MASTURBATION IS GOOD for you in so many ways. It can lower stress, boost your mood, and help you sleep. And, ejaculating regularly can even potentially lower your risk for prostate cancer and may help you live longer. But how does it affect your testosterone?
It’s tricky. Brian McNeil, M.D., chief of urology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, says there haven’t been many studies showing a solid relationship between masturbation, ejaculation, and testosterone levels.
“Sometimes there could be a transient increase in testosterone in times of arousal or sex,” he explains. “I don’t think that it’s anything that’s really sustained.”
However, testosterone can affect your sex drive—and potentially how much you feel like masturbating (or having sex with a partner). Dr. McNeil says when testosterone is low, your libido and energy might also be low, and getting an erection could be a struggle.
