From the mistaken belief that it will generate more testosterone to the fear of not performing in bed with a woman: several reasons explain the popularity of the anti-masturbation and anti-porn movement. No, there is nothing good about repressing ejaculation: we demystify it.
You can read it on pages like forocoches or Reddit, in testimonials on social networks or you may even know a friend who puts it into practice. Thousands of followers of a curious social movement called no fap (no masturbation) are spreading their lifestyle on the internet.
What exactly does it consist of? Well, as the name suggests gratis porr, they are men who decide to avoid masturbation (and, consequently, the viewing of pornography) for weeks, or even months, with the intention of obtaining some benefit in return. Amazingly, the movement is very fashionable and attracts younger and younger guys.
From Esquire, we have asked a sexologist about no fap movement to inquire about this curious practice; and, above all, to find out if its alleged benefits are true.
Is there any benefit, organic or mental, to repress masturbation? Spoiler: no, and now we will see why.
Men and their hormones
The male sexual cycle has very specific characteristics. The production of sperm (where the male gametes ready for fertilization, the spermatozoa, are located) is performed on a daily basis. The correct production of sperm depends on the health of the individual and, specifically, on his hormonal cycle. Although women are thought to be much more dependent on hormones than men, the truth is that many male processes depend on a balanced hormonal cycle.
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers: these substances travel from one part of the body to another, intervening in the correct functioning of our cells. The production and quantity of hormones differs between the sexes: for example, in males, testosterone is much more predominant. The correct balance of these hormones is decisive for the production of sperm, but also for the growth of the beard, the development of the musculature or the thickening of the voice.
The alleged benefits claimed by the followers of the no fap movement have to do, precisely, with hormones. One of the arguments put forward by its followers is that, supposedly, they will muscle more easily: according to them, repressing ejaculation promotes the production of testosterone. But the sexologist Carlos Horrillo explains the error: “Quite the contrary. It is precisely ejaculation that causes more testosterone to be produced”.
But there are more reasons to masturbate frequently (as long as you want to). “We men produce sperm every day and therefore we need constant renewal of that sperm,” he explains. This is why semen must be expelled relatively frequently, which would explain, according to the expert, why nocturnal pollutions occur, for example.
In fact, beyond a biological necessity, sex is a matter of health. Several studies show how men who ejaculate at least 21 days a month are less likely to develop prostate cancer. This publication is the latest, but there is more research that gives solidity and scientific rigor to this recommendation.
All these benefits of ejaculation, as Carlos Horrillo reminds us mexican porn, have a very simple reason for being: “The prostate is an organ that has its function and, if it is not developed, you run the risk of atrophying this organ”. Moreover, he adds: “On a psychological level, avoiding masturbation implies denying the nature of the human being, which will create a contradiction in your mind”.
The sexologist is clear on this issue: “Repressing sexuality has no positive effect. Science cannot prove that it has any benefit, neither psychological, nor for sexual or sporting performance, but quite the opposite”.
So, if repressing masturbation does not generate more testosterone, why does the no fap movement have so many followers?
