Washington (dpa) – There has long been anecdotal evidence that masturbation makes menopause easier for the women who give it a go, and yet doctors have not been able to put their finger on hard data to back this up. Now, a survey of almost 1,200 women aged between 40 and 65 shows that only 14% turn to masturbation to relieve menopausal symptoms – a lower percentage than reported for other perceived remedies such as diet, exercise and medication. However, among those who do partake, masturbation was rated highest of all potential symptoms-relief options discussed, scoring 4.35 on a five-point scale for effectiveness. The researchers at Kinsey Institute at Indiana University suggest the low adoption of this approach may be because doctors are not suggesting it, with just 7% of perimenopausal women reporting that self-pleasure had been suggested for relief. "Conversations about menopause often focus on hormone therapy or lifestyle changes, but self-pleasure remains overlooked," said Dr Cynthia Graham, Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute. The research, published in the journal Menopause in November, was based on canvassing participants about "experiences with menopause and the effectiveness of their current symptom management strategies." Respondents spoke about areas such as hormone therapy, supplements, lifestyle factors and sexual pleasure. And rather than dismiss the idea out of hand, two-thirds of the women who responded said they would masturbate "if they knew it could positively impact their symptoms," while 60% said they would follow a doctor's orders on the matter. "Masturbation may play a valuable role in managing menopause symptoms," the researchers concluded in their paper, calling on doctors to discuss the potential benefits of self-pleasure with their patients. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh
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