Claims by Australian scientists that men who masturbate more frequently between the ages of 20 and 5...
Claims by Australian scientists that men who masturbate more frequently between the ages of 20 and 50 are less likely to develop prostate cancer have been labelled 'spurious' by a leading UK charity.
The researchers suggest that frequent ejaculation can have a protective effect against cancer, by preventing the build-up of cancer-causing chemicals in the prostate gland.
The results of a study of 1,079 prostate cancer sufferers and 1,259 healthy men ' who filled in detailed questionnaires about their sex- ual habits ' showed men who ejaculated more than five times a week in their 20s were a third less likely to develop an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
However, The Prostate Cancer Charity said the results were flawed as many men taking part in the study could have given inaccurate accounts of their masturbation habits.
Dr Chris Hiley, head of policy research for The Prostate Cancer Charity, said: 'It's an interesting and plausible study, but plausibility does not make the result 'true'. The best protective effects were picked up in the data furthest away in time ' easily 40 years in some cases ' in the men's memories.'
The scientists discussed the possibility that healthy men were exaggerating the number of times they masturbated, but discount it, saying masturbation is probably not seen as part of sexual performance about which men might be inclined to boast.
However, Hiley added: 'They do not seem to have considered that men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer will naturally look for causes in their own past behaviours and may have underestimated their masturbation habits, and this would result in a spurious result that ejaculation is protective.'
