Dr. Caron's Response:

Yes. Masturbation seems to be one of the most widely practiced and least talked about sexual behaviors. And it isn’t just “beginner’s sex” that kids do until they’re ready for the “real thing.” Men and women, boys and girls, people with a regular partner and those who are single, heterosexuals and non-heterosexuals, all masturbate. While some may believe that single adults are more likely to masturbate, the 1994 Sex in America survey found that adults with a partner are more likely to masturbate than those who did not have a partner. The researchers concluded that masturbation is “not an outlet so much as a component of a sexually active lifestyle.” Some people worry that if their partner masturbates, there must be something wrong with their relationship. However, there appears to be no relationship between frequency of masturbation and frequency of sex with one’s partner. If fact, some studies have found that married people who masturbate have greater relationship and sexual satisfaction than those who do not.