Here’s One Big Way Sex Is Good for a Man’s Health, According to Science

Take your medicine, fellas.

Zeynep Yenisey

Apr 22, 2016

We already know that having a lot of sex is good for you. It keeps you young and it makes you happy, but did you know that it also keeps things working efficiently below the belt?

Previous research revealed that when you don’t ejaculate regularly, the fluid in your prostate becomes stagnant and full of viruses and bacteria, which can lead to serious prostate issues as you age. Now, researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published a new study, again showing how bad it is to keep it in your pants for too long.

The study followed 31,025 men in their 20s from 1992 to 2010. During that time period, nearly 4,000 were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Based on this data, the researchers discovered that men in their 20s who ejaculated at least 21 times per month had a 19% lower chance of developing prostate cancer than those who ejaculated four to seven times per month. By age 40, orgasms became even better, and those who came more often were 22% less likely to get prostate cancer.

“Ejaculation frequency is, to some extent, a measure of overall health status in that men at the very low end of ejaculation — 0 to 3 times per month — were more likely to have other (medical problems) and die prematurely from causes other than prostate cancer,” said lead researcher Jennifer Rider, leading us to wonder what kind of human men ejaculate less than three times a month. Guys, if you’re out there, blink twice if you need help.

However healthy it is to have sex, it goes without saying that it’s only good for your prostate if you wrap things up, because contracting an STD would definitely be counterintuitive. You don’t want to be plagued with the never-ending fury of herpes while trying to keep your man-gland happy, do you?

Having a lot of orgasms is pretty damn good for your prostate, so don’t hold back. And if you can’t find a lovely lady to help you with your health regimen, don’t worry: there’s nothing wrong with a little self-love.