Come again?
Women masturbate in order to relieve stress, not because they’re fueled by rabid sexual fantasies, frisky new research from Switzerland has revealed.
The steamy study surveyed 370 Swiss women aged 18 to 56 over the course of a month, looking at how often they masturbated and the motivations behind the solo sessions.
On average, each woman pleasured themselves nine times across the 30-day period — or, about twice per week.
However, those who reported high levels of stress were more likely to masturbate more frequently.
“According to the women in our study, masturbation serves as a strategy to induce positive emotions and promote relaxation when experiencing stress,” the researchers declared in their study, published in the International Journal of Sexual Health.
“These findings are consistent with previous research that has highlighted the role of masturbation as a coping strategy for psychological stress and as a means of relaxation.”
According to the study, 64 percent of the surveyed women said they masturbated for stress release.
Meanwhile, just 55 percent said solo play evoked feelings of joy.
“For me, it isa valve to relieve stress,” one woman wrote. “I notice that I masturbate more often during exam periods, for example.”
“[Masturbation] distracts me and relieves me from stress,” a second said.