How Masturbation Can Provide Menopause Symptom Relief

Relief from menopause symptoms might be in your hands—literally. Clinical research from the Kinsey Institute and sexual wellness company Womanizer, suggests that masturbation—particularly when orgasm is achieved—may help reduce the frequency and severity of several menopause symptoms. For many women in perimenopause and menopause, this adds an often-overlooked option to complement sleep support, nutrition, movement, hormone therapy (when appropriate), and other non-hormonal symptom management approaches.

Let's look into the results from the "Menopause & Masturbation Clinical Study" and understand the effects of masturbation on menopause symptom relief.

 

Why This Research on Menopause & Masturbation Matters

Perimenopause and menopause involve major hormonal shifts that can cause symptoms, including night sweats, hot flashes, disrupted sleep, fatigue, mood swings, anxiety, vaginal dryness, and cognitive changes such as difficulty concentrating. In this study, 97% of participants reported at least one menopause symptom at baseline, and many reported several.

Despite this symptom burden, masturbation is rarely discussed within menopause care—even though many women already use it intuitively for relaxation, pleasure, and stress relief. This study explored whether structured, regular masturbation could improve symptom experiences.

 

About the Study

The "Menopause & Masturbation Clinical Study "involved two participant groups:

• Phase 1: 66 participants (peri- and post-menopausal), followed for 3 months
• Phase 2: 12 participants with additional physiological tracking

All participants lived in the US, were 40–75 years old, and had masturbated at least once in the previous month.

Phase 1 study structure

Participants moved through four distinct periods:

• Two weeks of no masturbation (abstinence)
• Two weeks of masturbation using any method participants chose
• Four weeks using a Womanizer clitoral stimulator device
• Two final weeks using any method they chose

During masturbation weeks, participants were asked to masturbate 3–4 times per week and completed biweekly symptom assessments.

Phase 2 structure

Phase 2 repeated the abstinence → preferred method → Womanizer sequence and measured vagal efficiency, a nervous system marker linked to emotional regulation, sleep, and stress resilience.

 

Attitudes Toward Masturbation as Menopause Support

Before examining outcomes, researchers asked participants about their openness to masturbation as a menopause-support strategy. Findings included:

• 91% said they would be more likely to masturbate if they knew it could improve menopause symptoms
• 79% said they would follow clinician guidance to use masturbation for symptom relief
• Only 3% had ever had a healthcare provider mention masturbation within menopause care
• 10.4% said masturbation makes their symptoms "a lot better" and 41.8% said "a little better"
• 28.4% were already using masturbation regularly to manage symptoms

This shows a clear gap between what women are willing to consider and what is typically addressed in healthcare conversations.

 

How Did Masturbation Relieve Menopause Symptoms?

Masturbation can provide relief from both physical and emotional menopause symptoms, starting with stress management.

“The chemical release of hormones that accompany sexual arousal and orgasm can decrease stress and promote pleasure, which contributes to overall wellness,” said Dr Cynthia Graham, senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute. “This survey shows self-pleasure offers an effective, accessible tool for menopausal symptom relief, which is important to integrate with existing care strategies.”

During the study, menopause symptoms were noted to be generally highest during the abstinence period and lowest after four weeks of structured clitoral stimulation. Below are symptom changes comparing three reference points: baseline, masturbation using any preferred method, and four weeks of structured clitoral stimulation.

Feeling more tired than usual affected 57% of participants at baseline and remained similar (55%) when participants masturbated using any method. After four weeks of structured clitoral stimulation, this dropped to 36%, suggesting possible improvements in energy and daytime functioning.

Night sweats affected 52% of participants at baseline and increased to 62% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, that number declined to 29%, indicating a potential benefit for nighttime thermoregulation.

Difficulty getting to sleep affected 45% at baseline and increased to 69% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, it decreased to 33%, representing one of the largest improvements in the study.

Difficulty concentrating was reported by 49% at baseline and 65% during masturbation using any method. After four weeks of structured stimulation, this declined to 33%, a meaningful shift for symptom areas often described as “menopause brain fog.”

Irritability affected 43% at baseline and 55% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, irritability decreased to 31%, reflecting possible improvements in mood regulation.

Mood swings were reported by 36% at baseline and 75% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, mood swings dropped to 29%, suggesting better emotional steadiness.

Hot flashes affected 42% at baseline and 62% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, they dropped to 26%, indicating a noteworthy shift for a core menopausal symptom.

Anxiety affected 43% at baseline and 55% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, anxiety declined to 21%, demonstrating a potentially meaningful impact on emotional well-being.

Vaginal dryness affected 39% at baseline and 50% during masturbation using any method. After structured stimulation, this decreased to 19%, suggesting possible improvements in arousal-related lubrication.

Across these measures, 92.9% of participants experienced at least one menopause symptom less frequently after four weeks of structured clitoral stimulation compared with the abstinence phase.

 

Why Might Masturbation Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms?

The study suggests several possible mechanisms on how menopause may help alleviate menopause symptoms:

• Orgasm can increase oxytocin and endorphins, supporting mood, relaxation, and pain modulation
• Improved sleep quality may reduce the physiological impact of night sweats and hot flashes
• The clitoral stimulation phase in Phase 2 showed improvements in vagal efficiency, which supports emotional and stress regulation
• Participants who had difficulty reaching orgasm tended to see smaller changes, implying that orgasm itself may play a meaningful role
• More research is needed, but the findings support masturbation as a promising non-hormonal menopause support strategy.

 

What This Means for Perimenopausal and Menopausal Women

This study does not claim masturbation is a cure for menopause symptoms. Rather, it indicates it may serve as a supportive option that some women find beneficial for:

• Sleep quality
• Mood and anxiety
• Night sweats and hot flashes (for some)
• Vaginal dryness and sexual comfort
• Cognitive clarity

Women can explore masturbation as part of a holistic menopause plan that fits their comfort and values.

 

Using CBD for Sexual Wellness

During perimenopause, declining estrogen often leads to thinner, less elastic vaginal tissue and decreased natural lubrication, which can cause discomfort during intimacy and leave many women feeling chronically dry. Early evidence suggests that when applied to vulvar or vaginal tissues, CBD can act as a mild vasodilator, enhancing blood flow, relaxing local tissues and potentially increasing comfort and lubrication.

“There are so many cannabinoid receptors in reproductive organs and sexual tissue," says Alex Capano, medical director for Ananda Hemp and faculty member at the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp at Thomas Jefferson University. "CBD increases blood flow to tissues, which increases sensitivity and promotes the body’s natural lubrication.” 

In addition, because vaginal dryness is frequently intertwined with stress, poor sleep and low arousal, CBD’s ability to support better sleep and reduce anxiety may further create a more receptive environment for sexual activity and lubrication.

While this is not a substitute for hormonal care or medical treatments, using CBD in a thoughtful, well-informed way may offer an extra layer of support for women navigating vaginal dryness in midlife. As always, we recommend that anyone considering CBD should look for high-quality, third-party tested products.

 

Final Thoughts on Masturbation & Menopause

Sexual self-stimulation is not trivial or indulgent. This research suggests it may be a valid, evidence-supported self-care practice during menopause. Whether a woman chooses to explore masturbation for symptom relief, pleasure, or both, she deserves access to accurate information and supportive guidance.

*The study was funded by Womanizer and its Next clitoral stimulator was used during the "structured device" phase. Findings apply specifically to this type of stimulation under these conditions.