A video shared by Naija PR, shows a medical practitioner saying that men should have sex 21 times to avoid prostate cancer.

The claim is misleading.

Prostate problems are unique to men because they have to do with a peculiar reproductive organ. There are three types of prostate problems: inflammation (prostatitis), enlarged prostate (BPH, or benign prostatic hyperplasia), and prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the abnormal and uncontrollable growth of the prostate (a small walnut-shaped gland in males that produces the seminal fluid that nourishes and transports sperm).

Recently, a video was shared by Naija (@Naija_PR) of a medical practitioner identified as Dr Ken asserting that a healthy man should engage in sexual activities 21 times a month to avoid prostate issues.

Dr Ken in the one-minute, 23-second video emphasised the need to optimise sexual activity, and if need be, men can have multiple sexual partners to meet their needs monthly.

“It is a concept in Physiology; if you don’t use it, you lose it. The only exercise your prostate gland gets is during erection, and that erection comes with sexual activity. So, the study is abundantly clear that a man in healthy shape should be able to have sexual interaction 21 times a month to avoid prostate issues, prostate cancer and cardiovascular issues. If you don’t exercise the gland, it swells on you. It becomes enlarged, and when it becomes enlarged, that is a precursor to cancer.

A keyword search led to an article by the Urology Care Foundation, analysing a study that sampled 32,000 men for 18 years. This study found that men who ejaculated the most (at least 21 times a month) had a 20% lower chance of prostate cancer than those who ejaculated four to seven times a month.

The foundation, however, noted that ejaculation may or may not affect the risk of prostate cancer. While it helps the prostate by flushing out harmful chemicals that build up in semen, it does not automatically mean it protects against prostate cancer. This is because there may be other factors like a healthy lifestyle. The foundation noted the need for more research to know for sure whether more ejaculation reduces the risk of prostate cancer or not.

A gynaecologist, Jeremiah Agim, noted that there are several causes of prostate issues aside from ejaculation, and just tackling ejaculation will not make much difference.

“There are many risk factors for prostate cancer. These range from age and family history (inherited gene mutation) to lifestyle. Even infection and inflammation of the prostate have been implicated, an environmental carcinogen (e.g. bisphenol from plastic), exposure to ionising radiation, obesity, and hormonal level (sex hormone and others). Ejaculation frequency is just one of these risk factors; therefore, I don’t think an increase in ejaculation frequency with an increase in exposure to other risk factors will make much difference in the development of prostate cancer.”

He also faulted the claimant’s law of physiology about prostate use or exercise:

“I will fault his concept of use and disuse. If you want to look at it in that direction, the prostate should atrophy, i.e. become small and not become cancer when not in use, and it should swell when used. Also, it is not only during sexual activity that a man has an erection. Most erections happen during deep sleep. If you remember your biology class on evolution, Jean Lamarck’s theory of use and disuse. He even said such gain in function can even be inherited.”

Speaking on available studies, he said, “If you go back to those studies you said you came across. One of the explanations by the authors for increased ejaculation frequency as a protective factor for prostate cancer is not from use and disuse. They explained that ejaculation removes carcinogens which would have remained and accumulated in the prostate, thereby increasing the risk of prostate cancer.”

A Urologist, Head of the Surgery Department at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) Ondo State, Olurotimi Ogundunniyi, dismissed the claim as a mere opinion, not a scientific fact.

“We all saw the video and discussed it on our forum. We lamented that when there is no information, people spread rumours. There are risk factors for prostate cancer, like age and family history. It is of recent, people have started thinking if there is a link between sex and prostate cancer.

“In the past, people thought frequent sex and infection was a risk factor, but there was no research to back it up. Is there a study to show that revered fathers suffer prostate cancer more? No. These are just speculations. There are papers here and there suggesting this. At best, it is the realm of being studied, not science. I assure you he was not speaking science, just his opinion.”

Another urologist, Emmanuel Adugba, the medical director at Rock Creek Care Hospital Abuja, noted that not much has been discussed in this area, but he believes it is a matter of sentiments.

“That area, not much has been discussed. Anything sex, people tend to exaggerate it. It is subjected to sentiments and emotions. For me, I think of harder issues than sentimental issues.”

He explained that if frequent sex was the solution to prostate issues, then clergypersons who do not have sex or celibate people should account for more of the patients of Prostate cancer. At the same time, people who indulge in more sexual activities because of their many wives and concubines should not have prostate cancer, but this is not the case.

CONCLUSION

The claim that having sex frequently will help avoid sex is misleading as experts have called for further studies since findings are not clear on the matter.