Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBackgroundSafe or Unsafe?How to Do ItWho Should Not
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Background
Safe or Unsafe?
How to Do It
Who Should Not
Although semen retention has been popularized on social media platforms in recent years, it is an ancient practice deeply rooted in Indian culture, Chinese culture, and others.
This article explores semen retention from a historical and contemporary perspective, including the purported benefits and potential risks. It also explains what is involved in the practice of semen retention and when the avoidance of ejaculation may not be a good idea.
Marilyn Nieves / Getty Images
Defining “Retention” During Sex or Masturbation
Semen retention attracted a lot of attention on social media platforms like Reddit and TikTok in tandem with the emergence of the “NoFap” movement in 2011. The online community of over 300,000 members acts as a support group for those who wish to give up masturbation (referred to as “fap”) for moral, religious, self-improvement, or medical reasons.
Though the NoFap movement is largely centered on overcomingaddiction to pornand other compulsive sexual behaviors, the concept that ejaculation is “bad” for you—or that semen retention is beneficial—extends back centuries.
Does Porn Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
Historical and Cultural Perspective
For some, it may reflect religious or cultural beliefs that regard masturbation and ejaculation as inherently “bad” or “amoral.” From biblical passages that decry men who “wasted their seed"to the long-standing myth thatmasturbation causes acne, semen retention is often tacitly portrayed as virtuous while ejaculation is deemed “unseemly” or “shameful.”
In various cultures, semen retention is considered beneficial and even a source of emotional, sexual, and spiritual enlightenment. There are, in fact, many cultures for which semen retention has been practiced for centuries, including:
Are Aphrodisiacs Real?
Semen Retention: Safe or Unsafe?
Semen retention is neither “bad” nor “good” for you. Ultimately, ejaculation is not a requisite of sex, andcelibacyis not considered an impediment to your health or happiness.You do not need sex to live.
In recent years, many claims have been made on social media about the benefits of semen retention as well as the potential risks. Some of these claims are stronger than others, and some are outright untrue.
Benefits of Semen Retention
Different cultures have attributed physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to semen retention.
Intraditional Chinese medicine (TCM), semen retention is said to treatshenkui, an illness directly attributed to orgasms and the loss ofching(vital essence) through ejaculation. The retention of semen is thought to relieve these symptoms ofshenkui, including:
Some TCM practitioners even suggest that semen retention can overcome sexual problems likepremature ejaculationanderectile dysfunction.The evidence supporting these claims is weak.
With practices like tantra and Karezza, which focus on sexual intimacy in the absence of orgasm, proponents claim that semen retention can help:
Some of these claims may seem reasonable, given thatdelayed ejaculationandanorgasmia(the inability to orgasm) are associated with high levels ofsexual performance anxiety. By taking the demands of ejaculation out of sex, sexual stresses can be eased.
Even so, few quality studies support these claims. Other claims have not been proven, including suggestions that holding off can improve fertility, increase muscle mass, or lower blood pressure.
Risks of Not Ejaculating
Generally speaking, it is neither healthy nor unhealthy to hold in your semen.
However, if you are sexually active and are used to frequently ejaculating, you may experience aching in yourtesticlesif you suddenly stop. The condition, calledepididymal hypertensionor “blue balls,” is not serious and usually eases on its own within minutes or hours.
Can Not Ejaculating Affect Sperm?Despite what some people may tell you, unejaculatedspermdoes not build up, Sperm cells have limited life and the body will reabsorb any that have not been ejaculated. While prolonged abstinence may affectsperm quality, so too can excessive ejaculation.
Can Not Ejaculating Affect Sperm?
Despite what some people may tell you, unejaculatedspermdoes not build up, Sperm cells have limited life and the body will reabsorb any that have not been ejaculated. While prolonged abstinence may affectsperm quality, so too can excessive ejaculation.
What Is Hyperspermia?
Effects on Mental Health
In cultures where semen retention is an extension of one’s spiritual or religious beliefs, the stress and expectations surrounding the practice can lead to high levels of emotional and psychological distress, resulting in a condition known as Dhat syndrome.
Similar effects were seen in Chinese cultures, where illnesses attributed to ejaculation induced high levels of anxiety and panic, even to the point at which people believed their very health would be compromised if they ejaculated.
These responses are not limited to traditional cultures. Similar distress was reported in many NoFap members who experienced an intense fear of a “relapse” after committing to the movement. According to a 2023 study in the journalSexualities,nearly 30% of the 587 members surveyed reported anxiety, depression, and erectile dysfunction as a result of these fears.
