Whether you refer to it as vibe time, flicking the bean, rubbing one out, or some other witty moniker — most people aren’t opposed to a healthy dose of masturbation.

Society has accepted that men give themselves handjobs on the regular, but not everyone has received the memo that women — wait for it — also enjoy sexual self-gratification.

According to one study that explored the masturbation habits of more than 3,600 women, 91% reported pleasuring themselves at some point during their lives, with 29.3% doing so within the past month.

This is important because fewer than 20% of women regularly orgasm during intercourse with a partner.

Amanda Pasciucco, a licensed therapist known as The Sex Healer, told us that most women have their first sexual experience with another person, while the majority of men have theirs while alone.

With a little bit of know-how, though, almost anyone can orgasm through masturbation, hands-free or otherwise — although not everyone wants to.

I met a woman in college who had no idea that “normal people actually masturbate.”

She honestly believed that only “perverted men” have sex with themselves.

While that may seem like a staggering information gap, it turns out that this sheltered gal was not alone in her thinking.

Limited sex education in schools (don’t even get us started!) and the generalized sense of shame that clouds sexual knowledge leads to grown adults who never learned some of the most basic carnal truths.

But it’s never too late to get the facts you missed!

Even people who say they don’t masturbate probably find ways to self-stimulate, even if they’re unable to call it what it is:

Masturbation.

We talked to a lot of awesomely forthcoming women to learn more about their experiences with personal giggity. Names have been redacted to protect the sexy.

One thing that we discovered along the way is just how many different ways a vulva-owner can masturbate — without even using their hands.

(Editor’s Note: for our purposes, the term “women” encompasses both binary and non-binary women.)

14 Hands-Free Ways To Masturbate & Orgasm [Infographic]

For a quick yet comprehensive visual exploration of the many ways a woman can masturbate without using her hands, we created an infographic that summarizes everything you need to know.

Click on the image to enlarge, and please include attribution to Women’s Health Interactive if you use this graphic.

Share This Image On Your Site

<p><strong>Please include attribution to “Women’s Health Interactive“ with this graphic.</strong></p><br /> <p><a href=’https://www.womens-health.com/hands-free-masturbation-orgasm’><img src=’https://www.womens-health.com/wp-content/uploads/14-hands-free-ways-to-masturbate-and-orgasm.jpg’ alt=” width=’1024′ border=’0′ /></a></p>

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What Are The Health Benefits Of Masturbation?

As many orgasms as you can handle, for starters!

Masturbation offers a plethora of mental and physical health benefits for those who partake regularly. These include:

• Better sleep
• Stress relief
• Improved mood and general outlook
• Reduction of menstrual cramps and PMDD symptoms
• Release of sexual tension
• STD avoidance
• Orgasms with zero risk of pregnancy

Masturbation helps to promote restful sleep, which is a cornerstone of good health and vital to self-care.

It also offers great stress relief, which benefits your body from head to toe.

For that reason, many women paddle the pink canoe in the morning, finding that it helps to set the tone when preparing for a tough day ahead. After all, a day can’t be that bad if it started with an orgasm, right?

Masturbation is safer than intercourse in many ways, too — particularly in terms of disease avoidance and pregnancy prevention. No matter how often you go to town, you can’t knock yourself up or contract a new STD.

It might come as a surprise but an orgasm can help to relieve menstrual cramps and the associated stress reduction can help to alleviate PMDD symptoms in some people, as well.

This is a fun video from Madge the Vag that talks about the many benefits of pampering your mimsy:

Regular masturbation sessions are a way of providing routine self-care — which is an important thing that everyone should make time for.

Plus, it’s a good way to discover what kind of stimulation you like — for yourself or when guiding a partner!

Why Does Masturbation Feel Good?

The biological answer is that masturbation feels good for the same reason sex feels good. It’s an evolutionary development designed to keep us seeking sexual pleasure and ultimately — procreating.

That said, the most important sex organ is the human brain.

If your head isn’t into it, all the clit massagers or butterfly vibrators in the world won’t help you cum.

That’s why if something isn’t going well for you sexually, it’s important to explore any emotional, psychological, or physical reasons to figure out what is holding you back.

Everyone deserves orgasms.

• A Quick Word About Virginity

Some girls (and even grown women) aren’t sure if masturbation equates to the loss of one’s virginity.

This is a tricky question.

The short answer is no — if you have not had sex with someone else, you are a virgin by definition, but it also depends on the way you personally define “virginity.”

That said, it is possible to break your hymen during masturbation but it can happen during non-sexual activities, as well.

An unbroken hymen was an antiquated way of determining virginity but you may still hear people refer to it as such in more ignorant circles once in a while.

