One quick search for semen retention on Reddit and you’ll find over 100,000 members looking to dry out (and no, not from booze). It doesn’t stop there: a study published in 2022 found semen retention had over 1.2 billion impressions on TikTok and over one million posts on Instagram (1).
The idea around semen retention isn’t new. Originally an ancient practice motivated by the belief ejaculating weakens your overall health (2), it’s now evolved into a “movement” that purports to increase testosterone, which has largely been proven untrue. Some followers believe semen retention can even improve your quality of life, says urologist Justin Dubin, M.D., who specializes in men’s health.
So how does semen retention work, and why are so many people interested in it? We logged off social media and asked Dr. Dubin the truth behind the claims of those who believe in the powers of semen retention
About the Experts
Joshua Calvert, M.D., is a Nashville-based specialist in men’s sexual health, fertility, and testosterone management.
Justin Dubin, M.D., is a male fertility and testosterone specialist with the Memorial Healthcare System and co-host of the Man Up Podcast.
What Is Semen Retention?
In short, semen retention a practice where you don’t ejaculate, orgasm, or engage in sexual activity.
Semen retentionists believe that if you ejaculate, you lose your essence of manliness or an inner strength. “So by abstaining from ejaculation, you provide a greater sense of purpose in yourself, although that’s subjective based on what you personally feel,” Dubin says.
And while many men who abstain from ejaculation report health benefits including better semen quality, improved testosterone levels, better skin and hair, improved sleep, and less stress and anxiety, the problem is, there’s no data to support this, Dubin says.
If you’re wondering if semen retention is the same as No Fap, they are slightly similar. But the difference lies in intent.
“No Fap advocates for abstinence (from pornography, masturbation, and sexual activity) as a means of treating pornography addiction and pornography-induced sexual dysfunction. It is a very anti-porn movement which claims it can improve your focus and energy as well as the other potential benefits,” Dubin says. “The objective of semen retention is to improve your overall health and masculinity.”
Does Semen Retention Increase Testosterone?
No, almost certainly not.
Urologist Joshua Calvert, M.D. previously told The Edge, “There are no credible articles to suggest that semen retention boosts testosterone.”
If taken to court, semen retention believers could cite one study from 2002 that found men who didn’t masturbate for seven days saw a whacking 145 percent increase in testosterone from their baseline levels by the end of the week (3). And on day eight of the study, after the men’s testosterone levels spiked, no regular fluctuation was observed.
Most research on the subject has found there to be no statistically significant shifts in serum testosterone levels as a result of ejaculation rates (4).
In fact, in a more recent study masturbating may have led to increased testosterone levels, but much more research is required (5). Studies have also shown ejaculatory abstinence may actually degrade sperm quality (both motility and vitality) (6, 7).
There is no data to back the anecdotal benefits of semen retention, Dubin says. These claims are self-reported by semen retention advocates, Dubin notes—guys who aren’t scientists or doctors.
Still, for the sake of dispelling myths, let’s take a look at some of these claims.
Credit: Hone Health
Increases fertility
One purported benefit is that semen retention improves sperm quality and sperm motility and enhances fertility.
Not true. It’s the opposite. Abstaining can potentially harm fertility, Dubin says.
“If you’re trying to conceive, you should ejaculate every day or every other day,” Dubin says. “More frequent ejaculations improve sperm quality, motility, and DNA fragmentation,” which is a type of damage to your sperm’s DNA.
One study published in 2020 found participants with high sperm DNA damage who ejaculated for four consecutive days reduced sperm DNA fragmentation. High levels of sperm DNA fragmentation are linked to risks, including a higher chance of miscarriage (8).
“You gotta clean the pipes once in a while,” Dubin says.
That said, you will likely produce larger volumes of ejaculatory fluid when limiting ejaculations generally.
Better sleep
If you practice semen retention and find your sleep improves, it’s probably in your head.
Some science backs sex and masturbation as effective ways to improve your sleep.
When you orgasm, you release oxytocin and prolactin, two hormones that relax you. Higher oxytocin levels have been linked to falling asleep faster and staying asleep. And because sex may lower your cortisol levels, people with less stress report more sleep at night than their high-stressed counterparts.
One study found people reported improved sleep after sex and better sleep quality after masturbating to orgasm (8).
Improved mental health
“Sex and masturbation should be done at a level you are comfortable with and if you don’t want to have sex or masturbate that is ok,” says Dubin.
He adds that what can cause stress and guilt is abstaining from something that you enjoy in the hope that you can improve yourself, when we know the claims are not supported.
And one study published in 2019 found men who had sex two or more times a month along with frequent kissing, petting, or fondling reported having greater enjoyment in life (9).
Erectile dysfunction
There is no hard evidence that semen retention aids those dealing with erectile dysfunction. Much of the evidence that is cited by those pushing semen retention as an ED fix is indirect or secondary, and has not been proven in lab settings.
Increased energy levels
Higher testosterone levels are linked with increased energy, but, spoiler, retaining sperm doesn’t boost T. There are a number of Eastern spiritual traditions (Ayurvedism, Taoism, Tantra, etc.) that preach semen retention as a way to increase energy levels and physical performance, but this has not been born out in the research.
Semen Retention Side Effects
Overall, no, there is no serious risk, says Dubin.
Naturally, if you think you may be masturbating or having sex too often to the point you are experiencing an addiction, certainly consider speaking to a licensed mental health counselor and consider your options.
But there are no provable health benefits to semen retention, so if you are ejaculating a healthy number of times and don’t feel it’s an issue, don’t worry about it.
Types of Semen Retention
If you do wish to experiment with semen retention for one reason or another, it shouldn’t be an issue and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
Abstinence
Simply not engaging in any sexual activity. You may define this differently based on your needs and lifestyle, but it might mean simply not masturbating alone, or it might mean a total stop on sexual activity.
Edging
Bringing yourself as close to orgasm as possible, but holding back before the finish line. Edging is sometimes done by men seeking to increase their eventual orgasm intensity, but it’s also used as a tool for semen retention advocates.
No fap
If you’re wondering if semen retention is the same as No Fap, they are slightly similar. But the difference lies in intent.
“No Fap advocates for abstinence (from pornography, masturbation, and sexual activity) as a means of treating pornography addiction and pornography-induced sexual dysfunction. It is a very anti-porn movement which claims it can improve your focus and energy as well as the other potential benefits,” Dubin says. “The objective of semen retention is to improve your overall health and masculinity.”
Retrograde masturbation
Far less common than the other methods listed above, retrograde masturbation involves edging to the point of near-orgasm, stopping, and pushing semen back into your bladder. This may lead to infertility.
“You should do what you enjoy and what makes you comfortable as long as it’s not interfering with your relationships, work, or other aspects of your life,” said Dubin.
The caveat is with fertility, where you should aim for sex every day or every other day to maximize your chances of conceiving, Dubin said.
The Bottom Line
Semen retention doesn’t have scientific data to support the anecdotal benefits. The reality is ejaculating—through sex or masturbation—may potentially improve fertility, lower stress and anxiety, boost immunity, and may protect against heart disease and prostate cancer. If you’re abstaining just to obtain the claimed health benefits unsupported by scientific data, Dubin says don’t.
