What is NoFap? NoFap is a self-improvement community that promotes abstaining from pornography and masturbation. Does NoFap work? Members claim that it leads to improved psychological and physical benefits. While critics argue there is a lack of scientific evidence to support these claims.
Are there Benefits to NoFap?
Yes there are benefits to NoFap however some of the claims made by NoFap support groups have little scientific basis. The main claims made by NoFap groups (r/NoFap, NoFap.com) are that porn addiction can cause the following things:
● Testosterone Loss
● Sexual Dysfunction
● Depression
● Loneliness
● Addiction
Are any of these real side effects of masturbation or are they dangerous claims? First let’s look at the claim of testosterone loss which is by far the weakest scientific claim. While there is a decrease in testosterone post orgasm, masturbation has no relation to long term testosterone. There are two studies that used to about why explain masturbation causes testosterone loss. The first being a study from 2005 which states that masturbation increases the level of prolactin which decreases the production of testosterone. The problem with this study is regular sex increases prolactin production by over 400% more than from masturbation.
Claims of sexual dysfunction due to porn use have also been around for a long time and for good reason, has the most scientific support. Due to the extreme nature of modern porn many users become dissatisfied with real world sexual relations things leading to rising divorce rates due to porn, increased sexual aggression, and likelihood of deviant attraction.
The two claims of depression and loneliness are the least clear cut. While there have been multiple studies correlating mental health problems along side porn addiction correlation is not enough evidence to make that claim. It could be that increased masturbation was caused by the mental health issues.
Addiction is the also one of the stronger claims as porn addiction has been shown to have similar effects to other kinds of dependencies like cocaine. We know that overproduction of dopamine through masturbation can have negative effects similar to that of gambling or alcohol addictions. While critics claim that the APA does not recognize porn addiction, keep in mind that both gambling and alcohol addiction were were not either until the until the 1970s.
NoFap vs No Porn
The biggest misconception about NoFap may come from the name of the movement. While the name may imply the group to be anti masturbation the negative consequences of porn far outweigh the negatives of masturbation. Masturbation without porn is fine, although it does not offer any health benefits contrary to popular belief, as porn is the main biggest causes of the side effect of masturbation.
No Nut November
No Nut November is a yearly online tradition in which mostly male members of the internet partake in a challenger to not masturbate for the month of November. While porn addiction does have it’s benefits does not masturbating cause any health problems? Everyone has heard that masturbation reduces the rate of prostate cancer but the study was correlative and has not been reproduced since.
References
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Ejaculation Frequency and Risk of Prostate Cancer: Updated Results with an Additional Decade of Follow-up,
European Urology, Volume 70, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 974-982, ISSN 0302-2838, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2016.03.027.
Tsitsika, A., Critselis, E., Kormas, G., Konstantoulaki, E., Constantopoulos, A., & Kafetzis, D. (2009). Adolescent pornographic internet site use: a multivariate regression analysis of the predictive factors of use and psychosocial implications. Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society, 12(5), 545–550. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2008.0346
Camilleri, C., Perry, J. T., & Sammut, S. (2021). Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students in the United States. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 613244. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244
Perry S. L. (2018). Pornography Use and Marital Separation: Evidence from Two-Wave Panel Data. Archives of sexual behavior, 47(6), 1869–1880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-1080-8
Mascherek, A., Reidick, M. C., Gallinat, J., & Kühn, S. (2021). Is Ejaculation Frequency in Men Related to General and Mental Health? Looking Back and Looking Forward. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 693121. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693121
Brody, S., & Krüger, T. H. (2006). The post-orgasmic prolactin increase following intercourse is greater than following masturbation and suggests greater satiety. Biological psychology, 71(3), 312–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.06.008