Whether your hymen is “intact” or not, if you haven’t engaged in penetrative sex with another person, you can relax — you’re still a virgin regardless of how often you masturbate.

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Understanding Your Vulva Anatomy

Do you know the difference between a vagina and a vulva?

It’s shocking how many sexually active adults don’t.

So many folks refer to the entirety of a woman’s nethers as “the vagina,” when there’s so much more going on down there.

If you have a vulva, let’s take a quick tour of your anatomy — and I encourage you to follow along with a mirror pointed at your own if you’re so inclined:

• Vulva: the entirety of your external genital area
• Mons Pubis: the mound of flesh directly above your genitals, also known as the Mound Of Venus
• Labia Majora: the larger folds of skin that surround your vulvar cleft on either side
• Clitoris: the feel-good pleasure button tucked just inside the front of the labia majora, typically covered by a hood of flesh
• Labia Minora: the “inner” lips that form the clitoral hood and extend toward the vaginal opening
• Urethra: the small opening that releases pee, located just before the vaginal opening
• Vagina: the larger opening that extends inward toward your internal reproductive organs if you have them
• Hymen: a membrane that may or may not be present, covering part of your vaginal opening

Madge the Vag has a lot to say about the vulva’s anatomy:

For starters, you cannot even see the vagina when a person’s legs are closed and the clitoris is far more than first meets the eye.

Underneath that jolly little hood is a wishbone-shaped frenulum that loves stimulation just as much as the “tip of the iceberg” that’s visible.

Some modern sex toys use technology that’s designed to stimulate the clit on a much deeper level, leading to powerful orgasms that women never dreamed possible until now.

While our fingerless and hands-free masturbation guide is going to focus mostly on external stimulation without penetration, we can’t talk about sexual pleasure without mentioning the G-spot.

The Gräfenberg or G-spot is located inside the vagina but it’s a source of contention in some communities. While some deny its existence entirely, folks in-the-know maintain that there’s one inside every vag.

Many people find G-spot stimulation to be wicked awesome, others don’t like it, and some have no feelings about it one way or the other. All of these fall under the heading of “normal.”

It’s just a matter of figuring out what you like.

Amanda Pasciucco, the therapist we spoke with earlier, said that not understanding your genital anatomy can lead to problems with sexual satisfaction. 

“Women enter sexual relationships without knowing what gives them sexual pleasure,” she explained, adding that it “impacts their sexual experience because they’re unable to communicate desires to their partner.”

Knowledge of your vulva, clitoris, vagina, and (if applicable) the internal G-spot are vital to satisfying yourself sexually. It’s an education that every vulva-owner needs.

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Why Would Someone Choose Hands-Free Masturbation?

We know masturbation is awesome. But why do some people prefer to flick the bean or have an orgasm without using their hands?

As it turns out, there are several reasons.

Not everyone’s hands work as well as they should. Arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and other physical ailments might keep you from relying on your hands for certain tasks — including masturbation.

Additionally, those who have been cautioned to never “touch themselves” can use hands-free methods as a creative workaround.

Marie, a married grad student, was cautioned against self-touch as a kid and shared this story:

“I remember sitting on the arm of the couch rocking back and forth and the first time it [happened] was with my mom’s 70’s mustard yellow couch. 

I did not realize what I was doing was masturbating at first. It took me a while to put the two thoughts together. Then when I started to be more intentional about my masturbation, it was always dry humping something because I did not know how to evoke that feeling in any other way. 

I just knew that what I was doing was wrong, but I was not touching myself down there. Things progressed on like that for years. When I was home alone, I would sexually abuse the sofa and maybe the ottoman. 

I was around 15 when I decided I was not letting anyone down by not touching myself down there. I remember having a very powerful orgasm the first time I just decided to figure it out.”

Shame and fear are powerful barriers for many people when it comes to masturbation, and we’ll talk about that in greater depth later on.

While some folks prefer fingerless or hands-free masturbation as a way of avoiding “bad” self-touch, others might feel icky about it for other reasons.

Germaphobes, or people with a fear of bacteria or microbes — particularly on their hands — may favor hand-free masturbation methods for obvious reasons.

And still, some folks who prefer some hands-off wanking are simply looking to try new things, new sensations, and new toys.

We salute them!

Overcoming Negative Stigmas Of Masturbation Or Trauma

Many of us are still dealing with negative messaging or experiences we received when we were younger.

Whether you were given messages that desire or pleasure is shameful, or you lived through something more horrific like molestation, abuse, or rape — some steps can be taken in pursuit of a healthy sex life.

Keep in mind though, that no one should feel pressured to engage in any sexual activity they aren’t ready for — masturbation included.

If you want to move toward more sexual openness and positivity, however, I can offer you some tips.

Talk openly with your doctor or a nurse practitioner that you feel comfortable with. Planned Parenthood is an excellent resource for people at any age or income level.

The Sex Healer, Amanda Pasciucco, reminds us that there are certified sex therapists who can assist with issues impacting sexual expression, activity, or pleasure.

A trusted friend, sister, female relative, or partner can also be an empathetic sounding board when you’re trying to parse past experiences.

If you don’t have someone like that in your life, support can be found online.

There have been some incredible books written about understanding and overcoming trauma, and moving toward positive sexuality. We highly recommend reading:

• Come As You Are* by Emily Nagoski
• A Gift From Adversity* by Juri Love
• The Body Keeps The Score* by Bessel can der Kolk M.D.
• The Survivor’s Guide To Sex* by Staci Haines
• The New Sex Bible For Women* by Amie Harwick
• Beauty For Ashes* by Joyce Meyer

If you take only one thing away from this article, we hope it is this: masturbation is normal, natural, and never something that should instill shame.

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14 Hands-Free Ways To Masturbate And Orgasm

As you’ll come to find out, there are many ways to masturbate a vulva and reach climax, without using your hands or fingers.

We’re going to progress through this guide by starting with beginner methods that are most often discovered during youth or adolescence, and move forward to more advanced and sophisticated methods of knocking your own socks off.

There’s almost certainly some maneuver we’ve inadvertently left off this list. Knowledge and creativity in this arena are ever-expanding.

That’s a good thing, given that they aren’t teaching students ways to masturbate without hands in Sex Ed class just yet.

Before we get started, here’s a handy guide on finding (and enjoying) your clitoris:

While most of the methods in this guide are hands-free and penetration-free, we’re on a mission to satisfy everyone so we’ll offer a couple of options for those who prefer some vaginal play now and again.

If you can’t wait to dive in, click on any of the methods below to learn more about hands-free masturbation!

Beginner, Early & Accidental Masturbation Discoveries:

• Bathtub Sexploration
• Movin’ & Groovin’
• The Cross-Legged Twirl
• Hedonistic Humping
• The Giddy-Up Get Down

Intermediate & Deliberate Masturbation Exploration:

• The Towel Teaser
• Plundering Around The House
• Laundry Room Shake-Up
• The Dirt Road Giggity

Advanced & Adult Masturbation:

• Shower Spray Play
• The Cellphone Self Booty Call
• Electric Toothbrush Boogaloo
• Sex Toy Shangri-La
• Ben Wa Ballin’

Early (And Sometimes Accidental) Hands-Free Masturbation Methods

As the married grad student, Marie, explained earlier, many of our early masturbation experiences were done with relative ignorance of what we were doing and why we liked it in the first place.

We just found something that felt good and kept doing it — perfectly normal and natural behavior.

Let’s take a look at some of the first — and sometimes accidental — hands-free masturbation methods we may cross paths with during our early years.

Bathtub Sexploration

Ursula, a 30-something mom, shared her experience in one of the most common places for early hands-free orgasm — the bathtub. She told us:

“I had my first orgasm when I was five. I started by just lying on my tummy and rubbing up and down against the seam of my pajamas. 

That made me more curious about how other things would feel…one day while I was taking a bath, I got super curious about how the nice warm water would feel, so I remember pushing my butt down to the end of the tub and allowing the running water to do its thing. 

I remember vividly how intense and amazing this was. It didn’t take long under the water to have my first full-on orgasm. As a matter of fact…I didn’t start using my hands until puberty had set in.”

Washcloths, faucets, rubber duckies, scrubby brushes, and sprayers have all been used as makeshift masturbation aids.

The real benefit of discovering self-pleasure in the bathtub is that it’s generally a very private place where you can explore your body from top to bottom — without interruption.

Movin’ & Groovin’

The simple act of riding on something that moves has led to surprise orgasms for many women.

Pleasure-inducing mounts can include motorcycles, four-wheelers, pedal bikes, and even horseback.

When a steady movement or vibration is happening between your legs and it’s pressed against your vulva, an orgasm can soon follow — even when you least expect it!

The Cross-Legged Twirl

If you’ve got a vulva, masturbation can be as easy as crossing your legs at the knee and bouncing your top leg. For many folks, this brings sensation to the clitoris, labia minora, or vaginal walls.

Some women report reaching full orgasm this way.

Happily, this means that women can self-stimulate pretty much anywhere they can sit down. Be advised, though, that not every location with seating is going to be appropriate for orgasmic play.

