6 Benefits of Female Masturbation That Will Convince You to Do it More

I had my first orgasm swimming alone one summer evening in the neighborhood pool. I didn’t even know what female masturbation was yet but wading up to a jet, I instinctively rested my heels on the tiled edge, opened my legs, and felt the benefits of female masturbation in all their glory. Afterward, walking home in my damp one-piece, I decided to never tell anyone, somehow aware that what I’d just experienced was too taboo.

Here’s the thing: Women masturbate. Perhaps your first foray into masturbating wasn't with a pool jet but a stuffed panda bear with one eye—looking at you, Booksmart—or My Little Pony à la Pen15 (truly a seminal show). Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter who or what turns you on, it matters that we talk about it—and that we feel free to do it without shame.

The benefits of masturbation are plenty (more on those in a moment), for women especially. “We become powerful” when we masturbate, says Nan Wise, a cognitive neuroscientist, licensed sex therapist, and author of the forthcoming Why Good Sex Matters. “We stand up and say, ‘Hands off my body, let me put my own hands on my body.’” It's not just a physical act but a psychological one.

Here are the most powerful benefits of masturbation that will convince you to make some time for yourself ASAP.

1. Let’s cut to the chase: masturbation feels damn good.

Obviously, masturbating feels amazing—your clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings—reason enough to reach for the vibrator. There are actual pleasure pathways in the brain that are strengthened by masturbation, Wise explains. She’s devoted years of research to mapping them out specifically for women—something that (not shockingly) hadn’t been done before. “I noticed that when women simply thought about those regions [of their bodies], they were able to activate the pathways,” she says. With enough practice, “these pathways become well-tuned highways for sensations in the body,” especially pleasurable ones.

Pleasure alone is reason enough to masturbate—something women don’t always feel comfortable with. “Really give yourself permission for pleasure so that when you do experience the biophysical benefits, you can actually bask in them,” says Jenni Skyler, a certified sex therapist and sexologist at the Intimacy Institute in Colorado.

So go ahead: Own your orgasm; be its primary contact, its first number on speed dial. It belongs to you before it belongs to anyone else.

2. Self-pleasure can help improve your sex life with a partner—how’s that for a win-win?

Knowing what feels good is important for more than the obvious reason—once you know what gets you off, you can teach your partner.

“If you feel like bringing an outsider into the circle of trust, masturbating will help you know which moves don’t cut it and which to advocate for,” says Skyler. “There's a lot of utility to just knowing yourself and advocating for your own needs.”

3. Masturbating can help increase a stagnant libido.

It’s Tuesday night and you’re tired; your partner wants to Netflix and chill, but you would rather Netflix and sleep. Raise your hand if this situation sounds familiar.