Is There A Link Between Masturbation And Prostate Cancer
In 30 seconds
Any link between masturbation and prostate cancer is yet to be proven categorically. However, some studies over the years have shown, perhaps surprisingly, that the more you masturbate, the lower your chances of developing prostate cancer.
Its not just masturbating that might help.
All ejaculation may help your prostate health, it seems including during sex. Your prostate produces some of the fluid in your ejaculate, so it does make sense that ejaculation and prostate health are related.
However, other studies have suggested that things arent so clear-cut. Frequent masturbation appears to have different effects on prostate cancer risk at different ages. Meanwhile, your risk is affected by your genes, your diet, and your age too.
Science doesnt know for certain what causes prostate cancer. While its known that things like genetics and diet play a role, researchers are always looking for new clues to lead them to a more concrete explanation.
Its this approach that has led them to investigate a possible link between masturbation and prostate cancer. Why? Because the prostate is involved in the production of fluid for your semen. And if you masturbate a lot, your prostate gland will be more active.
However, things are not yet certain. In this article, were going to look at the evidence for the potential link between masturbation and prostate cancer and explore some other causes of the illness too.
Frequent Ejaculation May Protect Against Cancer
Frequent sexual intercourse and masturbation protects men against a common form of cancer, suggests the largest study of the issue to date yet.
The US study, which followed nearly 30,000 men over eight years, showed that those that ejaculated most frequently were significantly less likely to get prostate cancer. The results back the findings of a smaller Australian study revealed by New Scientist in July 2003 that asserted that masturbation was good for men.
In the US study, the group with the highest lifetime average of ejaculation 21 times per month were a third less likely to develop the cancer than the reference group, who ejaculated four to seven times a month.
Michael Leitzmann, at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues set out to test a long-held theory that suggested the opposite that a higher ejaculation rate raises the risk of prostate cancer. The good news is it is not related to an increased risk, he told New Scientist. In fact, it may be associated with a lower risk.
It goes a long way to confirm the findings from our recent case-control study, says Graham Giles, who led the Australian study. He praises the studys large size including about 1500 cases of prostate cancer.
Connection Between Ejaculation And Prostate Cancer
The amount of ejaculations included those from sexual intercourse, masturbation and nocturnal emissions . The one study found that men who ejaculated 21 or more time a month had a 33% decreased chance of developing prostate cancer compared to those who ejaculated 4-7 times a month. The second study showed that men who averaged 4-7 ejaculations a week showed a 36% decreased chance of developing prostate cancer, before the age of 70, as compared to men who ejaculated less than 2-3 times a week.
It’s not known how this increased rate of ejaculation leads to a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The theory behind it is that ejaculation expels potentially harmful or irritating substances from the prostate, thereby decreasing the chances of the occurrence of a malignancy.
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Can Celibacy Cause Prostate Cancer Analysis
Analyzing the results from different studies, we can clearly see that intercourse at an older age protects against prostate cancer.
This is one sign that, to some extent, strikes out the fact that celibacy can cause prostate cancer.
Another sign that celibacy can help prevent prostate cancer is the ejaculation frequency.
Celibacy raises the frequency of masturbation in men which could lead to more ejaculation per week. This would also prevent prostate cancer to some extent.
However, to know more about whether ejaculation actually prevents prostate cancer, you must read out the following section.
Drugs To Prevent Prostate Cancer
Men with benign prostatic hyperplasia are often treated with dihydrotestosterone -lowering drugs called finasteride or dutasteride. These drugs have been studied extensively to determine whether they can prevent prostate cancer, and results suggest that they could reduce cancer risk by about 25 percent. Patients who develop cancer while on the drugs are more likely to get an aggressive form of the disease, so discuss the advantages and disadvantages with your doctor.
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Ejaculating At Least 21 Times Monthly Helps To Reduce Prostate Cancer Risk According To Study
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 A study has shown that men who ejaculate at least 21 times monthly can slash their chances of getting prostate cancer by a third.
Quoting a study by Harvard University, Ladbible reported that the study involved 31,925 men, who filled out three questionnaires about ejaculation frequency.
The results indicated a statistically significant reduction in prostate cancer rates among men who ejaculated frequently.
We evaluated whether ejaculation frequency throughout adulthood is related to prostate cancer risk in a large US-based study.
We found that men reporting higher compared to lower ejaculatory frequency in adulthood were less likely to be subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer.
These findings provide additional evidence of a beneficial role of more frequent ejaculation throughout adult life in the etiology of PCa , particularly for low-risk disease.
According to the Malaysian National Cancer Registry, over 60 per cent of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed at the advanced stage , which stands much higher than neighbouring Singapore and the United States .
