We’ve come a long way from the days when jacking off caused hairy palms, blindness, and acne. Today, masturbation is considered healthy, normal, and important to sexual development. Recent research even suggests it can decrease men’s chances of getting prostate cancer. 

A recent study, by Australian Cancer Council Victoria, provides evidence that masturbation cuts the risk of developing prostate cancer by 30%. The study’s main author, Graham Giles says that  jacking off provides the chance to ‘wash out’ carcinogenic materials that build up in the gland. The prostate supplies fluid that is part of cum, thus, when someone masturbates and successfully completes the pleasurable experience, the carcinogenic materials are flushed away.

Researchers interviewed 2250 men about their sexual habits. Almost half of them had developed prostate cancer, while the others had not. They found that those who retrospectively reported masturbating at least 5 times a week, especially when they were in their 20’s, were 30% less likely to develop the cancer later on in life. 

For those wondering whether having sex offers the same benefits, the answer is no, according to Giles. Increased sexual intercourse is related to increased risk of sexually transmittable infections, and STI’s are related to increased chances of prostate cancer. So, unless you only have one partner your entire life and you only cum with, or in, that person, EVER, then maybe that would be related to decreased risk of cancer. But who the hell has only one sex partner, especially in their 20’s. 

For those wondering whether women are offered the same risk prevention by masturbating, best to tell you now, before one of your friends does. Women don’t have prostate glands.