The Greatest Self-Love Of All: How, Where, And When We Masturbate

In celebration of National Masturbation Month (remember that?), Gay.com conducted a survey of their readers--and their straight and lesbian friends--to learn all the dirty details about their masturbation habits. Over 29,000 people responded, and the results have been tabulated. So who's going below the belt most often? How are they doing it? And sex toys? What about the sex toys? Click through to see what the survey revealed ...

. . .

How we get off.
The most popular position for self love, across the board? Lying face up, totally naked.

Masturbation vs. sex.
Do you know yourself best? Or does your partner know how to touch you just right? Apparently, being in a same-sex relationship increases your chances of getting off with a partner: while 17 percent of straight men and 15 percent of straight women prefer the company of Rosie Palm and her five sisters, only 8 percent of gay men and lesbians prefer a solo stroll.

Ladies are the loud ones ...
If you're a woman, you should probably play some music while you're playing with yourself: 33 percent of straight women and 34 percent of lesbians moan during masturbation. Only 19 percent of straight and 16 percent of gay men make noise.

... But men are more likely to get busy at the office.
A whopping 67 percent of straight men and 63 percent of gay men reported that they have masturbated at work. Only 52 percent of straight women were double clicking their mouses -- but that's still high compared to the mere 39 percent of lesbians who've felt themselves up at work. Are lesbians better behaved? Or do they just have a harder time finding good porn on the comfort of their iPhones?

Gay men like porn best ...
33 percent of gay men said they always use porn to masturbate, followed closely by 30 percent of straight men. 18 percent of straight women and 10 percent of lesbians. (Maybe those numbers would change if they took a look at our selection of porn for women?)

... And they also masturbate the most.
74 percent of gay men reported that they masturbate at least once a day. Straight men were a close second, with 73 percent needing release at least daily. It seems women are able to hold out longer: only 51 percent of straight women and 40 percent of lesbians are engaging in daily onanism.

But straight women are the most into toys.
81 percent of straight women use sex toys when they masturbate, as do 73 percent of lesbians. 50 percent of gay men and 36 percent of straight men like a little help from some inanimate friends.

· "Self-pleasure surveys" (planeout.com)
· Thumbnails via Randy Blue (l) and Ask Jolene (r)