(NaturalNews) Prostate problems are a major concern for men as they grow older. It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of all men over 50 will have some degree of benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH, or prostate enlargement), and a smaller percentage of men will develop prostate cancer. This cancer is serious, because although it tends to be slow-growing, it sometimes necessitates surgery, which can leave a man impotent, incontinent or both. Because of the serious consequences that prostate cancer can bring, much research on prevention has been undertaken. In other words, scientists are wanting to discover ways in which men can reduce their chances of getting the cancer to begin with. And this is a study that most men will probably be pretty happy about, as it has linked an increase in sexual activity with a reduced prostate cancer risk!

More on the new study

The results of this study were shown last month at the American Urological Association and, unsurprisingly, really got people talking! In a nutshell, what this study discovered was a link between frequent sex/frequent ejaculation and a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. So how was this research done, exactly?

This study takes data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, an enormous enterprise which looked at more than 32,000 male participants. Lifetime number of ejaculations were calculated from how many times men reported that they has had sex in the past year as well as, on average, how frequently they had sex in their 20s and 40s. From this, it was determined that men who had sex/ejaculated at least 21 times a month had a lower risk for prostate cancer than those who did so six to seven times or less on a monthly basis.

Reactions and thoughts on the study

This is not the first study to look at the relationship between frequency of sex and prostate health. In 2004, for instance, a study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association which found that higher rates of sexual activity were not related to an increased prostate cancer risk. This is the first study, however, to show a positive correlation between frequent sex and reduced risk of developing this disease.

Scientists are quick to point out, however, that correlation is not causation. In other words, just because men who have sex more frequently have lower prostate cancer risk does not mean that the frequent sex is the cause of the lowered risk. There could be other variables involved: For instance, it might be that men who have more frequent sex tend to be more active in general or take better care of themselves, which could also contribute to their decreased risk.

To conclude, this study is interesting in that it is the first large-scale research available that links frequent sex/ejaculation to reduced cancer risk. However, more research should probably be done to make sure that there really is a definite link between these two factors. This kind of knowledge can help medical professionals educate men on lifestyle choices that can help them reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.harvardprostateknowledge.org

http://www.livescience.com

About the author:
Sofiya has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments,health insurance, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.