Perimenopause and Solo Sex: Why Masturbation Matters for Your Sexual Health
Masturbation during perimenopause is not just about pleasure. It supports vaginal health, helps you understand your changing body, and maintains sexual confidence.
Why This Topic Belongs in the Perimenopause Conversation
Solo sex rarely gets a direct mention in perimenopause resources, which is a gap worth closing. Regular masturbation during perimenopause has documented benefits for vaginal health, sexual confidence, and understanding how your body is changing. It is not a topic to dance around. For women who are not in partnered relationships, or whose partners have different libidos, solo sex may be the main form of sexual activity, and it deserves the same practical attention as any other aspect of health.
The Physical Benefits for Vaginal Health
One of the less-discussed consequences of perimenopause is vaginal atrophy, the thinning and drying of vaginal tissue that happens as oestrogen declines. Regular sexual activity, including solo sex, promotes blood flow to vaginal tissues and helps maintain their health and elasticity. Using lubricant during masturbation is both more comfortable and protective of already-drier tissue. This is not a metaphor; it is physiology. Staying sexually active, in whatever form suits you, supports vaginal health during and after the menopause transition.
Getting to Know Your Changing Body
Your body's responses may feel different during perimenopause. Arousal may take longer. What felt good before may feel less effective. Sensitivity in certain areas can increase or decrease. Solo sex is a low-pressure way to explore what works for your body now, without the additional dynamics of a partner's expectations or your own concern about their experience. What you learn about yourself is also useful information to bring into partnered intimacy.
Libido, Desire, and Not Waiting to Feel Ready
Many women in perimenopause report that spontaneous desire, the sense of just wanting sex out of the blue, has reduced. But responsive desire, arousal that comes in response to stimulation and the right context, often remains accessible. This means that starting even when you do not feel urgently in the mood can lead to genuine arousal and enjoyment. It also means that using vibrators or other tools that provide direct, consistent stimulation can be more reliably effective during perimenopause than approaches that worked well when oestrogen was higher.
Practical Considerations: Comfort and Products
Using lubricant is the single most useful practical step for comfortable solo sex during perimenopause. Water-based lubricants are safe with all products. Silicone-based lubricants last longer and many women find them more comfortable, though they are not compatible with silicone toys. For women with significant vaginal dryness, a regular vaginal moisturiser used several times a week (not just during sexual activity) can improve the baseline. Vibrators with adjustable intensity allow you to find what works without trial and error.
No Rules, No Pressure
There is no correct frequency for solo sex, no performance standard, and no version of this that is more legitimate than another. Whether you masturbate regularly, occasionally, or are just beginning to consider it as a form of self-care, the principle is the same. Your sexuality belongs to you throughout perimenopause and beyond, and maintaining your connection to it, on your own terms, is a worthwhile part of looking after yourself.
Related reading
Get your personalized daily plan
Track symptoms, match workouts to your day type, and build a routine that adapts with you through every phase of perimenopause.