Solo sexuality across the life course: masturbation experiences among Indonesian men from adolescence to late adulthood

Based on in-depth qualitative interviews with men from different age groups and urban and rural settings in Indonesia, this research explores the experiences, meanings, and functions of masturbation from adolescence to late adulthood. Thematic analysis identified the functions participants attributed to masturbation at different life stages and examined change and continuity where these were explicitly described within individual retrospective narratives. The findings show that masturbation is not simply a behavior that varies in frequency but a sexual experience whose functions and meanings differ according to life context, encompassing curiosity, privacy, social pressure, fantasy, moral negotiation, and changing roles and responsibilities. Its empirical contribution demonstrates how Indonesian men understand the body, sexuality, and morality in a context that constrains open discussion of sex.