Did you need another reason to enjoy the pleasure of sex more often? Great news – it’s better for your prostate health if you have more orgasms from sex on a regular basis.
For many years, it had been assumed that frequent sexual activity or ejaculation was not good for your prostate health. Some even went as far as saying that it increased your risk for prostate cancer due to continual increases in testosterone which can lead to the growth of prostate cancer cells. However, because those conclusions were never truly proven, new studies are being done to find out if the exact opposite is true.
One large study found that men who had ejaculated the most often had a 33% lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Men who ejaculated 21 or more times per month in their 40s had a 32% lower risk of prostate cancer than those who reported only ejaculating between four and seven times a month. Moreover, at each increase of three ejaculations per week during a man’s lifetime, there was a 15% reduction in prostate cancer risk.
So what may be behind the health benefits of frequent ejaculation?
Researchers tend to think that your prostate benefits from ejaculation, because it helps to flush out chemical carcinogens that may be left or retained in the prostate glands. Frequent ejaculation may also promote a rapid turnover of fluids, which can prevent mini-crystals from forming. These mini-crystals can block ducts within the prostate gland increasing your risk for prostate cancer.
The simple fact that ejaculating releases tension may also be a reason why more sex can lead to better prostate health. The lower levels of stress and anxiety achieved through ejaculation can potentially slow the growth of cancer cells in your prostate.
So does this mean doctors should start prescribing more sex as a form of preventative medicine?
Not quite. More studies certainly need to be done to confirm this hypothesis. This study, while large in numbers, consisted mostly of white, middle-age men. Black men, on average, are more likely to develop prostate cancer than white or Asian men, so it is unclear how frequent ejaculation may or may not affect their prostate cancer risk.
Phoenix urologist Dr. Desi Avila is an expert in diagnosing and treating the three most common prostate problems: inflammation (prostatitis), enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH), and prostate cancer. If you are having concerns about your prostate health and need a consultation, give him a call at (480) 961-2323 or request an appointment online.
