Research often highlights the potential side effects of excessive masturbation, yet it is also important to consider how abstaining from it might affect the body.
Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a sex and relationship expert, has noted that both men and women can face negative consequences when they abstain from sexual activity for too long. According to her conversation with the Daily Mail, the absence of affection, touch, and sexual connection can lead to increased anxiety, depression, and stress.
Additionally, Dr. Suwinyattichaiporn has pointed out that stopping masturbation can result in frustration, which might escalate into aggressive behaviors.
A study conducted in 2021 supports the idea that sexual frustration can heighten risks of aggression, violence, and crime, as it relates to seeking relief, power, revenge, and venting displaced frustration.
There is also evidence suggesting that men who lack sexual activity, either alone or with a partner, may face a higher risk of prostate cancer.
The journal European Urology published a study in 2016 finding that men who ejaculated at least 21 times per month had a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those who ejaculated four to seven times monthly.
Researchers believe that the accumulation of carcinogens in the prostate could increase cancer risk. However, regular ejaculation might help prevent this by clearing harmful chemicals from the semen, as noted by the Urology Care Foundation.
For women, abstaining from sexual activity can lead to vaginal atrophy, characterized by thinning and drying of tissues, and in some cases, a shortening of the vaginal canal.
Tobias Kohler, an assistant professor of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, informed WebMD that for men, a lack of regular erections can result in reduced elasticity and subsequent shortening of the penis. “If [men] don’t do anything to maintain normal erections, they will get shortening of the penis,” he said.
In a study conducted in China in 2002, involving 28 men, it was found that testosterone levels in men surged by over 100 percent on the seventh day of abstinence.
The study authors detailed: “The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in sex hormone level in men after ejaculation. The serum testosterone concentrations of 28 male volunteers were investigated daily during abstinence period after ejaculation.
“We found that fluctuations of testosterone levels from day 2 to day 5 of abstinence were minimal. On day 7 of abstinence, a peak of serum testosterone appeared, reaching 145.7% of the baseline (P