Don’t believe “masturbation harms the body” or “abstinence makes you better”; what to watch is whether it costs sleep, work, or relationships

No evidence that masturbation harms the body was found. Men who ejaculate more have about 20% less prostate cancer, though some research also saw higher risk in those who did it often when young. A few people feel weak and flu-like after every ejaculation for days — a rare disease; see urology or andrology. Feeling “addicted to porn” more often comes from the clash with one’s own morals.

Cost

No money. What you save is money for “kidney tonic” folk remedies and “abstinence” courses, plus the anxiety of long self-blame.

Benefit

First the body. A U.S. study followed 31925 men through 2010. Each reported how many ejaculations a month, then was grouped by count. Versus 4 to 7 times a month, those with 21 or more had prostate-cancer HR 0.81 (95% CI 0.72–0.92, about 19% lower) using counts at ages 20 to 29. Using ages 40 to 49, HR 0.78 (0.69–0.89, about 22% lower). What fell was mainly low-risk prostate cancer. The opposing side is a UK case-control study comparing 431 patients diagnosed before 60 with 409 controls. Frequent masturbation in the twenties and thirties linked to higher risk; frequent in the fifties linked to lower risk. Next, porn. A systematic review plus meta-analysis holds that many people who feel “addicted” are mostly mismatched with what they believe is right, not only that they watch a lot. A few people do feel unwell after every ejaculation, but that is not “harming the body” — it is a rare disease called post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS). See a doctor; do not rely on abstinence. Among 45 Dutch patients, 87% began within 30 minutes of ejaculation, 80% were exhausted and weak, 78% felt like they had a cold. At a French hospital, 37 patients took a mean 4.7 days to recover. Cause is unclear. In the Dutch study, of 33 who had skin tests, 29 (88%) were allergic to their own semen. A Chinese study of 24 patients found no semen-specific allergy antibodies; anxiety and depression scores were high. A 2025 review found only 14 treatment studies, 12 of them case reports. Of 211 sexual-medicine experts worldwide, only 18% said more than three in ten patients improve (U.S. / UK / Netherlands / France / China).

Notes

Controversy. Both prostate-cancer studies are records only, with no randomized comparison, and counts are recalled, so the conclusion can only reach “no evidence of bodily harm was seen,” not advice to do it more. The UK authors themselves say the fifties period may mean illness came first and frequency fell. The porn paper’s abstract gives no effect size, so only direction is written here. Benefit is set to small because what fell is mainly low-risk prostate cancer, not death. Studies of post-ejaculation illness have only dozens of patients each; the literature calls it rare, but no one has counted how many in the general population get it. If nearly every ejaculation leaves you weak, flu-like, for days, go to urology or andrology and name the disease. Signals for psychiatry or clinical psychology: staying up for this, missing work, harming a partner relationship, wanting to stop and failing. Staying up late: Section 3, Item 9 (don’t stay up for games, short video, or porn). Worried porn caused erectile problems: first follow Section 1, Item 28 (erectile trouble — check the cardiovascular system first). Legal outcomes of posting to groups or selling material: Section 9, Item 4 (porn video — keep it to yourself). The beneficiary is you.

Sources · 8

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