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There's a reason we made a door hanger for this. DO NOT DISTURB. Oboo Break. I'll be out in five-ish. It's funny because it's true, and also because most of us have never once given ourselves permission to hang it. Self-pleasure became the thing we did quietly, quickly, and never talked about, even though it might be doing more for your body than half the things already on your wellness list.
What's actually happening
Orgasm triggers a rush of dopamine and oxytocin, and that combination is doing real work while you're in there. Your body doesn't know the difference between a five minute Oboo Break and a five minute breathing exercise, at least not in terms of the chemistry involved.
Here's what's actually going on:
- You lowered the stress. Dopamine and oxytocin work against cortisol, the hormone running your body's stress response, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- You raised the oxytocin. Sometimes called the bonding hormone, oxytocin peaks around orgasm and keeps circulating after you're done.
- You got reacquainted with what feels good. Knowing your own body is information. Every provider who has ever counseled a patient on low desire starts right here.
- You gave your body a little love. Women who masturbate regularly report higher self-esteem, more desire, and more satisfaction in their relationships. That's not a coincidence.
- You maybe set yourself up for one hell of a good night's sleep. More on that below, because the newest research on this one is worth reading twice.
All in about five minutes. Very productive of you.
The science finally caught up
For a long time, "does masturbation actually help with anything" lived in the same drawer as old wives' tales. Then, in November 2025, the journal Menopause published a study of 1,178 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Roughly one in five reported real, measurable relief through masturbation. Not "felt nice." Measurable. Better sleep. Better mood. More lubrication. Less pain. Fewer headaches for some.
Perimenopausal women were more likely to notice the mood benefits. Postmenopausal women were more likely to notice the sleep benefits. Almost half of the women in that study said they would consider it a legitimate self-care tool if their doctor ever brought it up.
[pullquote]Nearly one in five women found real, measurable relief from something nobody ever told them to try.[/pullquote]
Doctors are saying it out loud - again
Here's a fact that tends to stop a room: doctors used to prescribe orgasm as medicine. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, physicians treated a diagnosis called "hysteria" with what they called medical massage, manual stimulation to orgasm, administered in the doctor's office. The diagnosis itself was rooted in ideas about women's bodies that have not aged well. But the underlying observation, that orgasm changes how a woman feels in her body, was never actually wrong. Medicine just spent the next century too uncomfortable to keep studying it.
That discomfort is finally lifting. Dr. Rachel Rubin, a urologist and sexual medicine specialist who trains other physicians on this exact subject, has built her career on the argument that sexual health is not a luxury category. It's health, full stop, deserving the same rigor as any other vital sign. Sex researcher Dr. Nicole Prause, who has spent years studying what orgasm actually does in the brain and body, put it more bluntly: "One day soon, doctors will be prescribing good old-fashioned sex for what ails us." And physician Dr. Sara Gottfried, who has spent her career researching hormones, points to orgasm's effect on oxytocin, estrogen, and even pain perception, noting it can cut pain by roughly half without dulling sensation.
None of these doctors are saying self-pleasure replaces medical care. They're saying it belongs in the conversation, which is more than most of us ever got.
We saw exactly how much that belonging matters. When Dr. Mary Claire Haver, one of the most trusted names in menopause medicine, mentioned Nook and told her audience how much she loved it, we sold out in sixteen hours. Nothing about the product changed that week. The science behind it had been sitting there the whole time. What changed was permission. One doctor said the quiet part out loud, and thousands of women who had been wondering finally let themselves try it.
[pullquote]Doctors used to prescribe orgasm as medicine. We just call it Tuesday.[/pullquote]
Making it less of an event and more of a ritual
This is where tools help more than willpower does. Oooh takes the guesswork out completely, no cords, no manual, just pick it up and go at your own pace. Groove works well if you're feeling indecisive. Internal, external, or both, she does not make you choose. She just meets you where you are. And if lubrication has become part of the equation, which it does for a lot of us, Loob Arousal adds a gentle cooling tingle and supports blood flow.
[products:oooh,groove,loob-arousal]
None of these require an occasion. That's the whole point of an Oboo Break. It's not a scheduled wellness ritual with candles and a playlist, though you're welcome to that too. It's five-ish minutes, whenever you want them, with the door closed and nothing to prove.
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If it's been a while
Maybe it has been months. Maybe you've noticed your desire feels quieter than it used to, more responsive than spontaneous, needing a nudge instead of showing up on its own. That's common in perimenopause and menopause, and there's a full breakdown of what's actually happening with that shift if you want to go deeper.
The good news is you don't need to feel "in the mood" to start. A lot of women find the mood shows up around minute two, not minute zero. Give your body a little warmth, a little lubrication, and a little time. It tends to catch up.
A note before we go further
Oboo is not a medical provider. Everything here is shared as general information from women who've lived it and researched it, not as medical advice. If persistent low desire, pain, or symptoms feel bigger than stress or tiredness, please talk to a healthcare provider, ideally one who specializes in menopause.
Frequently asked questions about the benefits of masturbation
Is masturbation actually good for your health, or is that just marketing?
It's backed by real research now. A 2025 study in the journal Menopause found that women who masturbated regularly reported measurable improvements in sleep, mood, and vaginal lubrication. The mechanism is straightforward: orgasm releases oxytocin and dopamine, which counter cortisol, your body's main stress hormone.
Can masturbation help with perimenopause or menopause symptoms specifically?
For a meaningful number of women, yes. In that same 2025 study, roughly one in five women reported real relief, with perimenopausal women noticing mood benefits more and postmenopausal women noticing sleep benefits more.
Is it true doctors used to prescribe orgasm as treatment?
Yes, though the history is complicated. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, physicians treated a diagnosis called "hysteria" with manual stimulation to orgasm, administered in the doctor's office. The diagnosis itself was flawed, but the idea that orgasm affects how the body feels was not.
Why don't more doctors talk about this?
Mostly discomfort, not lack of evidence. Only about 5 percent of women in a 2024 Kinsey Institute survey said a doctor had ever brought up masturbation, even though nearly half said they'd consider it if one did.
What if I don't feel like it, or it's been a long time?
That's incredibly common in perimenopause and menopause, when desire tends to shift from spontaneous to responsive. Starting without waiting to feel "in the mood" often works better, and a good lubricant, like Loob Arousal, can make the first few minutes easier.
Do I need a vibrator, or does it work without one?
You don't need one. But for a lot of women, especially if sensitivity has changed, a tool like Oooh or Groove removes the guesswork and gets you there faster and more reliably.
How often should I do this for the benefits to show up?
There's no magic number. The research points to consistency mattering more than frequency. A few times a week is a reasonable place to start if you're building it into a routine rather than waiting for an occasion.
Is it normal to want privacy or feel a little awkward about this?
Completely. That's exactly why we made a door hanger that says "Do Not Disturb." The awkwardness is cultural, not personal, and it fades fast once you stop treating this like a secret.
Is is there another word for masturbation?
The clinical term is masturbation. Some people call it self-love, self-pleasure, or 'me time.' Around here, we call it an Oboo Break.
