Can Sex and Masturbation Affect Prostate Cancer Risk?

Written by R. Morgan Griffin
Medically Reviewed by Jabeen Begum, MD on February 18, 2025
4 min read

Here’s a health tip that might sound pretty good to many guys: Have more sex, or masturbate more, and you might lower your odds of getting prostate cancer. Research suggests that the more often men ejaculate, the less likely they are to have the disease. 

That's because your prostate, the small gland that's located below your bladder and in front of your rectum, adds fluids to your semen. The muscles of your prostate also help force your semen into your urethra and out of your body when you have an orgasm.

Over the years, there’s been growing evidence of a link between ejaculation and lower chances of prostate cancer. But the 2016 results of a major study made the strongest case yet. Researchers asked men how often they ejaculated, including through sex, masturbation, or wet dreams, and tracked nearly 32,000 men for 18 years.

The researchers found that guys who did it the most (at least 21 times a month) had about a 20% lower chance of prostate cancerthan those who did it less (four to seven times a month). That was true across several age groups.

Other research found men needed to ejaculate more than four times per month to have their chances of prostate cancer lowered. 

Why might ejaculation help prostate health? Experts aren’t sure. Some believe that it can flush out harmful chemicals that might build up in semen.

Does ejaculation help prostatitis?

Prostatitis is when you have swelling and inflammation of your prostate. It's often caused by bacteria and is different than an enlarged prostate. It often causes pain when you ejaculate, but some research suggests frequent ejaculation can reduce the inflammation caused by prostatitis. But most of the studies have been very small, so we need more research to know for sure.

While research is promising, there’s still a lot scientists need to learn. Some things to consider:

  • There’s no proof that ejaculating more actually lowers the chances of prostate cancer. For now, doctors just know they’re connected. It may be that men who do it more tend to have other healthy habits that are lowering their odds.
  • Ejaculation doesn’t seem to protect against the most deadly or advanced types of prostate cancer. Experts don’t know why.
  • Scientists don’t know if ejaculation during sex vs. masturbation has the same benefits. Some research has found that the makeup of semen is different for each. For example, semen during sex has higher levels of sperm and some chemicals. It’s possible that these could make a difference in a man’s odds of having prostate cancer.
  • Not all studies have found a benefit. The 2016 study got attention because of its size (almost 32,000 men) and length (18 years). But some smaller studies have not shown the same good results. A few even found that some men, specifically younger men, who masturbated more had slightly higher chances of prostate cancer. Some researchers wonder if a man’s age may affect whether more ejaculation helps.

Sex is complex, so how much you masturbate and how that will affect you is also complex. A 2022 study suggests that too much masturbation can reduce the sensitivity of the penis. You can try using a vibrator to masturbate if you find your penis is too desensitized and you're having trouble having orgasm during intercourse.

There's really no way to prevent getting prostate cancer because things such as genetics, age, and race play a role in whether you'll get it. But you can do things to lower other controllable risk factors by:

  • Getting screened early, especially if you're in a high-risk category for prostate cancer
  • Eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in fruits and vegetables
  • Exercising regularly
  • Quitting smoking, if you smoke
  • Drinking alcohol in moderation
  • Getting more vitamin D, either through your diet or supplements
  • Maintaining a healthy sex life

Researchers are still studying the connections between sexual activity and prostate cancer. So, doctors may not be ready to write prescriptions for “more sex” yet. But since masturbation and safe sex probably won’t cause you any health problems, there’s likely no harm in doing them more often.

For cancer experts, the research is exciting because it may offer men an answer to whether masturbation causes prostate cancer and a chance to lower their prostate cancer risk. Men can't change most things that raise a man’s odds, such as age and family history of the disease. But ejaculating more? That’s a job many men are willing to take on.

Does prostate cancer affect ejaculation? 

Yes. Prostate cancer can affect your erection and ejaculation. It can make it hard to get an erection and cause pain during ejaculation or orgasm. You might also have blood in your semen or have less semen than you did before being diagnosed with cancer.

Can sex help with prostate cancer?

Some studies suggest that having sex with frequent orgasms and ejaculation may reduce your risk of getting prostate cancer.