Researchers say they are still studying the connection between ejaculation and prostate health.

This is coming on the heels of report that frequent sex and subsequent ejaculations are capable of preventing men from developing prostate cancer.

Doctors say they may not be ready to write prescriptions for more sex yet, as more research needs to be done to tighten unanswered questions in the Harvard ejaculation study of March 2014, as updated on June 19, 2019.

Physicians however warn that you may have an increased risk of prostate cancer if you’ve had sex with 30 or more women or if you’ve had a sexually transmitted disease.

In an August 2018 Journal of Sexual Medicine article, scientists reported on their review of 22 studies on the topic. Overall, the studies involved over 55,000 men.

According to the study, men who had had fewer sexual partners over their lifetime appeared to be at lower risk for prostate cancer. “Risk increased 1.10-fold for every 10 female partners a man had,” the journal stated.

In the Harvard study, researchers noted that the causes of prostate cancer 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,” they said in the introduction to the study.

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.

According to the Harvard study, in 1992, 29,342 men between the ages of 46 and 81 provided information about their average number of ejaculations per month in young adulthood (age 20–29), middle age (40–49), and in the most recent year.

Ejaculations included sexual intercourse, nocturnal emissions, and masturbation.

The volunteers provided comprehensive health and lifestyle data every two years until the study concluded in year 2000.

The scientists noted that high ejaculation frequency was linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer.

“Compared to men who reported 4–7 ejaculations per month across their lifetimes, men who ejaculated 21 or more times a month enjoyed a 31 percent lower risk of prostate cancer.

“And the results held up to rigorous statistical evaluation even after other lifestyle factors and the frequency of PSA testing were taken into account,” the researchers said.

Another Australian study of 2,338 male states that “men who averaged 4.6–7 ejaculations a week were 36 percent less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 70 than men who ejaculated less than 2.3 times a week on average.”

According to online journal Harvard Health Publishing, “The studies from the United States and Australia do little to answer critical questions, but they do open a new avenue for research.

“Since both report that a high frequency of ejaculation early in adulthood has the greatest impact on the risk of prostate cancer decades later, they call attention to the role of events early in life, when the prostate is developing and maturing.

“There is certainly precedent for a long lag between cause and effect. For example, childhood sunburn is a major risk factor for malignant melanomas in adulthood, and prenatal factors that influence birth weight appear to influence the lifetime risk for hypertension and heart disease.

“With respect to prostate cancer, sexual activity in adolescence may be a predictor of risk in adulthood.”

According to the online portal WebMD, while the research is promising, there’s still a lot that scientists need to learn.

The online portal said there’s no proof that ejaculating more actually causes lower 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,” the portal stated.

It noted that, for now, scientists don’t know if ejaculation during sex vs. masturbation has the same benefits; adding, “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.”

It added that 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,” the health portal stated.

Again, Mayo Clinic states that “At this time, there is no conclusive evidence that frequent ejaculation reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

“Some studies have suggested that men with a higher frequency of ejaculations may have a slightly lower risk of prostate cancer. However, this difference appears to be very small.

“Other studies haven’t supported this conclusion.”

Another authoritative source, Berkeley Wellness, an online health portal of the University of California, stated that since observational studies such as these can only show association, not causation, it’s certainly possible that there’s another factor common among men who ejaculate frequently that accounts for their reduced risk.

“In any case, the evidence isn’t strong enough to recommend upping your sex or masturbation frequency for the sole purpose of preventing prostate cancer,” it stated.

An online newsletter, Cancer Health, also said “the results will need to be replicated in another independent cohort;” while Healthline said more research is needed to better understand the relationship between prostate cancer and ejaculation.

In the same vein, the International Society for Sexual Medicine stated that men who had their first experience with intercourse at older ages were at lower risk for prostate cancer.

“For every five years of delay, risk decreased four percent. In other words, a man who had intercourse for the first time at age 16 would be at higher risk than a man whose first experience was at age 21,” ISSM said, quoting sources from American Cancer Society.

Explaining its position, it said, “It’s possible that men with fewer partners and those who wait longer to have intercourse might have less exposure to sexually-transmitted infections and risky sexual behaviors, which might play a role in cancer risk.”

It added that some prostate cancer risk factors, like age, ethnicity, and genetics are out of a man’s control; but advising that keeping healthy habits can go a long way to reduce risk for cancer and other serious health conditions.

It’s because of your sexual habits. Alternately, it could be that you have a stronger sex drive due to higher levels of male hormones, which can be a risk factor,” Healthline further stated.

The Punch