Prostate news article, October 2004
| SEXUAL ACTIVITY
AND PROSTATE CANCER: IS THERE A LINK?
Mr Majid Shabbir BSc(Hons) MBBS (Hons) MRCS(Eng) Urology Research Fellow, Royal Free Hospital, London |
Prostate cancer remains a mystery in many ways. Despite years of research, we still do not have a complete picture of how, why and in whom this cancer develops, and why it can behave so differently from one patient to the next. Numerous risk factors have been linked to an increased possibility of developing prostate cancer, including a previous family history of the disease and obesity. One of the more interesting risk factors, which incidentally is often touted as the root of all evil, is a history of increased sexual activity. But is there really any link between ejaculation and prostate cancer, or is this urban myth nothing more than an old wives' tale?
A group of scientists in the United States undertook experiments to find out just that. A study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Leitzmann et al. 291: 1578-1586, 2004) examined the relationship between sexual activity (defined as the frequency of ejaculation with intercourse, masturbation or nocturnal emission) and the risk of developing prostate cancer. Almost 30,000 men aged 46-81 years were involved in this study and using questionnaires their frequency of ejaculation was assessed both during their youth and at the present time. The men were followed up for eight years with repeated questionnaires every two years.
Happily, the study found that ejaculation frequency was not related to the development of prostate cancer. In fact they found that men who ejaculated the most seemed to have a decreased risk of prostate cancer. The exact reason for this is not clear at present. One possibility, suggested by the authors, is that frequent ejaculation may alter the composition of prostatic fluid and prevent the build up of potentially harmful cancer-causing chemicals.
So as far as ejaculation goes, although we cannot comment on the old wives' wisdom that 'too much sex will make you go blind', we can happily say that research suggests at least your prostate will be fine!