Masturbation Isn’t Always a Sign of Relationship Problems, Study Finds

A new peer-reviewed study has identified three distinct patterns in how adults in relationships combine solitary masturbation with partnered sex, challenging long-held assumptions about what solo sexual behavior means for romantic satisfaction. The study, titled "Mapping Partnered Sex and Solitary Masturbation: A Cluster Analysis," was conducted by Oscar Cervilla, Carmen Gómez-Berrocal, and Juan Carlos Sierra and published in the International Journal of Sexual Health.

The findings suggest that motives, attitudes, and the pleasure people experience from masturbation play a much larger role than simply how often they have sex with a partner. Rather than viewing masturbation as a universal sign of relationship problems, the researchers found that solo and partnered sexuality can coexist in several distinct ways.

Rethinking Masturbation in Romantic Relationships

For many years, frequent masturbation has often been interpreted by clinicians and partners as a possible sign of relationship difficulties. This perspective reflects what researchers describe as the compensatory model, which views solo sexual activity as a substitute for unsatisfying or infrequent partnered sex.

An alternative explanation, known as the complementary model, proposes that masturbation and partnered sex can coexist independently. Rather than replacing intimacy with a partner, solo sexual activity may simply represent another source of sexual pleasure within a healthy relationship.

To examine which model better reflects real-life behavior, the researchers focused on the sexual pleasure cycle, considering both the motivation to seek sexual stimulation and the emotional and physical rewards experienced during orgasm.

How the Study Was Conducted

Lead author Oscar Cervilla of the University of Jaén, together with colleagues from the University of Granada, conducted an online survey between December 2022 and March 2023 involving 1,028 Spanish adults in committed different-gender relationships.

The sample included 475 men and 553 women, all of whom identified as cisgender, ranging in age from 18 to 75 years.

Participants reported how often they engaged in partnered sex and masturbation, their level of solitary sexual desire, and the emotions they experienced during orgasm. They also completed questionnaires measuring negative attitudes toward masturbation, including feelings of guilt or disapproval, while providing demographic information such as age, relationship length, and whether they lived with their partner.

Using statistical cluster analysis, the researchers identified three distinct profiles based on the interaction between partnered sex, masturbation, sexual desire, and emotional reward.

Profile One: Frequent Partnered and Solo Sex

The largest group consisted of participants who frequently engaged in both partnered sex and masturbation.

These individuals generally held few negative attitudes toward masturbation and reported that physical pleasure was their primary motivation for engaging in solo sexual activity.

Importantly, their relatively high frequency of masturbation did not reflect a lack of sexual access to a partner. Instead, their responses closely matched the complementary model, suggesting that masturbation and partnered sex supported one another rather than competing.

Participants in this profile also reported the greatest emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure during orgasm while masturbating. The researchers suggest that these positive experiences may reinforce their ongoing engagement in solo sexual activity.

Many people in this group did not live with their partners, potentially providing greater privacy and reducing concerns about being judged for masturbating. Among women, this profile was also associated with beginning solitary sexual exploration at a younger age than women in the other groups.

Profile Two: Frequent Masturbation but Less Partnered Sex

The second profile most closely reflected the compensatory model.

Participants reported frequent masturbation alongside relatively infrequent partnered sex and often described solo sexual activity as a response to emotional or sexual dissatisfaction within their relationship.

Both men and women commonly indicated that frustration or a lack of intimacy with their partner contributed to their decision to masturbate, suggesting that solo sex often compensated for unmet needs within the relationship.

The researchers also observed notable gender differences.

Men in this profile were more likely to report using pornography as a way to avoid emotional discomfort, indicating that masturbation sometimes functioned as a coping strategy rather than purely a source of pleasure. They also tended to begin their first sexual relationships later than men in the other profiles.

Women in this group were generally older and had been in longer-term relationships. Because sexual frequency often declines naturally in long-term partnerships, the researchers suggest these women may increasingly rely on masturbation to maintain their own sexual satisfaction.

Profile Three: Frequent Partnered Sex but Little Masturbation

The third group included participants who reported frequent partnered sex but very little masturbation.

They also demonstrated the lowest levels of solitary sexual desire among all participants, suggesting that most of their sexual needs were fulfilled through intimacy with their partner.

Many individuals in this profile expressed relatively negative attitudes toward masturbation.

Men in this group tended to be older and appeared to place greater value on the emotional and relational aspects of partnered sex than on solitary sexual experiences.

Women reported discovering masturbation later in life than women in the other profiles, which may have influenced the relatively limited role that solo sexual activity played in their overall sexual experiences. Cultural and generational beliefs about masturbation may also have contributed to these attitudes.

What Influences These Patterns?

Across all three profiles, education level showed little relationship with either masturbation frequency or partnered sexual activity.

Instead, age, personal sexual history, and attitudes toward masturbation appeared to play a much larger role in shaping behavior.

The researchers also note that religious beliefs and broader cultural influences, which were not examined extensively in this study, could substantially affect whether individuals view masturbation as acceptable, neutral, or problematic.

Because the research used a cross-sectional design, it cannot determine whether relationship dissatisfaction causes changes in masturbation habits or whether the relationship works in the opposite direction.

The authors also caution that participants volunteered for an online sexuality survey and may therefore have been more comfortable discussing sexual topics than the general population, limiting how broadly the findings can be generalized.

Implications for Couples and Therapists

The findings suggest that masturbation should not automatically be interpreted as a sign of relationship dissatisfaction. For many people, frequent solo sexual activity coexists comfortably with satisfying and frequent partnered intimacy.

The researchers argue that therapists and couples may benefit from focusing less on how often someone masturbates and more on why they do so, how they feel about it, and how both partners perceive its role within the relationship.

Future research could follow couples over several years to examine how major life events, such as having children, illness, or increasing relationship stress, influence movement between the three identified profiles. Expanding similar studies to include people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities could also help determine whether these patterns extend across different relationship structures and cultural contexts.