As ‘No Nut November’ approaches, information from a 2016 study can guide how many times men might consider masturbating monthly to potentially reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
This annual challenge of refraining from sexual activity for 30 days is soon to commence. Initially starting in 2011, it gained significant popularity by 2017 and has been trending ever since.
While some suggest that avoiding ejaculation can be healthful, there’s no scientific backing, and many argue against its benefits.
Experts highlight that ejaculating a certain number of times per month may help in reducing the risk of prostate cancer, a disease that ranks as the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, second only to lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Research indicates that daily ejaculation could potentially lower risk, while another study notes that 21 orgasms per month might decrease the likelihood of prostate cancer by 20 percent.
This research, conducted by Harvard University, analyzed 31,925 men who reported their ejaculation frequency over several years, from 1992 to 2010.
The study, published in the journal European Urology in 2016, explained: “We evaluated whether ejaculation frequency throughout adulthood is related to prostate cancer risk in a large US-based study.”
It continued, “We found that men reporting higher compared to lower ejaculatory frequency in adulthood were less likely to be subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer.”
The findings add, “These findings provide additional evidence of a beneficial role of more frequent ejaculation throughout adult life in the aetiology of PCa [prostate cancer], particularly for low-risk disease.”
While discussions about the potential downsides of No Nut November persist, some studies suggest that a month of abstinence might not have significant effects.
A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine earlier this year assessed the psychological and sexual well-being impacts of this annual challenge.
The results stated, “This pioneering study provides the first scientific evidence evaluating the psychological and sexual well-being impacts of the ‘No Nut November’ phenomenon, finding that the month-long period of abstinence from ejaculation has no cost or benefit to participants’ sexual well-being.”
Thus, while No Nut November may seem appealing as a trend, participating might not be the optimal choice.