Study: Ejaculation Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk

Frequent ejaculation is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer, according to results of a recent study.

The aim of the current study was to update and expand upon data from the 2004 Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), which had suggested a relationship between ejaculation frequency and prostate cancer risk.
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In their study, researchers examined data from 31,925 men, originally recruited in 1992 for HPFS. Over 437,490 person-years of follow-up, 3839 incidences of prostate cancer were reported.

Overall, researchers found that higher monthly ejaculation frequency was associated with a significan decrease in the risk of prostate cancer compared to controls (those reporting 4-7 ejaculations per month).

The hazard ratios comparing at least 21 ejaculations/month to 4-7 ejaculations/month were 0.81 (0.72-0.91) at age 20-29 and 0.78 (0.68-89) at age 40-49.

“These findings support a role for ejaculation frequency throughout adult life in the etiology of prostate cancer,” researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Ejaculation frequency and risk of prostate cancer: updated results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Paper presented at: The American Urological Association 2015 Annual Meeting. May 17, 2015. New Orleans, LA.