Mental Health

Is Masturbation Healthy? What the Evidence Says

by EROSSA Editorial November 2, 2026 7 min read

Is masturbation healthy? For most people, yes. A large national survey found it common across the whole of adult life, and the biggest study on ejaculation frequency links more frequent ejaculation with a lower risk of prostate cancer, although it cannot prove cause and effect.

Below: what the research actually measured, the questions people ask most often, and the few situations where a habit is worth talking through with a doctor.

Is masturbation healthy? What the research says

The clearest data come from the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, a nationally representative sample of 5,865 men and women in the United States, published in 2010. Its authors found that masturbation was common throughout the lifespan, and more common than partnered sex among the oldest group they asked, people over 70.

That matters because a lot of worry about masturbation comes from the idea that it is something people grow out of, or something only single people do. The survey suggests otherwise: it sits alongside partnered sex for much of adult life.

What the survey does not do is measure health outcomes. Many lists of “benefits” online, from better sleep to stress relief, describe what people report or what seems plausible. That is a fair description of how it feels for many people, but it is not the same as a trial, and we would rather say so than dress it up.

Do sex toys change anything?

Not the health picture. Sex toys are a way to vary sensation, not a different activity, and the same common-sense rules apply: use plenty of lubricant, go gently at first and clean the toy after every use.

For men who want something other than a hand, a masturbator gives a different texture and grip. If you are curious, discover our male masturbators, from compact sleeves to larger designs.

Is ejaculating every day good for health?

The most cited evidence is about the prostate. A study in European Urology followed 31,925 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, using their own reports of how often they ejaculated per month, from 1992 to 2010.

Men who reported 21 or more ejaculations a month had a lower risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer than men who reported four to seven: the hazard ratio was 0.81. In plain terms, the authors found that men reporting higher ejaculatory frequency were less likely to be diagnosed later on.

Two cautions. First, this is an association in an observational study, not proof that ejaculating more prevents cancer. Second, the participants were US health professionals reporting their own habits, so the result may not apply equally to everyone. It is reassuring, not a target to aim for.

Is it normal to masturbate daily?

For many people, yes. There is no “right” number, and daily is well within what people describe as ordinary. The questions worth asking are practical ones:

Is it comfortable? Soreness or chafing usually means too much friction. Slowing down, changing grip or adding lubricant tends to fix it.
Is it on your terms? If it regularly crowds out sleep, work or time with people, or feels hard to stop when you want to, that is worth talking through with your doctor.
Is it always rushed? The NHS lists conditioning among the possible causes of premature ejaculation: early habits, such as finishing quickly to avoid being caught, can be difficult to break later. Taking your time on some occasions is a simple counterweight.

The same NHS page turns the link around: one of the self-help steps it suggests for premature ejaculation is to masturbate an hour or two before having sex.

Is it healthy to never masturbate?

Also fine. Masturbation is an option, not an obligation, and choosing not to is a personal decision rather than a health problem in itself.

What is worth noticing is change. If you used to feel desire and it has faded, and that bothers you, the cause is often elsewhere. The NHS lists stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, some medicines and lower hormone levels with age among the main causes of a low sex drive, and advises seeing a doctor if you are worried about it. Our article on what causes low libido goes through them one by one.

Is there any benefit to masturbating?

The most useful one is knowledge. A 2018 survey of 1,055 women aged 18 to 94 found that women reported diverse preferences for genital touch: location, pressure, shape and pattern all varied from person to person. If what works differs this much, the quickest way to learn your own version is on your own, without anyone else’s expectations in the room.

That knowledge travels. It is much easier to tell a partner what you like when you already know, and to notice when something has changed.

Beyond that, many people simply find it relaxing, a way to unwind or to fall asleep. Those are personal experiences rather than measured outcomes, but they are good reasons in their own right.

Does masturbation have any downsides?

Physically, the common ones are minor: skin irritation from friction, or a toy that is not cleaned between uses. Both are easy to fix with lubricant, a gentler pace and a cleaning routine.

The bigger question is how it fits into your life. Masturbation is not the problem in itself; feeling unable to stop, or using it to avoid everything else, can be. If that sounds familiar, your doctor is a reasonable first person to talk to, and can point you to support.

It is also worth separating the habit from guilt. For some people, the distress comes from beliefs they grew up with rather than from anything happening to their body. If those beliefs weigh on you, talking them through can help more than trying to stop.

Does masturbation affect the pelvic floor?

Many people only become aware of their pelvic floor muscles through sex or masturbation. Noticing them is a useful starting point if you ever want to train them. Our guide to pelvic floor health explains what these muscles do and why they matter for everyone, not only after childbirth.

Does masturbation affect sex with a partner?

For most couples, the two sit side by side. Masturbating does not mean something is missing from the relationship, and plenty of people in happy relationships do both. Desire rarely matches perfectly between two people, and solo sex is one of the ways that gap gets bridged without pressure on either side.

Where it can cause friction is when it becomes a secret, or a substitute for a conversation that needs to happen. If one of you feels shut out, or the other feels judged, talking about it plainly usually helps more than stopping. It can even help the sex you have together: someone who knows what works for them can describe it, and someone who is relaxed about their own pleasure is often easier to be close to.

If you are worried that you no longer want sex with a partner at all, look at the wider picture rather than at masturbation alone. Stress and relationship problems are both on the NHS list of main causes of a low sex drive, and both respond to attention.

Where do these facts come from?

This article is general information, not medical advice. If something about your sexual health worries you, speak to your doctor or a sexual health clinic.