The Facts About Age and Sex Drive
How to Practice Semen Retention
Semen retention may be pursued for many reasons. You may want to do so to reduce the stress of delayed ejaculation or to connect with your partner on a deeper level. You may want to pursue it for health or spiritual reasons or to use it as amethod of birth control(albeit one that is less reliable).
There are several guidelines that can help make the practice easier:
Can You Orgasm Without Ejaculation?In many spiritual practices, orgasm is not dependent on ejaculation to be considered an orgasm. In tantric teachings, breath control, meditation, and finger pressure all work together to achieve orgasm without the loss ofvirya(semen) orprana(life force).Orgasm without ejaculation can also be a medical condition referred to as a dry orgasm. Nerve damage, surgery, medications, testosterone deficiency, and retrograde ejaculation are all possible causes. While harmless, dry orgasms can affect your ability to induce pregnancy.
Can You Orgasm Without Ejaculation?
In many spiritual practices, orgasm is not dependent on ejaculation to be considered an orgasm. In tantric teachings, breath control, meditation, and finger pressure all work together to achieve orgasm without the loss ofvirya(semen) orprana(life force).Orgasm without ejaculation can also be a medical condition referred to as a dry orgasm. Nerve damage, surgery, medications, testosterone deficiency, and retrograde ejaculation are all possible causes. While harmless, dry orgasms can affect your ability to induce pregnancy.
In many spiritual practices, orgasm is not dependent on ejaculation to be considered an orgasm. In tantric teachings, breath control, meditation, and finger pressure all work together to achieve orgasm without the loss ofvirya(semen) orprana(life force).
Orgasm without ejaculation can also be a medical condition referred to as a dry orgasm. Nerve damage, surgery, medications, testosterone deficiency, and retrograde ejaculation are all possible causes. While harmless, dry orgasms can affect your ability to induce pregnancy.
Are Vaginal Orgasms Real?
Should Anyone Not Do Semen Retention?
Although semen retention doesn’t cause any health problems, it’s important to understand what the practice can and cannot do. What’s important to remember is that semen retention cannot harm you. If holding back makes you feel better or stronger, there’s no reason to stop the practice unless masturbation or ejaculation causes guilt and makes you feel worse about yourself.
While social media will often espouse the dangers of a so-called masturbation addiction, there is, in fact, no correlation between the number of times a person masturbates and whether they meet the criteria ofhypersexuality disorder(also known as a sex addiction).
Demonizing masturbation and ejaculation—otherwise healthy facets of sexual expression—may fuel feelings of distress, anxiety, guilt, and shame. If you are experiencing significant distress, seek the help of a mental health professional.
What to Know About Sex Addiction
Summary
Semen retention is the intentional avoidance of ejaculation. The practice has been used for centuries in many cultures as a means to improve health, attain spiritual enlightenment, and bond with a sexual partner on a more intimate level.
In recent years, semen retention has garnered attention on social media, where it is purported to have numerous health benefits, including the treatment of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. To date, there is no evidence that semen retention can treat any medical condition.
While semen retention is not physically harmful, people can undergo distress if they have difficulty maintaining the practice.
