Advantages and Disadvantages of Masturbation in Men
Masturbation in men is generally a safe sexual activity with potential benefits for sexual response and function, particularly in specific clinical contexts like cancer treatment, though excessive frequency may be associated with reduced relationship satisfaction in partnered men.
Advantages
Sexual Health Benefits
Regular sexual stimulation through masturbation may improve sexual response, particularly in men recovering from cancer treatment or experiencing erectile dysfunction. Expert panels from the American Society of Clinical Oncology note that any kind of regular stimulation, including masturbation, would likely benefit sexual response regardless of the method used 1.
Masturbation represents a safe, universal sexual outlet that allows men to maintain sexual function and explore their sexual response without risk of sexually transmitted infections or unintended pregnancy 2.
In fertility preservation contexts, masturbation is the most established technique for sperm collection and cryopreservation in men facing cancer treatment, with large cohort studies supporting its use 1.
Physiological Considerations
Sexual activity, including masturbation, stimulates testosterone production, which may contribute to general health benefits, though this relationship requires more robust research confirmation 2.
Masturbation allows men to maintain ejaculatory control and is recognized as a normal aspect of sexual function when men can exert control over timing during both partnered encounters and solo activity 1.
Disadvantages
Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction
In partnered men, masturbation frequency shows a predominantly negative correlation with sexual satisfaction. Studies indicate 71.4% of research in men found negative associations between masturbation and sexual satisfaction, with only 7.2% showing positive associations 3.
Higher masturbation frequency is associated with lower sexual and relationship satisfaction in multivariate analyses, alongside factors like poorer erectile functioning and lower sexual interest 4.
Masturbation may serve a compensatory role, particularly when relationship satisfaction is already compromised, suggesting it may be a marker rather than a cause of relationship difficulties 3.
Psychological and Social Correlates
Masturbation has been associated with depression, anxiety, immature psychological defenses, hypersexuality, guilt, poor body self-image, and workplace stress in psychological studies, though causality remains unclear 5.
Negative correlations exist between masturbation and relationship quality parameters including intimacy, relational happiness, emotional satisfaction with partners, trust, passion, and love 5.
Masturbation is highly positively correlated with pornography consumption and negatively correlated with religiosity, which may create psychological distress in individuals with strong religious beliefs 5.
Physical Risks
- Medical complications, though rare, include penile injury and self-asphyxial behavior associated with masturbation practices 5.
Prostate Cancer Considerations
The relationship between masturbation and prostate cancer risk remains inconclusive. A literature review found that 44% of studies (7 of 16) reported protective associations between ejaculation through masturbation and prostate cancer risk, but no universally accepted themes emerged 6.
Age range appears as a significant variable in the relationship between masturbation, ejaculation frequency, and prostate cancer risk, but insufficient agreement exists across study designs to make definitive statements 6.
Current guidelines do not recommend frequency of ejaculation as a preventive measure for prostatitis, as neither the American Urological Association nor European Association of Urology include such recommendations 7.
Clinical Context Matters
The impact of masturbation depends heavily on individual circumstances:
In men with erectile dysfunction or recovering from cancer treatment, regular stimulation including masturbation is viewed positively by expert panels 1.
In partnered men with satisfactory relationships, excessive masturbation frequency may signal or contribute to relationship dissatisfaction 3, 4.
Frequency of pornography use during masturbation shows weak or no association with erectile functioning or dysfunction severity in multivariate analyses, though heavy reliance coupled with high masturbation frequency may represent a risk factor in vulnerable subsets of men 4.
Common Pitfalls
Avoid assuming masturbation causes erectile dysfunction—multivariate analyses show that age, anxiety/depression, chronic medical conditions, low sexual interest, and low relationship satisfaction are far more consistent and salient predictors of erectile problems than masturbation frequency 4.
Do not conflate masturbation frequency with pornography use—these are separate variables with different relationships to sexual and relationship outcomes 4.
Recognize that associations do not establish causation—many negative psychological and relationship correlates may reflect underlying issues rather than direct effects of masturbation 3, 5.