering change that you’re forced to go through (rude!) if you were born with a vagina, whether you want to or not. Perimenopause, the five to 10 years leading up to menopause and the permanent loss of your period, can be riddled with unpleasant side effects ranging from hot flashes and night sweats to downright unfair side effects like body odor, hair loss, menopause belly, and a major drop in libido.
If you’d really like to feel depressed, there’s a whole host of other symptoms associated with menopause that aren’t really talked about that can majorly affect your quality of life — and not in a good way.
Before you get too worked up, though, keep in mind that perimenopause and menopause are hit-or-miss. Some women escape the transition with little to no symptoms, while others get to experience the full buffet of side effects.
So, what can you do to get some relief?
One recent survey from the Kinsey Institute and Womanizer, a leading sex toy and sexual wellness company, found that one in 10 women use masturbation as the primary way to manage their symptoms. Hot damn. Finally some good news and maybe the silver lining that we’ve been waiting for. Is the glorious Big O the solution to the sh*tty side effects of the Big M?
Read on to learn more about why orgasms could be beneficial during menopause (and let’s be honest, at all times of your life) and what the limitations might be on a climax’s superpower.
Why getting off is good for you
“Masturbation and orgasm release feel-good hormones that contribute to feelings of pleasure and can induce sleep,” says Shamyra Howard, a licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist. “During orgasm, oxytocin, which is often referred to as a natural painkiller, is released. Dopamine and other endorphins also contribute to the sensation of feeling good.”
Howard says that women taking the survey reported that masturbating helped them relieve various menopausal symptoms like irritability, sexual pain, and sleep issues.
Masturbation and its potential positive side effects have been studied before, so whether you’re experiencing hot flashes or not, taking some time for a little self-care is never a bad thing. As a note, though, Womanizer and The Kinsey Institute did a survey of women, not a study. This means they collected anecdotal evidence from participants that masturbating helped their menopause symptoms, but there haven’t been any formal studies on the subject.
That said, The Menopause Society, a nonprofit focused on educating both health care providers and women about what to expect during perimenopause and menopause and how to treat it, does recommend regular vaginal sexual activity after menopause, which could include masturbation. According to their website, things like sex and masturbation “are important because it stimulates blood flow, helps keep your vaginal muscles toned, and maintains your vagina’s length and stretchiness.”
Sounds like doctor’s orders to me.
Is this too good to be true?
Sigh. But of course there’s a catch. One of the sneaky little symptoms of perimenopause and menopause that many experience is a loss in libido. On top of that, as you approach menopause, estrogen levels drop, which translates into a drier vagina that’s more prone to painful sex.
So, while masturbation might be helpful for symptom relief for some, the whole low libido/not wanting to masturbate thing could get in the way of seeing said relief (which, a reminder, hasn’t been formally studied).
Some docs, like Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an OB-GYN and menopause expert with more than 2 million followers on Instagram, responded to the survey’s claims with a bit of shade.
“You. Have. Got. To. Meet. Women. Where. They. Are.,” she said in an Instagram post following Psychology Today’s article about the survey promoting masturbation as a way to relieve menopause symptoms. “Siloing the treatment of menopause to strictly how to reduce hot flashes is a very harmful practice because you’re ignoring the rest of the body and mind.”
Dr. Kelly Casperson, a urologist and content creator, also weighed in on Instagram, citing concerns that during menopause, libidos are often low and moods are often “crazy” and that promoting masturbation as a remedy might be misleading. “Orgasm is super good for your body,” she says in her post. “But as a solution? No, I can’t.”
Ugh, if orgasm isn’t the cure-all, what does help with symptoms?
Listen, masturbating and having orgasms certainly won’t hurt, so don’t put your vibrator away just yet. However, there are more tried-and-true methods to help alleviate menopause symptoms.
As you approach menopause, two hormones in your body start to fluctuate and drop: estrogen and progesterone. It’s these fluctuations in hormones that lead to the often ill-talked-about symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. Unfortunately, getting off won’t help rebalance these hormones, which is what ultimately needs to happen to see the most relief from symptoms.
“Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most proven treatment for hot flashes,” says Casperson. “It beats out all supplements in studies.”
You’ll need to talk to your doctor about HRT, as it involves taking a prescription for estrogen or progesterone, or some combination of the two based on what’s happening in your body. By taking these hormones, you replace what your body has stopped producing to balance things out again, and balance equals system relief.
Outside of HRT, Casperson says that lifestyle modifications like exercising, reducing or stopping drinking, and focusing on your nutrition can also help relieve symptoms.
HRT is most effective when it’s started within 10 years of menopause or before the age of 60, so if you’re experiencing any sort of symptoms, the time is now to discuss the option with your doctor.
Yes, masturbation is good for you and has a host of benefits. But although there’s anecdotal evidence that masturbating can provide relief from menopause systems, it isn’t a solution that’s been studied deeply. HRT continues to be the most proven way to get symptom relief. Still... there’s no risk in prescribing yourself an orgasm two to three times a week.