Although it could certainly make long meetings at work a lot more fun…

Hedonistic Humping

You can’t talk about youthful masturbation without a mention of dry humping or grinding. But what does humping mean when you’re doing it alone?

The hip movements are essentially the same. The practice of rocking, bouncing, or rubbing your private parts by grinding them against the surface of an object is a popular method of sexual self-stimulation for all genders.

When it comes to humping masturbation as a form of hands-free orgasms, kids and adults can be surprisingly adept at finding things to hump that feel good.

Objects of sexual interest might include furniture, pillows, balled-up sheets, and blankets, or as Terri, an active single gal, explains, humping stuffed animals or plushies. She said:

“I think my earliest masturbation experience came at the hands (or feet) of a giant stuffed bunny I had. It was big enough to lay on and cuddle. Eventually, I discovered its feet happened to be in exactly the right spot — and so began my shameless molestation of it just about every night. I just remember thinking ‘I hope no one notices or asks why the fuzz on bunny’s feet is smushed and flat.”

We’ve got to think that humping stuffed animals hurts the resale value of those poor Beanie Babies.

The Giddy-Up Get Down

Bouncing on someone’s knee for the proverbial “horsey ride” can lead to sexual titillation.

This can be a tricky prospect when you’re young because the person giving the horsey ride might be a grandparent, an uncle, or Santa Claus — which can be confusing or straight-up traumatizing for a child.

But how many times have you taken a seat in your partner’s lap as an adult? If you’re looking to try something new for a hands-free orgasm, this little maneuver will let you ride off into the sunset without ever leaving your house.

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Intermediate & Deliberate Hands-Free Masturbation Methods

As kids get older and gain a greater understanding of themselves, intentional masturbation becomes more common.

Being proactive about this has risks and benefits, especially related to safety — which we’ll talk more about later on.

Let’s explore some of the solo fingerless and hands-free masturbation methods folks discovered during their tween and teen years.

The Towel Teaser

For solo ventures, masturbation using a towel may begin as an accidental discovery, like Isobel, a 50-year-old married mom, explains:

“I was about ten years old. I was getting out of the shower and hit an interesting spot while drying off. It felt weird and great. I couldn’t understand why I never felt that before — so I proceeded to do it again and again. It was awesome.”

Isobel told us that she did struggle with some religious guilt, at least at first.

“By the time I was fourteen and became more skilled at pleasing myself, going to hell was worth it,” she said.

If enjoying masturbation is wrong, we don’t ever want to be right.

Plundering Around The House

Using household objects for masturbatory purposes is common among tweens and teens and the methods might include external rubbing, mild insertion, or full-on thrusting with objects.

This can present safety issues on multiple levels, however.

Hairbrushes, writing implements, foods, and other random objects are not safe masturbation aids for a variety of reasons that include:

• Bacteria on the surface or other cleanliness issues
• Unsafe materials
• Sharp edges
• A shape or size that can become “lost” inside the body if inserted

Amanda Pasciucco, the Sex Healer, tells us that “it is dangerous to use things that are not for genitals on your genitalia. This includes non-tempered glass, hairbrushes, anything flimsy that could break.”

Even cheap sex toys can break during use!

Laundry Room Shake-Up

Some teens find that location is everything and the washing machine is a masturbatory discovery that’s often made during those formative years when they’re forced to do their own laundry.

So if your kid takes a sudden interest in making sure their clothes are really clean, this might be why…sitting atop the washing machine has led to many orgasms.

While the adult women this writer talked to all said they’ve never actually had an orgasm on their washers, some do say it’s a nice place to have sex when privacy can be maintained.

As someone who shares a laundry room with their neighbors, I can only speculate.

The Dirt Road Giggity

Once teenagers start driving, they also begin using dirt roads and other local landmarks to get their good feelings on, even if they’re stumbled upon by accident.

Single professional woman, Lynne, details one such experience:

“The song ‘The Perfect Drug’ had just come out, and I was driving around running errands. The song came on and I started moving to the music. Then a stirring [started] in the lady bits. 

[By] the end of the song, I’m moving a lot more and with purpose because I can feel that awesome feeling of the ending coming up. My hands never left the steering wheel. I guess my jeans were just tight enough and the rhythm was just right. It’s been years and I’ve never been able to recreate that day.”

That’s too bad. Keep metaphorically reaching for that rainbow!

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Advanced & Adult Hands-Free Masturbation Methods

Hands-free orgasms aren’t just for kids and teens. Adults can be experts at the self-pleasure game, too.

