In 1974 (18 years before Sh! opened its doors and gave women a chance to buy their own sex toys in a relaxed & informative environment), Shere Hite published 'The Hite Report On Female Sexuality', an account of the first large research project which had asked women about their experiences of masturbation and sex.

Hite was reacting against all the previous studies (made by male researchers) which assumed that 'sex = hetrosexual intercourse'.

Hite researched women's experiences of all forms of sexuality, including masturbation.

Before the Hite Report, it was believed that only a minority of women ever masturbated.

Hite's research showed that 82% of women masturbated regularly and of them 95% had no difficulty reaching orgasm.

At the time this was a revolutionary statistic, as it was widely assumed that women were slow to get turned on and found orgasms difficult to reach, based on studies of P-I-V intercourse.

Hite was the first to reveal that women can and do have satisfying experiences of masturbation, and that clit stimulation, rather than penetration, is the secret of satisfaction for most of us.

We have had a look at the list and come up with some suggestions for what masturbation style works with which of our fabulous toys.

Hite was able to categorise six different styles of masturbation;

73% of women said they masturbate by lying on their backs and stimulating their clits directly.

5.5% of women described masturbating while lying on their stomachs.

This style is cosy and allows for lots of variations. An egg vibrator would be ideal with this style - they're small, strong and have separate controls for easy access when you want to turn up the buzz.

4% of women rub themselves on an object - soft or hard - without touching themselves with their hands.

 
Indirect stimulation can also be really sensuous - the whole genital region is very sensitive and some women find that rubbing gives them exactly what they need. Wand Massagers, with their large vibrating head, are great for women who like this masturbation style.

Other women masturbate by rhythmically tensing and relaxing their thighs to squeeze their clit.

This is a great style for long bus journeys, as it's super subtle.  Love Balls would be fab to complement this masturbation technique as they give you something to squeeze against and ensure your PC muscles are working-out for enhanced orgasm.

Water Massage - 2% of women use the shower head.

Masturbation in the shower or bath can be combined with waterproof toys to add extra thrills to the experience of water jets on clits! 

1.5% of women reported using vaginal penetration and more than half combined it with clit stimulation.

Rabbit Vibrators provide both internal and external stimulation in one cute package.  With a shaft that rotates, plus the fantastic bunny ears that give very focused clit vibration, Rabbit vibes are great blended-orgasm toys.

 Vibrating dildos can be used for thrilling penetration plus buzz, and any dildo can be used to combine with manual clit-play, if your fingers work best for you.

11% of women reported using a combination of these styles

...and we're happy to hear it! Routine is the enemy of progress, whereas mixing up you masturbation style is the best way to explore all the different kinds of pleasure your body can deliver to you. So go forth and change-up your style today!