September is National Prostate Health Month, and guys everywhere should take notice - your prostate is essential. There are steps that you can take (and some that you're already taking) to reduce your risks of cancer and other diseases.
First off, a quick introduction to your prostate: it's a small gland in the male reproductive system. It's responsible for transferring sperm to the urethra during ejaculation, and it secretes the white fluid that combines with seminal vesicle fluid and sperm to make semen.
Prostate cancer is common cancer among older men, second only to non-melanoma skin cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 196,038 men were diagnosed in 2010, and nearly 29,000 men died from the disease.
It's especially common past age 50, but cancer can start at any age. Treatments are available and practical - the American Cancer Society notes that the 15-year survival rate is 94 percent, and early detection improves the odds for patients - but cancers can sometimes spread to other parts of the body. Cancers of the prostate sometimes metastasize to the bones and lymph nodes, where the survival rates aren't as favorable.
Can Masturbation Help to Stop or Prevent Cancer?
So, what can you do to prevent cancer from forming in the first place? Some studies suggest that ejaculation can limit the chances of prostate cancer, especially among older men. The general opinion is that regular ejaculation clears the prostate of older fluid and sperm, prompting more gland activity.
This could, in turn, reduce the chances of cancer, or the actual ejection of the older materials could prevent toxic carcinogens from building up. Alternately, frequent orgasms could affect hormone production, which would likely affect carcinogenesis (the creation of cancer cells).
More research needs to be completed, but there seems to be good news for guys: if you masturbate or have sex regularly, you could potentially lower your risks. However, it's essential to note that masturbation will probably not affect the growth of existing cancers in one way or another.
Prostate Massage and Other Ways to Reduce Risks
So, is there a specific type of masturbation that works better than others for keeping you healthy? Probably not - any ejaculation will utilize the prostate, so find something that you enjoy. As long as you're climaxing two to three times per week, you can affect your risks.
In the words of Dr. Polyxeni Dimitropoulou, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, "It is kind of logical that a moderate level of masturbatory activity has to be maintained. Not too much, not too little."
Listen to your body, and enjoy sex or masturbation whenever you feel inclined. There's another possible way to reduce risks: prostate massage. This practice involves stimulating the prostate either externally by pushing on the perineum (sometimes called the taint) or internally with the use of a prostate massager.
It typically results in orgasm and ejaculation, and it can feel quite different from an external climax. Practitioners of prostate massage note that the practice promotes healthy circulation and reduces prostatitis symptoms (infection and prostate inflammation).
Some researchers have suggested that better circulation could also mean a lower risk of cancer - especially if you're prone to infections or if you have an enlarged prostate. Of course, the best way to protect yourself against prostate cancer is to receive clinical examinations, especially after age 45 regularly.
If you have a family history of prostate cancer, you should get checked earlier. Prostate cancer grows very slowly, and by catching the disease early, you can treat it while substantially limiting the risks to your health.