What Happens To Your Body When You Masturbate After The Age Of 50

If you've seen the Netflix show "Grace and Frankie," starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, you would be both intrigued and heartened by the sex life the 70-something friends enjoy. 

Fiction aside, sex — and even masturbation — don't really have to wane with time, per experts. In fact, some even think that your overall health (not your age) is more of a predictor when it comes to a loss of sex drive and corresponding sexual activity. In a 2022 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, which involved 3,816 European adults with an average age of 65, between 41%-65% of men and 27%-40% of women reported having self-stimulated the previous month. Similarly, a 2022 literature review that looked at 29 articles on the topic, published between 1991 and 2021, found that masturbation was an important part of a healthy sex life as you age, even if the frequency declined with time. The research also noted that self-stimulation increased in the absence of a spouse and contributed toward higher life satisfaction when compared with people who were not sexually active. 

Science has also uncovered a few things that happen to you if you were to continue masturbating into your golden years: namely improving symptoms of menopause, boosting sexual function, and overall better mental and physical health. Let's take a look. 

It is a well-known fact that menopause can affect your sex drive. Menopause can also bring about other changes in your body like vaginal dryness, vaginal tightness, and pain during sex. Masturbation and sex can help improve these symptoms. As explained by New York City-based AASECT-certified sex therapist, psychiatrist, and author of "Wanting to Want: What Kills Your Sex Life and How to Keep It Alive" Dr. Madeleine Castellanos (via Prevention), "The body operates on a 'use-it-or-lose-it' model. Masturbating increases blood flow, which helps support all the tissues in that area of the body." 

In the case of men, while there is older 2008 research found in The American Journal of Medicine that found a link between increased sexual activity and preserved sexual function, experts have since explained that you don't have to have more sex (or masturbate) to avoid erectile dysfunction (ED) as you age. A number of health concerns like diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome, along with medications and mental health concerns are thought to cause ED. However, decreased sexual activity was found to be a cause (not an effect) of low testosterone levels in older men, per 2015 research published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Additionally, masturbation could help men combat prostate cancer. According to a researcher who published a study on the topic in 2009 in the British Journal of Urology International, Polyxeni Dimitripolou, flushing out toxins you ingest from food and via your lungs becomes more important as you age. "A possible explanation for the protective effect that men in their 50s appear to receive from overall sexual activity, and particularly masturbation, is that the release of accumulated toxins during sexual activity reduces the risk of developing cancer in the prostate area," she added (via Independent).

By the time you reach your 50s, you're more confident and also sure about what feels good and what doesn't. Masturbation is a healthy and empowering way to keep that fire alive. For those battling self-image issues, masturbation could be a form of self-love. Plus, since your levels of sensitivity may also be impacted by things that happen to your body after you turn 50, what better way to explore these changes than with self-stimulation? Making sure you experiment with different kinds of lubes and other tools that feel better for you as you age can enhance the experience. Some experts think masturbating might even have an effect on your libido levels. 

Proponents of masturbation say that the end goal doesn't even have to be an orgasm. It can just be about making yourself feel good or it could be about engaging in partnered self-stimulation that can be both a learning and fun exercise. For people without partners too, it can be a safe and easily accessible form of self-pleasure. 

Masturbation (and orgasms) bring stress relief, and for some older people, it can simply be about that. As explained by psychologist and certified sex therapist, Janet Brito (via Oprah Daily), "Masturbation can be a form of stress relief or self-intimacy — an escape from the mundane, or a form of self-soothing." Provided your living situation provides sufficient privacy and you still find it pleasurable, aging doesn't have to mean you forgo self-stimulation.