There are several myths about what happens in a man’s body when he hasn’t had sex for a long period of time. Among other things, there is talk of loss of libido, sperm congestion and erectile dysfunction. What is true and what is not – FITBOOK clarifies.
Stagnation of semen, loss of libido and sperm that eventually go bad… There are real horror stories about abstinence from sex in men. FITBOOK has checked eight of the most common claims with an expert for their truthfulness. What happens in a man’s body if he has not had sex for a long time?
Are the sex organs changing?
Muscles that have not been used for a long time recede. A similar development could theoretically also take place in the sexual organs – in other words, they no longer function as they should in practice. And indeed: If you haven’t used your best piece for a long time, this can promote erectile dysfunction. This is confirmed by Dr. medical Christoph Pies, specialist in urology and author, in conversation with FITBOOK. Due to the lack of blood flow, the erectile tissue can «atrophy» over time, i.e. wither away. Pies speaks of changes in the muscles in the genitals and scarring in the erectile tissue, which abstinence can bring with it. This has even been shown in a study.1
Semen congestion – does it really exist?
Going long without sex is said to cause sperm stasis and testicle swelling—a painful notion that, fortunately, can be consigned to the realms of legend. Urologist Pies gives the all-clear. «Although new sperm are constantly being produced in the testicles, unused sperm will sooner or later be broken down or ejected through nocturnal ejaculation.» So there is no such thing as sperm congestion.
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Can sperm go «bad»?
Accordingly, what was said back then in the schoolyard is also not true: that the quality of the sperm suffers if you haven’t had sex for a long time and have therefore not «got rid of it». According to Pies, the seminal fluid changes neither for the better nor for the worse, which is also said to have been proven by US researchers with a large-scale study.2
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Does sex (withdrawal) affect the prostate?
Yes. In a joint study, researchers from various faculties were able to show that regular ejaculation reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.3 21 or more ejaculation sessions per month led to a 33 percent reduced risk compared to the group who only ejaculated four to seven times per month Month ejaculated.
Does the immune system suffer if you don’t have sex for a long time?
no Conversely, one can say with certainty that having sex two to three times a week supports your immune system! Especially if another person is involved, says Pies: «The exchange of saliva acts like a vaccination, since more antibodies can also be detected.»
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Does Sex Withdrawal Damage Mental Health?
As is well known, the release of happiness hormones is provoked during sex and the release of the stress hormone cortisol is inhibited. If this «act» is omitted, one is correspondingly more irritable. Many of those affected often promote this unhealthy effect themselves – unintentionally, of course. Pies reports on a study by the University of Göttingen with around 32,000 subjects, the data from which showed that a third of the men and women who had sex at most once a week were distracted by work. «It increases the stress level even more,» Pies warns. The answer is therefore: yes.
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Is there a «feminization»?
In fact, the «male hormone» testosterone is produced less when ejaculation does not occur. According to Pies, testosterone levels plummeted about a week after the last ejaculation. When this is persistent, various physical processes that might be important to men are aggravated; such as building muscle. However, this does not lead to a «feminization».
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Does libido go away if you don’t have sex for a long time?
In extreme cases this can happen. Doctors speak of «widower’s syndrome», a sexual disorder in which the body has become accustomed to being sexless. The decrease in testosterone is also involved here. But don’t worry: you don’t have to put yourself under pressure just because it hasn’t worked out for a while. And if you feel like it, you can help yourself!
Sources
- 1. Albaugh, JA (2010). Addressing and managing erectile dysfunction after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Urol Nurs.
- 2. Keihani S, Craig JR, Zhang C et al. (2017). Impacts of Abstinence Time on Semen Parameters in a Large Population-based Cohort of Subfertile Men. Infertility.
- 3. Leitzmann, MF, Platz, EA, Stampfer, MJ et al. (2004). Ejaculation Frequency and Subsequent Risk of Prostate Cancer. JAMA.
This article appeared in a previous version on August 7, 2020 at FITBOOK.