Reaping the Health Benefits of Sex
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dubin JM, Aguiar JA, Lin JS.The broad reach and inaccuracy of men’s health information on social media: analysis of TikTok and Instagram.Int J Impot Res.2022 Nov 19:1–5. doi:10.1038/s41443-022-00645-6YouVersion Bible.Genesis 38:8-10.Albobali Y, Madi MY.Masturbatory guilt leading to severe depression.Cureus.2021;13(3):e13626. doi:10.7759/cureus.13626Prakash O, Kar SK, Sathyanrayana R.Indian story on semen loss and related Dhat syndrome.Indian J Psychiatry.2014;56(4):377–382. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.146532Judy RS.The semen in the subject: deferral of enjoyment and the postmodernist Taoist ars erotica.Comparatist.2015;39:135-152. doi:10.1353/com.2015.0017Poller J.Chapter 5. sex and alternative spirituality. In:Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality. Leiden, Amsterdam: Brill Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1163/9789004406902_007Lloyd JW.The Karezza Method. In:The Karezza Method Or Magnetation: The Art of Connubial Love.London UK: Forgotten Books; 2008.Kim JH, Tam WS, Meunnig P.Sociodemographic correlates of sexlessness among American adults and associations with self-reported happiness levels: evidence from the U.S. General Social Survey.Arch Sex Behav.2017 Nov;46(8):2403–2415. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0968-7Ninnemann, K.Shenkui. In:Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_700International Society of Sexual Medicine.What Is semen retention? Does it have health benefits?Chen J,The pathophysiology of delayed ejaculation.Transl Androl Urol.2016;5(4):549–562. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.05.03Sexual Medicine Association of North America.Q&A on “blue ball” syndrome.Hanson BM, Aston K, Jenkins TG, Carrell DT, Hotaling JM.The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters: a systematic review.J Assist Reprod Genet.2018;35(2):213–220, doi:10.1007/s10815-017-1086-0Prause N, Binnie, J.Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: a preregistered survey study.Sexualities.2023. [Online ahead of print.] doi:10.1177/13634607231157070Gillman N, Gillman M.Premature ejaculation: aetiology and treatment strategies.Med Sci (Basel).2019;7(11):102. doi:10.3390/medsci7110102Jenkins LC, Maulhall JP.Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia.Fertil Steril.2015;104(5):1082–1088. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.029Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav.2020;49(4):1333–1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Elrafei H, Jamali Q.Assessment and treatment of hypersexuality: a review.BJ Psych Adv. 2022;28(3):198-205. doi:10.1192/bja.2021.68
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Dubin JM, Aguiar JA, Lin JS.The broad reach and inaccuracy of men’s health information on social media: analysis of TikTok and Instagram.Int J Impot Res.2022 Nov 19:1–5. doi:10.1038/s41443-022-00645-6YouVersion Bible.Genesis 38:8-10.Albobali Y, Madi MY.Masturbatory guilt leading to severe depression.Cureus.2021;13(3):e13626. doi:10.7759/cureus.13626Prakash O, Kar SK, Sathyanrayana R.Indian story on semen loss and related Dhat syndrome.Indian J Psychiatry.2014;56(4):377–382. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.146532Judy RS.The semen in the subject: deferral of enjoyment and the postmodernist Taoist ars erotica.Comparatist.2015;39:135-152. doi:10.1353/com.2015.0017Poller J.Chapter 5. sex and alternative spirituality. In:Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality. Leiden, Amsterdam: Brill Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1163/9789004406902_007Lloyd JW.The Karezza Method. In:The Karezza Method Or Magnetation: The Art of Connubial Love.London UK: Forgotten Books; 2008.Kim JH, Tam WS, Meunnig P.Sociodemographic correlates of sexlessness among American adults and associations with self-reported happiness levels: evidence from the U.S. General Social Survey.Arch Sex Behav.2017 Nov;46(8):2403–2415. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0968-7Ninnemann, K.Shenkui. In:Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_700International Society of Sexual Medicine.What Is semen retention? Does it have health benefits?Chen J,The pathophysiology of delayed ejaculation.Transl Androl Urol.2016;5(4):549–562. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.05.03Sexual Medicine Association of North America.Q&A on “blue ball” syndrome.Hanson BM, Aston K, Jenkins TG, Carrell DT, Hotaling JM.The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters: a systematic review.J Assist Reprod Genet.2018;35(2):213–220, doi:10.1007/s10815-017-1086-0Prause N, Binnie, J.Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: a preregistered survey study.Sexualities.2023. [Online ahead of print.] doi:10.1177/13634607231157070Gillman N, Gillman M.Premature ejaculation: aetiology and treatment strategies.Med Sci (Basel).2019;7(11):102. doi:10.3390/medsci7110102Jenkins LC, Maulhall JP.Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia.Fertil Steril.2015;104(5):1082–1088. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.029Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav.2020;49(4):1333–1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Elrafei H, Jamali Q.Assessment and treatment of hypersexuality: a review.BJ Psych Adv. 2022;28(3):198-205. doi:10.1192/bja.2021.68
