When it comes to sensitive topics like masturbation, many people tend to use euphemisms like “blowing your own horn”, and “playing the clitar”. Whatever name you decide to give the act, a recent study by Womanizer has revealed Singaporean females are masturbating more compared to last year, whereas males in Singapore are actually doing it less than before in 2023.
According to the survey conducted with 14,816 participants from 11 countries, including Australia, the U.S., France, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore, it was observed globally that males are masturbating more often in 2023 compared to the previous year, while females reported consistent rates of masturbation.
In terms of numbers, females, on average, pleasured themselves 70 times in 2023. On the other hand, males masturbated 166 times, showcasing a significant global masturbation gap of 57.71%.
Cultural and regional factors also play a role in sexual habits. It was reported that women in the U.S. are masturbation champions, with an average of 90 times per year, while French women masturbate the least, with an average of 66 times a year.
Similarly, it was observed that American men also lead the ranking with an average of 144.75 times per year, while Singaporean men average 99 times per year.
However, unlike the global trend, the results from Singaporeans showed a contrast ‒ the masturbation gap in Singapore decreased from 74% in 2022 to 49.8% in 2023. Singaporean females were reported to be masturbating more, 59 times on average, compared to males who are doing it less, with an average of 117 times.
Diving deeper into the survey, results showed that 23% of females “flick the bean” at least once a week, while 26% did not masturbate at all. As for males, 45% engaged in the act at least once a week, and 12% did not do so.
Considering the increase in conversations about female sexuality, coupled with the rise of femtech organisations in Singapore and improved sexual education, the shift in masturbation habits does not come as a surprise.
After all, self-care is important for our well-being, especially when we feel good both on the inside and outside.
Analysing the reasons behind the aforementioned data, sex coach Ms. Dian Handayani suggests the desire to masturbate for women in Singapore is affected by the economic downturn. Since financial concerns can result in increased levels of anxiety and fatigue, they can in turn lower the sexual desire and intimacy of an individual.
This means that instead of prioritising self-care and sexual self-exploration, women are focusing on burning issues like resolving financial stress, and possibly even taking on additional jobs to make ends meet. Not to mention the sandwich generations, who are also caregivers for their parents and young children, have to make sacrifices to support them.
With little time and energy left for personal activities, it is no wonder that Singaporean females are not masturbating more.
There is no shame in masturbating, and this survey shows the benefits of healthy conversations on sexual self-exploration and sex education. Hopefully, with more global studies like this, Singapore can be even more progressive when it comes to addressing such topics.
Cover: Image courtesy of Womanizer, TheSmartLocal.
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