If you’re a fan of orgasms (and who isn’t?), it’s your lucky day! A recent Harvard University study found that men who had at least 21 orgasms in a month, were a third less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to men who only ejaculated 4 to 7 times per month. It sounds too good to be true, but those of us in sexual medicine have always known that milking the cow, so to speak, had a host of healthy benefits. Let’s see how ejaculating helps prevent prostate cancer.

In addition to that intense, peel-yourself-off-the-wall pleasure that you feel during an orgasm, ejaculation has a long list of healthy side effects. Ejaculating releases endorphins, the body’s feel-good neurochemicals that can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and improve feelings of self-worth and self-esteem. Endorphins also play a role in controlling appetite and increasing immune function. Plus, if you or your partner have ever found yourself snoring minutes after sex, it will come as no surprise to you that orgasms can also help you get to sleep faster.

In addition to releasing chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and prolactin, it’s thought that ejaculation can also purge toxins, impurities and carcinogens from the prostate. By frequently getting rid of sperm that may contain DNA damage, ejaculating regularly can also improve the quality of your semen. One study showed that after ejaculating every day for seven days, 80% of the participants had an increase in sperm quality. The results led researchers to believe that increased ejaculation can lead to an improvement in fertility.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers for men in the U.S. In 2022, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 268,490 new cases of prostate cancer and around 34,500 deaths from the disease in the U.S. alone. To put that into perspective, approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime, and 1 in 41 men will die from prostate cancer. For reference, the average age of a man when he is first diagnosed with prostate cancer is 66. 

The Harvard University study was published in the journal of European Urology and took self-reported data from close to 32,000 men from 1992 to 2010. By analyzing the monthly questionnaires that the participants provided, the researchers found that men who ejaculated more (at least 21 times per month) were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer during the study.

In full disclosure, this is not the only study that’s been done on the frequency of ejaculation and the incidence of prostate cancer. Other studies have found no links between the two, and one study even found an increase in prostate cancer linked to increased masturbation. I include this because I don’t want you to stress if you’re not able to pull off 21 orgasms a month. That’s a lot. However, from what we know, having orgasms and releasing semen on a regular basis can have mental, emotional and physical benefits.

Prostate cancer is very common, but the 5-year relative survival rate based on men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2010 and 2016 is 98%. As with many cancers, early detection of prostate cancer, diagnosis and treatment increases positive outcomes. Since early stages of prostate cancer often cause no symptoms, they’re usually detected by preemptive screening. More advanced cancers can cause symptoms such as problems urinating, blood in the urine or semen, erectile dysfunction, pain in the bones, loss of bladder or bowel control and weakness or numbness in the legs or feet. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s time to see a doctor. 

If you want to be proactive and increase the number of ejaculations you have each month, I encourage you to go for it! The easiest method is masturbation. Pick a start date and see if you can masturbate 21 times in a month. Maybe 21 times is out of the question (who has that kind of time?!), but maybe an extra 5 times is totally doable. If you’re looking to make ejaculating more fun for both you and your partner, give our Popstar supplements a try. You may find that when you improve the taste of your semen, your partner might be more willing to help you reach your ejaculation goals.