Sex Toy Use Common Among Older Women

MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Many older women use sex toys to promote orgasm, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Menopause.Jessica J. Hille, Ph.D., from Indiana University in Bloomington, and colleagues conducted a national survey of 3,001 women aged 60 years and older to explore sexuality among older women.The researchers found that participants reported much greater use of sex toys during masturbation than during sex with a partner. Among participants who reported masturbating at least once in the last year, 46.4 percent used toys almost always or always during masturbation compared with 5.1 percent who used sex toys almost always or always during partnered sex. Compared with women who infrequently used sex toys, respondents who reported almost always or always using sex toys during masturbation were significantly more likely to report always or almost always having an orgasm. Among participants who reported having partnered sex, 38.7 percent reported using sex toys during partnered sex at least rarely. For those who reported almost always or always using sex toys during partnered sex, orgasm frequency was higher than that seen among lower-frequency sex toy users."Lack of understanding of female anatomy, the sexual response cycle, and underlying factors resulting in orgasm is common among both older and younger women. The physical and mental benefits of fulfilling sexual function are well known," Monica Christmas, M.D., associate medical director for The Menopause Society, said in a statement. "By initiating conversations around sexuality in routine health care encounters, health care professionals can destigmatize the topic and provide valuable instruction on how to achieve an orgasm."Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter