Health risks associated with preventing ejaculation?

February 20, 2008 6:18 PM

Is circumventing ejaculation with pressure to the perineum harmful?

About eight or so years ago when I was a teenager I read somewhere that pressing down firmly on the perineum with your fingers during an ejaculation prevents the semen from coming out (not entirely I was to find out, there's still a little leakage, but it does stop the bulk of it). Being a teenager, I found this a very useful means of saving tissues.

However, I got into a habit of doing this and continue to do it to this day, about 2/3 of the time I orgasm. How exactly does this work, and is it in any way harmful to my prostate, etc.? I'm not having any problems with my prostate, urinary tract, or sex drive at the moment, I'm asking out of curiosity.

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (19 comments total)

Ya know, for a second there I thought you meant "tissues" in the "bodily cells" sense, and was ready to ask what magical spell (or majikal, or whatever is in vogue) you were attempting... Heh.

I've heard this recommended by several sources, and IIRC it is recommended in some tantric practices. However, I've never heard of a problem resulting from it. Done it a few times myself, but never regularly.

If there's no short-term damage (everything comes out works OK the next time, right?), you're probably doing nothing harmful.

IANAD, FWIW; but I wouldn't rely on the opinion of a doctor, either, without some medical research to back it up.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:47 PM on February 20, 2008

FWIW, an ex-boyfriend of mine had been doing it every time he masturbated for at least 10 years with no problems yet.
posted by Jacqueline at 7:06 PM on February 20, 2008

Gosh, I really don't know. They certainly don't teach us that in med school.

What you're doing is basically compressing your urethra (see this diagram and this one) to prevent anterograde flow. Since it's got to go somewhere, it's going retrograde, probably into your bladder and maybe some back into your epididymus. You'd have to ask a urologist about any long-term damage, but my guess would be 1) possibly some inflammation of the urethra leading to increased risk of urinary tract/bladder infection 2) changing the pH of the urine in the bladder (it's usually mildly acidic, but prostatic fluid and semen is basic) which might affect things long term and 3) probably the biggest concern would be potential damage to your two bladder sphincters (one under subconscious control, the other under your own conscious control).

But again, all speculation.
posted by gramcracker at 7:08 PM on February 20, 2008

Hurt like hell the one time I tried it.
posted by baphomet at 7:39 PM on February 20, 2008

Never did me any harm AFAIK.
posted by flabdablet at 7:51 PM on February 20, 2008

I don't think there's longterm harm, but what I HAVE noticed is that when you go wee after you're finished, it's extra cloudy. Maybe TMI, but I'm going to guess that maybe doing that a whoooole lot maybe not so good. Wait. The perianal area? Never even heard of that...I was thinking the squeezing-like-a-cock-ring method. Having had an inguinal hernia when I was younger, I tend to avoid the area south of the forest.

Carry on.
posted by TomMelee at 7:58 PM on February 20, 2008

My ex did that pretty regularly. Or so I think. Anyway he'd been doing it for years with no issues. So I'd imagine you're cool.
posted by heavenstobetsy at 8:04 PM on February 20, 2008

Ah, the point of a million gold coins! You get 10,000 free lives! They come from every sacred sperm you're not spilling! ;) Tantra and SMB geekery in one delicious lump!

I was gonna say "Nah, it doesn't hurt a thing. You're talented!" But it looks like infertility is possible.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:12 PM on February 20, 2008

(well, duh.)
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:15 PM on February 20, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Its going back into the bladder. Doesn't sound good. Its gotta go somewhere--you are still ejaculating.
posted by Ironmouth at 9:36 PM on February 20, 2008

Do you still need to save tissues? I'm not sure why you would want or need to do it now...
posted by crossoverman at 9:58 PM on February 20, 2008

he'd been doing it for years with no issues

heh.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:08 PM on February 20, 2008 [4 favorites has favorites]

It causes retrograde ejaculation into the urinary bladder. No ill effects that I'm aware of.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:37 PM on February 20, 2008

Prostatectomies also reroute seminal fluid to the bladder I believe (although I did ask my father to spare me the finer details of the surgery...) - no negative effects to this that I know of.
posted by bifter at 11:21 PM on February 20, 2008

I was gonna say "Nah, it doesn't hurt a thing. You're talented!" But it looks like infertility is possible.

After reading the Medline article, it seems that infertility is listed as a symptom if retrograde ejaculation is caused by physiology or medication rather than self-administered perineal pressure.
posted by sid at 5:38 AM on February 21, 2008

Kleenex are cheap. Doesn't sound like there is a conclusive evidence that it WILL cause damage, but it might. I dunno, even though other people in this thread have said that they haven't had any problems a research methodology things would worry me. How old when they started? Now? How often?

I just wouldn't be willing to take the chance on damaging Mr. Happy.
posted by Silvertree at 8:13 AM on February 21, 2008

Kleenex are cheap. Doesn't sound like there is a conclusive evidence that it WILL cause damage, but it might. I dunno, even though other people in this thread have said that they haven't had any problems a research methodology things would worry me. How old when they started? Now? How often?

I just wouldn't be willing to take the chance on damaging Mr. Happy.

That, and..

...would I be alone in saying that it feels about a million times better to actually ejaculate?
posted by crunch buttsteak at 8:23 AM on February 21, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Come again?
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 9:52 AM on February 21, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Guy_Inamonkeysuit, when done in conjunction with "peaking" or "brinking", you can end up with an insanely intense orgasm and a Peter North quality cumshot. Zowwie!
posted by TomMelee at 2:21 PM on February 21, 2008