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Does masturbation increase my risk of prostate cancer?
C the Signs
Prostate cancer remains one of the most common cancers in men, and one of the most survivable when it’s found early. Over the years, there’s been widespread interest in whether sexual activity, including masturbation or ejaculation frequency, might influence prostate cancer risk.
The short answer: research suggests there may be a link, but it’s more complex than it seems.
What the research shows
The idea that ejaculation could affect prostate cancer risk comes from long-term population studies, rather than direct clinical trials. These studies don’t prove cause and effect, but they do reveal patterns worth exploring.
Early studies
In 2009, a UK study (Dimitropoulou et al.) suggested that frequent masturbation in younger men (in their 20s) might be linked to a slightly higher risk of prostate cancer later in life, while frequent masturbation in older men (in their 50s) appeared to be protective.
Researchers proposed that younger men with high testosterone, and therefore higher libido, might already have a greater biological risk due to hormone sensitivity, rather than the act of masturbation itself.
More recent evidence
A larger US study published in European Urology (Rider et al., 2016) followed more than 30,000 men over 18 years. It found that men who ejaculated at least 21 times per month had a 20% lower risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer than those who ejaculated 4-7 times per month.
The association was strongest for low to moderate grade prostate cancers, suggesting that more frequent ejaculation could play a role in keeping the prostate healthy - potentially by clearing out harmful substances or reducing inflammation.
Another analysis published in 2017 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (Papa et al.) found that men who had higher ejaculation frequency in their 30s were less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer later in life, although the effect was modest and not seen in all age groups.
More recent meta-analyses (through 2022–2024) have continued to support the idea that ejaculation frequency may offer a small protective effect, but they agree that the evidence remains observational, not causal (Kokori, 2024).
Why might ejaculation help?
Researchers have proposed a few possible explanations:
- Reducing inflammation: Regular ejaculation may help flush out potentially harmful substances or reduce inflammation in the prostate.
- Regulating cell turnover: Ejaculation could help keep cell metabolism stable, reducing opportunities for abnormal cell growth.
- Hormonal balance: Regular sexual activity may help maintain a steady balance of androgens (male sex hormones), which are known to influence prostate cancer risk.
But there’s still no definitive proof. These findings show correlation, not cause - meaning that men who ejaculate more frequently might also lead generally healthier lifestyles.
What does this mean for patients and clinicians?
There’s no medical recommendation for ejaculation frequency as a form of prostate cancer prevention.
However, the evidence is reassuring:
- Masturbation and sexual activity are safe and normal parts of life.
- There’s no evidence that they increase risk at any age.
- Prostate cancer risk is more strongly linked to age, family history, ethnicity, and genetics than to sexual habits.
Encouraging men to understand their risk, attend screening when eligible, and act on new or unusual urinary symptoms remains the best way to protect health.
The takeaway
Ejaculation may have a small protective role in prostate health, but it’s not a proven way to prevent cancer. What we do know is that:
- Early detection saves lives.
- Regular health checks and awareness of changes matter more than any single lifestyle factor.
- Masturbation and sexual activity are healthy and safe.
Prostate cancer caught early is highly treatable. Empowering people with knowledge, not fear, is how we give them back time, choice and life.
References
Dimitropoulou, P., Lophatananon, A., Easton, D., et al. (2009). Sexual activity and prostate cancer risk in men diagnosed at a younger age. BJU International, 103(2), 178–185.
Rider, J. R., et al. (2016). Ejaculation frequency and risk of prostate cancer: updated results with an additional decade of follow-up. European Urology, 70(6), 974–982.
Papa, N. P., MacInnis, R. J., English, D. R., Bolton, D., Davis, I. D., Lawrentschuk, N., Millar, J. L., Pedersen, J., Severi, G., Southey, M. C., Hopper, J. L., & Giles, G. G. (2017). Ejaculatory frequency and the risk of aggressive prostate cancer: Findings from a case-control study. Urologic oncology, 35(8), 530.e7–530.e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urolonc.2017.03.007
Kokori, Emmanuel & Olatunji, Gbolahan & Isarinade, David & Aboje, John Ehi & Ogieuhi, Ikponmwosa & Zainab, Doyinsola & Lawal, Abera & Woldehana, Muhammad & Nazar, & Godfred, Yawson & Scott, Nicholas & Aderinto, & Lawal, Zainab & Woldehana, Nathnael & Nazar, Muhammad Wajeeh & Scott, Godfred & Aderinto, Nicholas. (2024). Ejaculation Frequency and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence. Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. 10.1016/j.clgc.2024.01.015.
Do sunbeds give a false sense of safety?
Sunbeds are often promoted as a “controlled” way to tan, a chance to build colour gradually and avoid burning on holiday. On the surface, it sounds like a sensible option.
But science tells a different story.
There’s no such thing as a safe tan from a sunbed. The idea that tanning under UV light can protect your skin later on is a comforting myth, one that’s left many people unknowingly at risk.
The myth of protection
A tan isn’t protection, it’s proof that your skin has been working hard to defend itself. That change in colour is your body’s signal that it’s already had too much UV exposure.
Research shows that using a sunbed before 35 increases the risk of melanoma by up to 59%.
Melanoma is one of the most serious forms of skin cancer, but when detected early, around 90% of people survive (Cancer Research UK). That’s why awareness and timely detection are so important.
Sunbeds don’t build protection, they build exposure.
Why this belief persists
For years, sunbeds have been described as “controlled UV.” The message has been that a few short sessions are safer than natural sunlight. In reality, the UV rays from a tanning bed can be up to six times stronger than the midday Mediterranean sun. Even one session can damage the DNA inside skin cells - the code that controls how they grow and repair. When that damage builds up, it can cause cells to grow abnormally and form cancer.
Why it matters now
In October 2025, leading dermatologists and cancer experts urged the UK Government to follow Australia’s example and ban commercial sunbeds altogether. Their call was supported by research published in the BMJ, which concluded that an immediate, outright ban on commercial sunbeds, combined with public education, is the most cost-effective way to reduce skin cancer, save lives and ease pressure on the NHS (Kreft et al., 2025).
Countries such as Australia, Brazil and Iran have already implemented bans after clear evidence linked tanning beds to melanoma. Experts argue that with melanoma rates still rising in the UK, similar action here could prevent thousands of avoidable cancers each year (Kreft et al., 2025).
This isn’t a debate about personal choice; it’s about ensuring everyone has the same opportunity to make informed decisions, free from misinformation or risk. Education and prevention save lives long before treatment is ever needed.
What you can do
You don’t have to give up how tanning makes you feel to stay safe. There are simple, healthy alternatives:
- Choose sun-free glow: Self-tan lotions and sprays give the same colour without UV exposure.
- Protect your skin: Use SPF 30+ daily, even in the UK. Wear a hat and stay in the shade when the sun is strongest.
- Know your skin: Check regularly for new moles or changes. If something looks different, speak to your GP - early detection saves lives.
- Share the message: Talking about tanning myths helps others make informed choices too.
The takeaway
Sunbeds may feel safe because they’re familiar, controlled and easy, but they aren’t harmless. Knowing the truth isn’t about fear, it’s about freedom: the freedom to choose options that protect your skin and your future.
Every moment of awareness, every early detection, every informed choice gives people back time, choice and life.
References
https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj-2025-085414
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/get-involved/campaign-for-us/all-our-campaigns/sunbeds
Featured
Why every moment matters: A message from Dr Miles Payling
Dr. Miles Payling
At the inaugural C the Signs Conference, Dr Miles Payling - Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer - delivered a message that captured the heart of a movement reshaping how the world detects cancer.
He spoke about science, yes. But more importantly, he spoke about people. About time. About the moments we can give back when cancer is found sooner.
“We can’t afford to wait for symptoms to become obvious. Every moment matters - because every moment lost is a choice, a treatment, a life that could have been saved.”
The question that changed everything
Miles shared the story that shaped the mission behind C the Signs.
As an NHS doctor, he met a patient named Joe - active, fit, and 60 years old. After several GP (primary care) visits with vague symptoms, Joe arrived at hospital jaundiced and unwell. Scans confirmed metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Three weeks later, Joe died.
“Joe never asked, why do I have cancer? What he asked was, why was my cancer picked up so late?”
That question became the foundation of C the Signs - a platform built to help clinicians detect cancer early enough to change the outcome.
Today, that vision makes a measurable difference: a patient with cancer detected every 22 minutes.
Each one represents a life identified sooner - and a future that’s less defined by fear.
Why early detection still falls short
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Survival still depends heavily on the stage at diagnosis.
- Breast cancer five-year survival falls from 97.9% at stage 1 to 26.2% at stage 4.
- Bowel cancer falls from 91.7% to 10.3%.
- Yet only around 58% of patients are diagnosed at an early stage.
In primary care - where most people first seek help - clinicians face enormous pressures:
brief consultations, complex presentations, thousands of patients, and on average only a handful of cancer diagnoses each year. As Miles said in his conference speech:
“The problem isn’t people. It’s knowledge. We need to give every GP the power of precision - instantly.”
Early detection doesn’t fail because clinicians aren’t trying.It fails because cancer is complex, symptoms are subtle, and the time to make sense of them is short. Our platform exists to bridge that gap - offering clinicians timely clarity when decisions need to be made.
Innovation and redefining what’s possible
C the Signs brings together trusted medical evidence, real-time data and AI-powered insight to support clinicians in moments where clarity matters most.
Within seconds, our platform can highlight when a patient may be at risk and guide their doctor toward the right diagnostic pathway - across more than 100 cancer types. But the impact isn’t defined by speed, it’s defined by the lives reached sooner.
Real-world evaluations across the NHS have shown that clinicians using C the Signs are able to:
- identify patients whose symptoms signal concern - even when the signs are hard to spot
- offer reassurance by safely ruling out risk when symptoms are more likely to be benign
- give clinicians clearer insight into where a tumour may have started
- help reduce emergency cancer presentations by half
- shorten the time it takes for patients to reach a diagnosis
Each of these outcomes represents something deeply human: a patient receiving answers earlier,
a family spared uncertainty, a healthcare system given space to care, not catch up.
This is what innovation should do - not stand in the place of clinical judgement, but enhance it. It should deepen insight and make the subtle more visible, so clinicians can act early with the confidence their patients deserve.
The movement, and honouring Jess’s Rule
Miles closed by sharing the story of Jessica Brady - a 27-year-old whose symptoms were subtle, persistent and easy to misinterpret. Despite several visits to her doctor, her cancer was found too late. Her loss is felt deeply, not only by those who loved her, but by clinicians across the country who want every patient to be seen in time.
To honour her legacy, our team is introducing Jess’s Rule - a safeguard within the platform that gently alerts clinicians when a patient returns multiple times with unresolved symptoms, prompting a thoughtful, timely cancer risk assessment.
It’s a small change with a profound purpose: to make sure no patient is ever unintentionally overlooked, and no pattern is missed simply because symptoms are subtle.
As Miles said:
“We can turn tragedy into transformation - by ensuring that no patient is ever overlooked again.”
Jess’s story is a reminder of why this movement matters. Together, we can help make early cancer detection a standard for everyone - not a privilege for a few - and give each person the time, choice and hope they deserve.