MASTURBATION AND PREMARITAL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE AMONG COLLEGE-WOMEN - MAKING CHOICES FOR SEXUAL FULFILLMENT

Given the potential value of masturbation as an alternative to high-ri sk sexual practices, there is a need to investigate factors surroundin g this method of physiological sexual fulfillment. Therefore, this stu dy examined the differences, if any, between women who have engaged in masturbation only (MO), both masturbation and sexual intercourse (MSI ), and sexual intercourse only (SIO). An anonymous questionnaire was a dministered to volunteer respondents enrolled at a Midwestern universi ty, yielding a subsample of 777 never-married, heterosexual women. Gro up comparisons indicated that MO Group women were most likely to feel guilty about engaging in masturbation and petting, but least likely to report either comfort with their sexuality or sexual satisfaction. MS I Group women indicated that, while growing up, they were less attache d to their mother and father figures, whom they rated as uncommunicati ve. They also were more likely to have engaged in risk-related sexual behaviors. SIO Group women were more likely to have used contraceptive s at first sexual intercourse and to report fewer lifetime sex partner s than MSI Group women. Since a substantial number of college women re frain from engaging in masturbation, yet choose to have unprotected se xual intercourse and multiple sex partners, and others engage in mastu rbation but report experiencing guilt feelings regarding self-stimulat ion, it is of crucial importance that the negative connotations of mas turbation and its attendant impact on sexual satisfaction be addressed by sexuality educators, clinicians, and researchers.