Many of the methods we used for vulva masturbation as kids have stayed with us into adulthood. Some, like water masturbation, may have evolved over time.

How else are adults finding ways to masturbate without hands?

Shower Spray Play

Masturbating in the shower or bath is common at all ages. It is — and we can’t say this enough — common and natural.

That said, modern showerheads come in detachable versions that are perfect for getting your naughty bits extra clean.

One Women’s Health Interactive forum user told us:

“As an adult, I’ve also experimented with detachable showerheads, which is a magical experience. You need a showerhead that has adjustable water pressure settings so you can find the perfect one, but once you do…it’s absolutely fantastic.”

Apparently, the thing cost around $20 and she installed it herself more than a decade ago — and it’s still in great working order.

“I use it for showering daily, but…for other things, as well. It’s a handy multi-use tool to have,” she said.

Masturbation with a showerhead is a convenient way to get yourself clean and get your rocks off at the same time.

The Cellphone Self Booty Call

This one proves that folks can innovate when seeking hands-free ways to get off.

Sometimes masturbating with a vibrator means looking no further than your phone, as teenager Amanda explained.

“I would take my cellphone and put it on vibrate and hold it against my clitoris. Then I would call my cellphone with my home phone. It feels really good,” she said.

Where there’s a will, there is always a way.

Electric Toothbrush Boogaloo

Electric toothbrush masturbation is common among teens and certainly not unheard of among adults. Kelley, a regular commenter in our forums, explains:

“You put a washcloth or towel between the vibrating end and your body. It works great on trips because there’s no need to carry a vibrator that might prove embarrassing when going through security or customs.”

Smart! After all, it’s highly unlikely that anyone in the TSA is going to give an electric toothbrush a second glance. Your vibrator, on the other hand…

Thinking about it, that little device can do double-duty — keeping your teeth pearly-white and putting a smile on your face.

Sex Toy Shangri-La

There’s a whole wide world of sex toys waiting for you out there — you just have to choose the right one. Not sure how? Take our vibrator quiz.

From simple dildos, rabbit vibrators, bullet vibes, wand vibrators, and even wearable sex toys, like panty vibrators, to clit sucking vibrators like the LELO SILA or SONA 2 Cruise, modern sex toys and high-tech masturbation aids are the wave of the future.

Some folks might balk at the expense of high-end sex toys, but there are plenty of budget-friendly vibrator options available.

Amanda Pasciucco, the licensed therapist we spoke with earlier, describes herself as a “huge fan of sex toys” because they’re a helpful tool in pursuing a healthy sex life overall.

If you want to learn more about the types of toys that are on the market, check out our comprehensive vibrator guide.

The right toys can teach us about our bodies and how to best pleasure ourselves. That’s great knowledge to have for yourself — and your next partnered experience.

Ben Wa Ballin’

Ben Wa balls make a comeback every so often and for good reason.

These versatile fingerless and hands-free aids can be used for Kegel exercises, orgasms, discreet pleasure, or just getting the most out of your favorite rocking chair.

Ben Wa balls are inserted into the vagina, enabling the muscles to clench around them. While their size and shape can vary, these can stimulate the vaginal walls, G-spot, and even your clitoris.

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Fingerless And Hands-Free Masturbation Safety

While a nice wank can be satisfying, a nasty infection never is. Here are the broad strokes on hands-free masturbation safety.

• Wash your hands and any toys/objects you’ll be using. Every time. For toys, use a mild soap or a toy cleaner and rinse very well.

• Never insert anything into your body that wasn’t designed and constructed for that purpose.

• When buying sexual aides, choose non-porous, body-safe, or medical-grade materials.

• Use only approved lube with your toys. Usually, this means a water-based lubricant so silicone or other toy materials won’t break down.

• Keep vaginal, clitoral, and G-spot toys separate from anal toys and do not use them interchangeably.

• If you’re incorporating an anal toy into your play, be sure that it has a flared base — to avoid a humiliating conversation with an emergency room nurse.

• Just as with intercourse, it’s a good idea to clean up afterward. Even though you might not feel like getting up, peeing after masturbation or sex can reduce the risk of internal infection.

• And while you’re up, wash your hands again.

In Conclusion

Like most advice you get in life, the information here is meant to be helpful but not gospel. If our suggestions work for you, we hope you’ll make use of them.

Regular orgasms can promote more restful sleep, relieve sexual tension, reduce stress, improve your mood, and provide climax when sex can’t get the job done.

There is no reason to deny yourself the pleasure of masturbation and every reason to embrace it fully — even when you’re not using your hands!

Once you’ve mastered how to masturbate and orgasm without fingering, the world is your sex toy!