Exposure And Covariate Assessment
In 1992, participants were asked the following question: On average, how many ejaculations did you have per month during these ages?: ages 2029 ages 4049 past year. The frequency at each time point was reported in the categories none, 13, 47, 812, 1320, and > 20 EPM. To limit the burden for participants and because the question was designed specifically to address the prostate stagnation hypothesis, no information on the specific type of activity leading to ejaculation was requested. Information on potential confounders was ascertained in the 1992 questionnaire and most were updated on the biennial questionnaires throughout follow-up. PSA testing was first assessed in the 1994 questionnaire starting in 1994, men were also asked if they had an elevated PSA level and whether they had undergone a prostate biopsy or rectal ultrasound.
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Study 4 Ejaculation Frequency And Risk Of Prostate Cancer: Updated Results With An Additional Decade Of Follow
An 18-year Harvard study determined that the risk of prostate cancer was reduced by 20% for men who ejaculated 21 times a month, compared to men who ejaculated four to 7 times a month.
The study included 31,925 men who answered questions on ejaculation frequency on a 1992 questionnaire and followed through to 2010.
The average monthly ejaculation frequency was assessed at three time- points: age 20-29 yrs., age 40-49 yrs., and the year before questionnaire distribution.
As a result of the mass of data collected, this is one of the more promising studies.
However, there were several limitations, one being that the study relied on men to accurately report how often they ejaculated and the other being that the study included mostly white men.
Research has shown that African American have a higher risk of prostate cancer , so it is possible the more diverse population may have affected the results of the study.
Pain During Erection Or Ejaculation
Some men find that erections and ejaculating is painful after surgery, or during and after their course of radiotherapy.
Painful erections following surgery could be due to internal bruising caused by the operation. The tube which carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body gets inflamed by the radiotherapy treatment.
This side effect should disappear a few weeks after you finish radiotherapy or as you recover from surgery. Talk to your specialist nurse for specific advice. If masturbation and sex is important to you, its important to keep stimulating the penis to keep it healthy. On the other hand, if erections are very painful, you might need to avoid ejaculation for a while and try again later.
The penile injections to stimulate an erection can cause painful erections in some men. This pain might lessen with continued treatment.
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What Causes Prostate Cancer
Experts have not been able to pinpoint the reason that cells within your prostate become cancerous. However, a number of factors appear to play some part in triggering the process.
Your cells have specific instructions regarding what theyre supposed to do: when to grow, when to divide and form new cells, and when to die. They get those instructions from your genes, which you inherit from your parents, and which are made up of DNA, a chemical within your cells. That DNA can be damaged, causing genes to send the wrong instructions to your cells. For example, genes that normally help prevent cells from growing out of control may stop working properly. And that may lead to cancer.
Why does this happen? In some cases, you inherit faulty genes from one or both of your parents, or you have a family history of other types of cancers.
How To Prevent Prostate Cancer Naturally
Follow these prostate cancer prevention tips:
#1. Follow a Healthy Lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle ideally protects you from various diseases, including prostate cancer.
Hence, smoking and drinking should be avoided as much as one can do!
In fact, smoking is one of the major causes responsible for the widespread menace of cancer.
Hence its ideal to stay away from smoking.
And that is, obviously, independent of the fact whether celibacy can cause prostate cancer or not.
#2. Following a Proper Meal Plan
A healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies and low in refined foods is ideal for a healthy prostate.
It protects as well as promotes the healthy functioning of your gland.
According to experts, you can have a diet plan containing whole grains, fruits, veggies, tomatoes, and yogurt.
#3. Do Not Use Supplements
People usually prefer going for nutrient supplements or for supplements that boost performance.
But such supplements may have a negative impact on your glands increasing the risk of prostate cancer.
Hence, try taking foods rich in specific nutrients instead of supplements.
#4. Using Medicines Right
People often skip the medications or overdo them the wrong way.
Apart from this, it has also been seen that people take medicines without proper consultation.
For example, long usage of aspirin.
Such practices harm your glands.
#5. Have More Sex and Masturbate Less
Ejaculatory frequency has a controversial link with reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
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Does Ejaculation Protect Against Prostate Cancer
One American study published in 2016 found that men who reported more than 21 ejaculations per month had a 31 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than men who reported four to seven ejaculations a month. So does ejaculation protect against prostate cancer? Other studies looking for a link between ejaculation frequency and prostate cancer have yielded conflicting results, however. Still, sex is good for your health, so enjoy it!
For reasons not fully known, ejaculating more may lower the risk of prostate cancer.
Source: Dr. Anne Calvaresi, Chair of the Urology Care Foundation’s Prostate Health Committee.
