# Is it healthy to masturbate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025 "2004-01-06T16:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Israfell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Israfell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Israfell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/1 "2004-01-06T16:01:53Z")
I know this is a weird question but i’m really wondering if it is healthy or unhealthy. I know it help release sexual stress, but aside from that fact, is there any other pros or cons about it? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/2 "2004-01-06T16:08:36Z")
According to [one recent study](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3072021.stm), > [@](#): > > Men could reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer through regular masturbation, researchers suggest. > > They say cancer-causing chemicals could build up in the prostate if men do not ejaculate regularly. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/3 "2004-01-06T16:09:36Z")
News item from a few months ago: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3072021.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3072021.stm) > [@](#): > > Men could reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer through regular masturbation, researchers suggest. > > They say cancer-causing chemicals could build up in the prostate if men do not ejaculate regularly. > > And they say sexual intercourse may not have the same protective effect because of the possibility of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, which could increase men’s cancer risk. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/4 "2004-01-06T16:12:31Z")
Of COURSE that got simulposted … we’re just VERY CONCERNED about the health of board, umm, members. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/5 "2004-01-06T16:12:44Z")
Any Dopers may correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe I read something once where an M.D. columnist was asked this question, wherein he replied something to the effect of, “If you had the choice between not doing it at all or doing it all the time, I’d recommend you do it all the time.” Supposedly the fluids in semen help keep the vas deferens and urethra clean. - Adam ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/6 "2004-01-06T16:14:17Z")
Bah! Beaten to the punch again! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/7 "2004-01-06T16:48:51Z")
It depends on what you mean by healthy. I had to endure a safe sex lecture for teachers (that is, safe sex for students, not us) they pointed out that a lot of boys wack off without using lubrication. While, when done within reason, it might not casue any major damage, too much masturbation - especially without lubrication - might have the unintended effect of desensitizing your penis - and making it more difficult to get or maintain an erection with conventional intercourse. Which, I guess, would lead to highly insulted and pissed off partners and more chicken choking, and so on, and so on. I always wondered why my nerdy roommate would go through a bottle of hand lotion a week. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/8 "2004-01-06T16:56:11Z")
**Is it healthy to masturbate?** I think my cousin’s training for the Olympics. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/9 "2004-01-06T17:26:49Z")
**scr** said it first: > [@](#): > > According to one recent study, > > > [@](#): > > > > Men could reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer through regular masturbation, researchers suggest. > > > > They say cancer-causing chemicals could build up in the prostate if men do not ejaculate regularly. Now how did their research manage to establish this? I mean, where did they get their control group for comparison? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/10 "2004-01-06T17:35:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by YPOD \* > \*\*without lubrication - might have the unintended effect of desensitizing your penis - and making it more difficult to get or maintain an erection with conventional intercourse. Which, I guess, would lead to highly insulted and pissed off partners and more chicken choking, and so on, and so on. \*\* Believe me, this can occur using lubrication, as well. Just like anything, too much can be harmful. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/11 "2004-01-06T17:38:01Z")
Is this thread related to the Ed Zotti left-handed one? ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/12 "2004-01-06T18:28:49Z")
Is it healthy? I’m 5’6", 130lbs and in great shape and I owe it all to masterbation! 😛 **FUCK JOHN BASEDOW!!!** ---
**Author:** ![SAustinTx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@SAustinTx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SAustinTx)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/13 "2004-01-06T18:31:53Z")
I’m not going to bother looking up a cite for this since I’m pretty sure I read it in an age old Penthouse, but one interesting theory I heard was that males are compelled to masturbate to help rid the body of aging sperm and make way for the “new guard”, so to speak. May not be true, but at least I didn’t make it up. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/14 "2004-01-06T18:32:43Z")
Well, just make sure you wash your hands before you do so if you’ve just been handling dead woodchucks… ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/15 "2004-01-06T18:33:25Z")
Not if someone walks in unexpectedly and you have a heart attack. ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/16 "2004-01-06T18:38:07Z")
Someone posted an interesting story about masturbating “downwards” and causing serious desenitizing of the penis (so much so that it actually causes injury). Very interesting read, if anyone can find it. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_Samaritan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bad\_Samaritan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Samaritan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/17 "2004-01-06T18:46:57Z")
Is it healthy? My Popeye the Sailor Man forearms say yes ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/18 "2004-01-06T18:48:22Z")
According to my girlfriend, who did a huge amount of sex research (and got it published), having sex 3-4 times per week can help your immune system. No mention was made of whether the buddy system was necessary. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-healthy-to-masturbate/223025/19 "2004-01-06T18:49:35Z")
If it’s unhealthy, I’ll gladly be less healthy.