‘Women don’t masturbate, it’s one of those things that only men do.’ How often have you heard this absolutely absurd and untrue statement? Pretty often, I am guessing. There’s a social stigma around this word that prevents women from openly talking about it or acknowledging that they masturbate too. Well, it’s high time we accept that masturbation is a form of self-care and yes, we women do it too.

A recent study conducted by the popular condom brand, Trojan, and the non-profit Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) conducted a survey among 1,500 Canadians aged between 18 and 24 years. The survey found that while men masturbate more often than women do, women are more likely to report their self-love experience as ‘very pleasurable’ (38% of women compared 29% of men).

So, basically, men may be more regular at it but women seem to do it better. Hah!

Post the survey, Robin Milhausen, a sexology professor from the University of Guelph said, “I think that this generation considers it just another thing to do during the day without much thought.” She added, “It’s just an itch to scratch, just part of their routine.”

Furthermore, she said, “It’s more of a special occasion since they [women] are doing it less often. Women may be setting the stage more — maybe they are finding some erotica to read, maybe they are using a vibrator.”

In case you’re still shy about it, let us tell you that masturbation can help decrease anxiety and help you sleep better, of course, apart from the obvious reasons why you’d want to engage in it. It betters your sexual experience, gives you a natural high, balances your levels of estrogen and is the safest sex you can ever have.

Sex educator and founder of FindYourPleasure.com, Cynthia Loyst, gave a word of advice to women who shy away from pleasuring themselves. She said, “For women who are still too embarrassed to engage in some solo fun, reading erotica, watching ethical porn, sexting and investing in some lube can be some easy ways to incorporate self-love into your self-care routine.”

Embrace the power of your own needs. Eat right, sleep tight and let go of the masturbation fright, ladies!