Ejaculating after all, based upon some studies, through sexual intercourse or masturbation, does not seem to protect against higher-risk prostate cancers. The studies do not sort out between ejaculating during sexual intercourse or masturbation, and the effect of each on prostate cancer.
One study followed 32,000 men for 18 years in the US. It found men who ejaculated the most had a 20% lower chance of prostate cancer vs. those who ejaculated 4 to 7 times a month. The more the number increased per month, the lower their risk. Other studies have found ejaculation rate has no impact on prostate cancer rates.
The bottom line is more research is needed before we know for sure whether more ejaculation reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
The Urology Care Foundation is the Official Foundation of the American Urological Association
How Do Doctors Screen For Prostate Cancer
The answer is complicated. While nearly all cases of prostate cancer are discovered during screening for the disease, you and your doctor first must decide if screening is right for you. Lets start there.
First, what is prostate cancer screening? Screening tells your doctor whether or not youre likely to have this disease. Its not a diagnosis but rather helps guide the decision to undergo further testing, such as a biopsy, which will help determine whether you actually do have prostate cancer, how aggressive it is, and If treatment is recommended. The tricky part, as well soon unpack in more detail, is that sometimes you can test positive for prostate cancerand immediate treatment is not recommended.
Lets first go over the initial tests youll likely have if screening is right for you:
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What You Can Do Now
Sexual side effects from prostate cancer treatment are often temporary, especially if your doctor used nerve-sparing surgery. While your body recovers, you can try a few things to maintain your sex life:
- Let your doctor know about any sexual problems youre having right away. Although it can be hard to talk about sex, being open and honest will help you get the treatment you need.
- See a therapist. Couples therapy can help you and your partner understand and deal with sexual issues.
- Take care of yourself by exercising, eating a well-balanced diet, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep. Looking and feeling your best will give your self-esteem and mood a boost.
Ejaculation Frequency And Prostate Cancer
Despite the importance of prostate cancer, its causes remain unknown. Scientists do know that genetics plays a strong role, and they have sound evidence that diet and other lifestyle factors are also important.
Since the prostate is a reproductive organ that produces fluid for the ejaculate, researchers have long wondered if sexual factors influence a man’s risk of prostate cancer, but a Harvard study provides good news for sexually active men.
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- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
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When Should You Get Tested For Prostate Cancer
A blood test known as Prostate-Specific Antigen was once routinely given to all men over age 50 to check for elevated levels of a substance in the blood that might indicate prostate cancer. That recommendation was withdrawn in the early 2010s, because the test is imprecise and could lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. But in May 2018, the US Preventive Services Task Force issued its latest recommendation : Between the ages of 55 and 69, men should individually decide whether to screen for prostate cancer with a PSA test, after consulting with their doctor. Prostate cancer screening is not recommended after age 70 since there is no evidence it results in an increased lifespan.
It May Be Able To Help Alleviate Symptoms Of An Enlarged Prostate
An enlarged prostate, or benign prostate hyperplasia , is extremely common: in fact, according to the National Kidney and Urological Disease Information Clearinghouse, it is the most common prostate problem for men over 50. Like prostatitis, the most common symptoms are painful urination, urinary retention, and frequent urination.
Often, men with BPH can take alpha blockers to relax their bladder muscles and make it easier for them to urinate, or 5-alpha reductase inhibitors to try to reduce the size of their prostate gland by blocking hormones that contribute to prostate growth. A small 2006 case study found that regular prostate massage combined with such medications can also help alleviate symptoms.
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Sensitivity Analyses And Effect Modification
If men with erectile dysfunction have lower ejaculatory frequency and serious comorbidities associated with a higher risk of premature death from other causes, a spurious association between less frequent ejaculation and reduced risk of PCa could result. To address this issue, we performed a sensitivity analysis that excluded men who reported a history of erectile dysfunction, defined as poor or very poor ability to maintain an erection without treatment during the period 19901994, as assessed in the 2000 questionnaire. To eliminate a possible effect of undiagnosed disease on ejaculation frequency reported, we also performed analyses that excluded cases diagnosed within the first 4 yr of follow-up. Finally, to address the fact that diagnostic intensity may vary according to ejaculation frequency, we conducted a sensitivity analysis restricted to a PSA-screened subset of men who reported a PSA test before 1994 with follow-up from 1994 to 2010. Stratified analyses were performed to evaluate potential effect modifications by age, BMI, and vasectomy status. The statistical significance of effect modifications was tested using likelihood ratio tests to compare models with and without interaction terms between the potential effect modifier and ejaculation frequency. All aforementioned analyses were performed using SAS statistical software .
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