Sex and your prostate

Sixty-year-old Bill arranged to see his doctor because of the constant urge to urinate. After a thorough examination and some routine tests, the doctor announced that Bill suffered from a mild case of BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlarged prostate condition). No further medical treatment was prescribed, but the doctor recommended something that took Bill quite a bit by surprise: more frequent sex. According to the doctor, an increase in sexual activity could help release the accumulation of semen in Bill’s prostate and offset the harmful engorgement resulting from this accumulation.

Although Bill accepted his doctor’s advice without much difficulty, Michael, a thirty-six-year-old man who was also diagnosed with BPH, followed his advice with some reluctance. In Michael’s case, the doctor suggested less sex, at least during the initial recovery from BPH. (It appeared that Michael’s prostate problems were due to an overworked prostate, as a result of too frequent sexual activity.)

Reevaluation of an old concept

The relationship between sexuality and prostate disease has had a long and controversial history. In a book published in 1903 on the subject, the writer warned that “excessive indulgence, excessive intercourse, and masturbation” could cause injury to the prostate. A similar account of prostate disease and sex appeared in a popular medical atlas published in 1936. According to the physicians who wrote the atlas, “.. Sexual excess, masturbation … Alcoholic intemperance, [and] a sedentary life. . . it can make the prostate enlarge. “

As the state of medicine advanced, these turn-of-the-century views (minus the warnings against alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle) began to dissolve, and current thinking held that sexuality (whether with a partner or through masturbation) was not harmful. Any danger related to sex was considered in the context of disease transmission (gonorrhea, venereal diseases, etc.).

Surprising as it may sound, doctors are now re-evaluating the issue of sexual “indulgence” and its possible damaging effects on the prostate. But, as mentioned above, there are also times when indulgence can help better serve the prostate, and it is here that modern medicine stands in stark contrast to older views on sex.

How Sex Affects Your Prostate

The role of the prostate in ejaculation and semen production is influenced by sex, both of which play a key role in keeping the prostate healthy. To better understand how, consider the following illustration.

Imagine that your prostate is a production plant whose job it is to keep a constant supply of semen in stock (nature designed this to ensure that there is always enough available to keep the human race going). When the semen supply is too low, the prostate receives a signal from the brain to increase production. And when the levels are too high, the prostate is asked to release semen to prevent it from becoming too saturated.

The goal is to keep a constant supply of semen available, not too much and not too little. However, when this delicate balance is disrupted, problems can arise. For example, if semen levels remain high for long periods of time, the ducts and other pathways that store it can become congested and inflamed. On the other hand, if the levels remain too low and are not given a chance to replenish, the prostate is forced to produce semen more quickly than it is normally capable of. This situation can also irritate the tissues of the prostate and lead to a state of BPH or aggravate an existing state.

Obviously, the amount of sexual activity a man has will influence his semen levels, for better or worse.

How much is enough?

We can’t tell you exactly how much or how little sex to have; That is a decision that you must ultimately make. But we can describe those sexual activities or conditions that are potentially harmful to your prostate. By identifying a circumstance that applies to you, you can take steps to change it. For example, if you’ve been abstinent for many months and also suffer from BPH, you may want to consider having sex occasionally or more often, because abstinence is a condition that can aggravate BPH. However, if you are very sexually active and suffer from BPH, you may want to slow down or take a short period of rest from intercourse (to allow the prostate muscles to heal and the semen to replenish) .

Whatever the circumstance, remember that there are no exact rules that dictate how much sex you must have. But with a little experimentation, you should be able to find a schedule that works best for you.

Sexual conditions or activities that can aggravate your prostate

* Total sexual abstinence: the non-release of semen for prolonged or unusually long periods of time is potentially harmful to the prostate.

* Too much sexual activity – This can be determined by the amount of time it takes for your semen levels to recover between periods of sex. In a young man in his twenties, semen levels can be replenished in a few hours, while in a man over sixty, two or three days might be the norm. Not waiting for levels to return before having sex again is considered overdoing it if you have prostate disease.

* Prolonged intercourse or delayed orgasm – May be popular in movies and in the media, but prolonged lovemaking sessions can affect your prostate, especially if you are at risk for or already suffer from BPH. This is because prolonged periods of sexual arousal cause elevated levels of semen in the prostate, leading to congestion and increased inflammation. In the same way, continuous arousal without ejaculation can also lead to a prolonged and unhealthy state of seminal engorgement.

* A sudden increase in sexual activity: in healthy men, the levels of semen manufactured by the prostate normally adjust to the normal routine of sexual activity; however, any deviation in this activity (for example, going from two sex sessions a week to one a day) can negatively affect the prostate.

* Ejaculatory failure or impotence: Men who can perform sexually but cannot ejaculate are at increased risk of prostate disease. Similarly, men who suffer from impotence but experience long periods of arousal while attempting an erection are also at risk. In both cases, ejaculation should be attempted. (For men with impaired ejaculation or impotence, orgasm can sometimes be achieved through masturbation, especially when psychological factors are involved.)

An exception to the rule

In cases of chronic BPH and prostatitis, some doctors recommend short periods of abstinence (or “vacation”) from sex that last from a few days to a week or more, just to allow the gland to heal.

If improvements are observed, the period of abstinence ends and the guidelines discussed in this chapter can be followed accordingly. However, if no improvement is observed, the withdrawal period can be suspended.