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Abstaining from masturbation has become a popular trend recently, with many claiming the health benefits of abstinence. However, science debunks almost all of these claims. Instead, there are genuine health benefits to masturbation which you would miss out on during abstinence. Masturbation is perfectly healthy and normal.
There’s a lot of hype surrounding the effects of not masturbating. However, with anti-masturbation initiatives and organisations like NoFap and “No Nut November” focusing only on the positive effects of abstinence, it is important to take a more balanced view.
Whilst there may be positives, there are negative effects of not masturbating too – as well as just neutral ones. In this article, we’re going to have a look at the range of impacts that masturbation avoidance has – and we’ll see what the science has to say too.
Positive Effects of Not Masturbating?
Let’s look first at the supposed benefits of not masturbating. Proponents of masturbation abstinence insist that avoiding self-pleasure has a number of hugely powerful effects on both your body and mind.
But we need to debunk some of the benefits that these NoFap practitioners report. Whilst some men swear by them, the evidence is purely anecdotal – and science hasn’t confirmed that these effects are as likely as is suggested.
Testosterone
Anti-masturbation initiatives such as “No Nut November” began online as a consequence of a particular study that suggested that refraining from masturbation for a week caused a 45.7% increase in testosterone levels. From this belief have come other claims, such as the idea that not masturbating helps you to build muscle.
Whilst this one study suggested that abstinence boosts testosterone levels, others disagree however. The link between masturbation and testosterone is actually highly uncertain. One study, for example, has shown that testosterone increases after ejaculation, whilst another suggested that self-pleasure has no effect on your hormones at all.
Willpower, Focus, and Motivation
Another supposed positive effect of not masturbating is that it increases your concentration and your productivity. This is often linked to the testosterone theory cited above, but also to the idea – which is as old as time itself – that sportsmen or soldiers should refrain before their big day.
Whilst many men have reported a greater dedication to a given task during periods of abstinence, one recent study has shown that sexual abstinence does not improve your performance the next day – nor vice versa. In fact, there’s no evidence at all that not masturbating improves your focus. It may even decrease it if you are someone with a high sex drive.
Stress and Mood
Similarly, some abstinent men claim that one of the major effects of not masturbating is on their mood and levels of stress. They claim to be happier, they note being less stressed, and report an increased sense of general wellbeing.
We wouldn’t deny the experience of men. So, if you feel these effects yourself, then good on you. However, there isn’t much evidence to support these claims. In fact, the opposite might be true. Masturbation itself is known to be an important mechanism for stress relief – and boosts your mood.
If masturbation is associated for you with negative feelings such as guilt and anxiety – something that may be more common than you think – simply not masturbating is not the best response. Instead, talk to someone about it. There should be no shame in self-pleasure at all.
Improved Sexual Health
Finally, it has been claimed that abstinence from masturbation has positive effects on your sexual health – including helping sperm health, curing erectile dysfunction, and changing unhealthy attitudes towards sex and towards women. It has also been cited as a way to tackle pornography addiction too.
However, there isn’t a lot of evidence to support this. Whilst sperm concentrations increase with abstinence, studies have shown that their motility decreases the longer abstinence continues. Meanwhile, a healthy man may experience more erections as a neutral side effect of not masturbating, but there is no evidence that those who are experiencing clinical erectile dysfunction will see any benefit as a result.
It needs to be said too that, in some cases, the culture surrounding communities of voluntary male abstinence can itself create unhealthy attitudes to sex and masturbation. Whilst compulsive masturbation can be a problem, masturbation in itself is normal, healthy, and brings its own benefits.
The Negative Effects of Not Masturbating
Whilst we have discussed many of the supposed positives, it is time to consider a few of the negative effects of not masturbating. Mainly, these arise from the fact that you will be missing out on many of the practice’s benefits.
The Benefits of Masturbation
Masturbation’s benefits range from the psychological to the physical, with evidence suggesting that self-pleasure can help reduce depression, improve the functioning of your immune system, and even reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes.
Meanwhile, there has been a lot of excitement surrounding a possible link between masturbation and prostate cancer, with evidence suggesting that the more you masturbate as a young man, the less likely you are to develop the illness.
Moreover, masturbation provides the easiest way for people to reach orgasm, which is itself something that brings positives to your health. These include lower blood pressure, reduced stress, a decreased chance of illness, and a heightened feeling of health.
By not masturbating, you’re forgoing these potential benefits – without many certain positives in return.
Unhealthy Attitudes toward Masturbation
As we said above, campaigns surrounding not masturbating can instil unhealthy attitudes towards self-pleasure. Beliefs in the benefits of abstinence can reinforce negative feelings towards what is a normal and natural part of life at all ages.
Masturbation enables people to explore their own body and sexuality – and can make you feel much more comfortable with your own desires when it comes to partnered intercourse. Framing masturbation as something that you should avoid does not encourage healthy development in these matters.
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Key Takeaways
Not everyone enjoys masturbation – and it is perfectly reasonable not to do it if you don’t want to. However, don’t be convinced that not masturbating will bring health benefits. These have not been confirmed by science – and are purely based on anecdotes.
Masturbation brings benefits ranging from a reduced risk of depression to a healthier prostate, whilst it is also an enjoyable and normal thing to do too. If not masturbating makes you feel good, however, then that’s up to you. At the end of the day, what you do with your body is your choice alone.
FAQs
Why is abstaining from masturbation so popular?
Recently, organisations and initiatives like NoFap and ‘No Nut November’ have popularised abstinence from masturbation, reporting that it benefits your sexual health. Previously in history, other groups have promoted abstinence for religious reasons. However, there really is no logic behind abstaining from masturbation if you don’t want to. Abstinence can actually carry negative health effects, whilst masturbation is linked to many positive health benefits.
Does abstinence from masturbation improve mood, energy levels, and motivation?
This is one of the many claims made by organisations like NoFap, and if this is your experience with abstinence then that’s great! However, there is no scientific evidence that abstinence has any positive effect on your mood, energy levels, or motivation. In fact, masturbation can help you destress, improve your mood, and sleep better, which would in turn help with energy levels and motivation.
Are there any benefits to abstaining from masturbation?
Masturbation is completely normal and healthy, but if you feel like you are masturbating too much, if you feel like you have an addiction to porn, or if you feel masturbation and/or porn is contributing to an unhealthy attitude toward women, then abstaining from masturbation may be a good thing for you. However, in these situations we’d always recommend that you ask a professional, like a doctor or therapist, for advice.
What are the negative effects of abstaining from masturbation?
Masturbation helps boost your mood, reduce stress levels and blood pressure, deal with depression, and even reduce the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes. Abstaining from masturbation means that you miss out on all of these impressive health benefits. Moreover, abstinence from masturbation may help foster unhealthy attitudes toward self-pleasure, which is a completely normal and healthy part of life for almost all people.
