The DOI matches its Crossref record; 45 of the 48 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Prevalence of Masturbation and Associated Factors in a British National Probability Survey
Open accessAbstract
A stratified probability sample survey of the British general population, aged 16 to 44 years, was conducted from 1999 to 2001 (N = 11,161) using face-to-face interviewing and computer-assisted self-interviewing. We used these data to estimate the population prevalence of masturbation, and to identify sociodemographic, sexual behavioral, and attitudinal factors associated with reporting this behavior. Seventy-three percent of men and 36.8% of women reported masturbating in the 4 weeks prior to interview (95% confidence interval 71.5%-74.4% and 35.4%-38.2%, respectively). A number of sociodemographic and behavioral factors were associated with reporting masturbation. Among both men and women, reporting masturbation increased with higher levels of education and social class and was more common among those reporting sexual function problems. For women, masturbation was more likely among those who reported more frequent vaginal sex in the last four weeks, a greater repertoire of sexual activity (such as reporting oral and anal sex), and more sexual partners in the last year. In contrast, the prevalence of masturbation was lower among men reporting more frequent vaginal sex. Both men and women reporting same-sex partner(s) were significantly more likely to report masturbation. Masturbation is a common sexual practice with significant variations in reporting between men and women.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. R., & Martin, C. E. (1948) · Physical Therapy · doi:10.1093/ptj/28.2.93 · Cited by 5,577
Sexual Behavior in the Human Female
Oyler, M. D., Kinsey, A., Pomeroy, W. B., Martin, C. E., & Gebhard, P. (1954) · Harvard Law Review · doi:10.2307/1336986 · Cited by 4,609
The gender similarities hypothesis.
Hyde, J. S. (2005) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.60.6.581 · Cited by 3,084
The social organization of sexuality: sexual practices in the United States
(1995) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.32-4802a · Cited by 2,889
Sexual Behavior in the Human Female
Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., & Martin, C. E. (1954) · Physical Therapy · doi:10.1093/ptj/34.1.50 · Cited by 2,242
Giami, A., Laumann, E. O., Gagnon, J. H., Michael, R. T., Michaels, S., Michael, R. T., Laumann, E. O., & Kolata, G. B. (1997) · Population · doi:10.2307/1534637 · Cited by 1,563
Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
Stone, A., Kinsey, A. C., Pomeroy, W. B., & Martin, C. E. (1948) · Marriage and Family Living · doi:10.2307/347934 · Cited by 1,343
Gender differences in sexuality: A meta-analysis.
Oliver, M. B., & Hyde, J. S. (1993) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.114.1.29 · Cited by 1,134
Baumeister, R. F., Catanese, K. R., & Vohs, K. D. (2001) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1207/s15327957pspr0503_5 · Cited by 862
The social organization of sexuality : sexual practices in the United States
Laumann, E. O. (1994) · Cited by 833
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Barbey, M. A. (1991). Switzerland's videotext computer sex education programme. Planned Parenthood in Europe, 20, 22–23.
- International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Office for East, South East Asia and Oceania Region (ESEAOR). (1996). Teenagers’ concerns about sex. People and Development Challenges, 3, 11–12.
- Royal College of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners. (1995). Alcohol and the heart in perspective: Sensible limits reaffirmed. London: Royal College of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Relative Health Benefits of Different Sexual Activities
Brody, S. (2010) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01677.x · Cited by 312
Asexuality: a mixed-methods approach
Brotto, L. A., Knudson, G., Inskip, J., Rhodes, K., & Erskine, Y. (2010) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-008-9434-x · Cited by 254
Brody, S., & Costa, R. M. (2009) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01303.x · Cited by 216
Puberty and adolescent sexuality
Fortenberry, J. D. (2013) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.007 · Cited by 200
The Role of Masturbation in Healthy Sexual Development: Perceptions of Young Adults
Kaestle, C. E., & Allen, K. R. (2011) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-010-9722-0 · Cited by 162
Metadata
- Authors
- Gerressu, M., Mercer, C. H., Graham, C. A., Wellings, K., & Johnson, A. M.
- Affiliations
- Mortimer Market Centre (GB)
- Warneford Hospital (GB)
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Gerressu, Makeda
- Venue
- Archives of Sexual Behavior
- Published
- 2007-02-27
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 266-278
- ISSN
- 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2800
- OpenAlex
- W1984855522
- Semantic Scholar
- 0f84f6d008b9f6c88f354d8c0b36994e87133365
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 4.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- bura.brunel.ac.uk
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London) (submittedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- LSHTM Research Online (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Keywords
- masturbation, prevalence, sexual behavior, sociodemographic factors, vaginal intercourse, sexual partners, same-sex couples, gender differences, sexual health attitudes, British population
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Coitus, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Masturbation, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Factors, Sexual Partners, Socioeconomic Factors, Incidence, Heterosexuality
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