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dubin JM, Aguiar JA, Lin JS.The broad reach and inaccuracy of men’s health information on social media: analysis of TikTok and Instagram.Int J Impot Res.2022 Nov 19:1–5. doi:10.1038/s41443-022-00645-6YouVersion Bible.Genesis 38:8-10.Albobali Y, Madi MY.Masturbatory guilt leading to severe depression.Cureus.2021;13(3):e13626. doi:10.7759/cureus.13626Prakash O, Kar SK, Sathyanrayana R.Indian story on semen loss and related Dhat syndrome.Indian J Psychiatry.2014;56(4):377–382. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.146532Judy RS.The semen in the subject: deferral of enjoyment and the postmodernist Taoist ars erotica.Comparatist.2015;39:135-152. doi:10.1353/com.2015.0017Poller J.Chapter 5. sex and alternative spirituality. In:Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality. Leiden, Amsterdam: Brill Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1163/9789004406902_007Lloyd JW.The Karezza Method. In:The Karezza Method Or Magnetation: The Art of Connubial Love.London UK: Forgotten Books; 2008.Kim JH, Tam WS, Meunnig P.Sociodemographic correlates of sexlessness among American adults and associations with self-reported happiness levels: evidence from the U.S. General Social Survey.Arch Sex Behav.2017 Nov;46(8):2403–2415. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0968-7Ninnemann, K.Shenkui. In:Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_700International Society of Sexual Medicine.What Is semen retention? Does it have health benefits?Chen J,The pathophysiology of delayed ejaculation.Transl Androl Urol.2016;5(4):549–562. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.05.03Sexual Medicine Association of North America.Q&A on “blue ball” syndrome.Hanson BM, Aston K, Jenkins TG, Carrell DT, Hotaling JM.The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters: a systematic review.J Assist Reprod Genet.2018;35(2):213–220, doi:10.1007/s10815-017-1086-0Prause N, Binnie, J.Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: a preregistered survey study.Sexualities.2023. [Online ahead of print.] doi:10.1177/13634607231157070Gillman N, Gillman M.Premature ejaculation: aetiology and treatment strategies.Med Sci (Basel).2019;7(11):102. doi:10.3390/medsci7110102Jenkins LC, Maulhall JP.Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia.Fertil Steril.2015;104(5):1082–1088. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.029Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav.2020;49(4):1333–1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Elrafei H, Jamali Q.Assessment and treatment of hypersexuality: a review.BJ Psych Adv. 2022;28(3):198-205. doi:10.1192/bja.2021.68
Dubin JM, Aguiar JA, Lin JS.The broad reach and inaccuracy of men’s health information on social media: analysis of TikTok and Instagram.Int J Impot Res.2022 Nov 19:1–5. doi:10.1038/s41443-022-00645-6
YouVersion Bible.Genesis 38:8-10.
Albobali Y, Madi MY.Masturbatory guilt leading to severe depression.Cureus.2021;13(3):e13626. doi:10.7759/cureus.13626
Prakash O, Kar SK, Sathyanrayana R.Indian story on semen loss and related Dhat syndrome.Indian J Psychiatry.2014;56(4):377–382. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.146532
Judy RS.The semen in the subject: deferral of enjoyment and the postmodernist Taoist ars erotica.Comparatist.2015;39:135-152. doi:10.1353/com.2015.0017
Poller J.Chapter 5. sex and alternative spirituality. In:Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality. Leiden, Amsterdam: Brill Publishing; 2019. doi:10.1163/9789004406902_007
Lloyd JW.The Karezza Method. In:The Karezza Method Or Magnetation: The Art of Connubial Love.London UK: Forgotten Books; 2008.
Kim JH, Tam WS, Meunnig P.Sociodemographic correlates of sexlessness among American adults and associations with self-reported happiness levels: evidence from the U.S. General Social Survey.Arch Sex Behav.2017 Nov;46(8):2403–2415. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0968-7
Ninnemann, K.Shenkui. In:Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_700
International Society of Sexual Medicine.What Is semen retention? Does it have health benefits?
Chen J,The pathophysiology of delayed ejaculation.Transl Androl Urol.2016;5(4):549–562. doi:10.21037/tau.2016.05.03
Sexual Medicine Association of North America.Q&A on “blue ball” syndrome.
Hanson BM, Aston K, Jenkins TG, Carrell DT, Hotaling JM.The impact of ejaculatory abstinence on semen analysis parameters: a systematic review.J Assist Reprod Genet.2018;35(2):213–220, doi:10.1007/s10815-017-1086-0
Prause N, Binnie, J.Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: a preregistered survey study.Sexualities.2023. [Online ahead of print.] doi:10.1177/13634607231157070
Gillman N, Gillman M.Premature ejaculation: aetiology and treatment strategies.Med Sci (Basel).2019;7(11):102. doi:10.3390/medsci7110102
Jenkins LC, Maulhall JP.Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia.Fertil Steril.2015;104(5):1082–1088. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.029
Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav.2020;49(4):1333–1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8
Elrafei H, Jamali Q.Assessment and treatment of hypersexuality: a review.BJ Psych Adv. 2022;28(3):198-205. doi:10.1192/bja.2021.68
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