Research shows that men who want to reduce their risk of a common form of cancer should masturbate and have sex more often.
A new review of existing studies from 30 years ago shows that the more often men ejaculate, the less likely they are to develop prostate cancer.
Researchers recommend achieving orgasm 21 times a month, as literature shows this reduces the risk of disease by a third.
Although the exact mechanism is not well understood, experts believe that increased blood flow to the prostate may help flush cancer-causing substances from semen and other fluids.
A large study has found that masturbation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, the most common form of the disease in American men
The findings come at a time when prostate cancer is on the rise in the US, driven in part by the recent deaths of OJ Simpson and Dexter Scott King, son of Martin Luther King Jr.
“The recommendation for routine ejaculation, particularly in specific age groups, provides an opportunity for proactive management of prostate health,” the team wrote.
The overview, published earlier this summer in the magazine Clinical genital cancerlooked at 11 studies with a total of almost 150,000 participants. The studies were conducted between 1990 and 2023.
All studies examined the possible link between ejaculation and prostate cancer.
Some had as few as 40 participants, while others had thousands of volunteers. The men studied ranged in age from 20 to 80.
Of the studies reviewed, one of the most promising came from Harvard Medical School.
Participants in the Harvard Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were primarily white health care professionals between the ages of 46 and 81.
The men were asked how many times per month they ejaculated in their 20s, 40s, and in the past year.
The team found that men who ejaculated 21 or more times per month were 31 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ejaculated only four to seven times per month.
The most recent study in the mix, published last year in The World Journal of Men’s Healthaimed at men between the ages of 40 and 80 who were interviewed about their sexual habits in their twenties, thirties, forties and the year before.
The researchers found that men who ejaculated at least four times a month had the lowest risk of prostate cancer compared to men who ejaculated less often.
It’s still unclear exactly how masturbation reduces the risk of prostate cancer, but experts think it’s because of the increased blood flow to the prostate, a walnut-sized organ found only in men.
The prostate is located between the base of the penis and the rectum and produces fluid that mixes with sperm so it can travel and survive.
The extra blood flow from masturbation can provide vital oxygen and nutrients that help remove cancer-related toxins. Additionally, ejaculation can help flush out harmful carcinogens that can build up in semen.
A Study from 2016 from Boston University, who were included in the study, also suggested that frequent ejaculation stimulates changes in prostate tissue that cause cells to produce more quickly and create more citrate, a substance shown to kill prostate cancer cells.
However, the oldest study from 1990 showed no association between ejaculation, masturbation, contraceptive use, sexually transmitted diseases and prostate cancer.
OJ Simpson (left) died of prostate cancer in April, just two months after announcing his diagnosis. Dexter Scott King, son of Martin Luther King Jr., succumbed to the disease in January at age 62.
The study had some limitations, with a heavy reliance on self-reported data on ejaculation and other sexual behaviors.
“Despite these challenges, the clinical relevance of the findings cannot be overstated,” the researchers wrote.
‘The growing association between ejaculation frequency and prostate health underscores the importance of incorporating sexual behavior into patient counseling and health strategies.’
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men, with one in eight men developing it and 35,000 dying from it.
Men over 65 are most likely to develop prostate cancer, accounting for a whopping 60 percent of cases. The rate is even higher among black men, who are expected to develop the disease in about one in six.
Experts attribute the increase to the fact that more and more older men are experiencing the problem, among whom the condition is most common.
Prostate cancer usually does not cause any symptoms in the early stages. When symptoms do occur, they often include difficulty urinating, loss of bladder and bowel control, painful ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction.