Can masturbating actually affect your sex drive?

If you’re looking to give yourself a helping hand, here’s what you need to know

The year is 2021, masturbation is no longer the dreaded m-word that the female population is shielded from. Research has found that 36% women indulge in some me-time more than once a week and 67% have admitted to making the proceedings more fun with the help of a toy, or two. And yet, despite all the progress and development that has been made in the world of female masturbation, it is often swept under the carpet or considered taboo for those in a relationship. Among other misconceptions is the infamous belief that pleasuring yourself too often on your own will steal your sex drive with your partner. Is there any truth to it? That’s what we set out to find and here’s what we learned. After all, why should boys have all the fun?

Going solo? Here’s how self-pleasure affects your sex drive

Contrary to popular belief, flicking the bean on your own won’t turn things frigid between the sheets with your partner. Why? Because it has minimal impact on the sex hormone, testosterone, found in both genders that holds credit for your sex drive. Instead, by regularly pleasuring yourself you could be priming yourself for future adventures in the bedroom with your partner. For women, a lower sex drive can be credited to lower levels of testosterone which remain unaffected by self-love.

Not convinced yet? Here’s how masturbation can improve your sex life

If you are still not sure about whether you should be indulging in self-love when you have a partner in your life, here are five ways in which your sex life will change once you start indulging yourself on your own.

1. You won’t start with a cold engine

If you have trouble getting things heated up between the sheets, shh no need to apologise for it because it’s a common concern for many. By getting things going down there for yourself, you’ll find that you can get off the starting mark sooner and get things going more quickly and efficiently with your partner.

2. Your confidence levels will be off-the-charts

Who’s this sexy vixen in the bedroom? Well hello there, it’s you! It’s a known fact that orgasms can do wonders for your blood circulation, but they can also serve as an instant mood-booster that will ensure you strut into the bedroom with more confidence than ever before.

3. You’ll know exactly what you want and when you want it

We all have different things that turn us on, and mastering the art of bringing yourself to orgasm on your own is the equivalent of taking a crashcourse on knowing what works for your body, what doesn’t and how best you can bring yourself to climax during partner play.

4. You can prime yourself for future pleasure

Think of self-love as a way of storing sexual energy that you can later tap into with your partner. Since there is no reset time required after hitting the big-oh, you can simply get things heated for yourself and then get right to the good stuff when your partner comes into play.

5. You can say hello to the best orgasms of your life

What does a combination of knowing acutely what works for you and never-before confidence levels mean for you? A rockstar sex life, the kind you’ve only seen play out onscreen up until now. Don’t believe us? A milestone survey has proved that self-pleasure in women can pave the way for more positive sexual experiences and a healthier self-image later in life.

While masturbation is generally considered a guy topic, treating yourself to some good ol’ fashioned lovin’, will only help you get more tuned in with what your body needs and how you can make every sexual experience a pleasurable one. Armed with your new, positive self-image, it is time to get out there and go after you want!