Dr. Polyxeni Dimitropoulou of the University of Cambridge conducted a study that yielded some interesting results. It focused on the early sexual activity of men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
About the Study
The study took prostate cancer diagnosed men and asked them a series of questions about their sexual activity in their twenties, thirties and forties. Some of the questions included:
- Age of virginity loss
- Frequency of sex and masturbation
- How many sexual partners
- History of sexually transmitted diseases
The Results: More Sex and Masturbation Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer
The results indicated that men who had a large amount of sexual activity (sex and masturbation) in their twenties and thirties were more likely to suffer from prostate cancer later in life. The results did not indicate there was an association with amount of sexual activity in the forties linked to prostate cancer. The study went even further to distinguish whether it was more sex or more masturbation that increased the likelihood of prostate cancer, finding that more masturbation increased risk.
Other Findings
The study also looked at sexually transmitted diseases and found that certain ones further increased the risk as well as produced a more aggressive form of the cancer.
Implications of the Study
It’s difficult to say whether sexual activity directly causes someone to suffer from prostate cancer. There needs to be much more research in the area to find out if the cancer cells are actually set off by the hormone levels associated with sexual activity. It is an interesting hypothesis and there may be some influence. However, it’s important to keep in mind that prostate cancer is still a genetic form of cancer and lack of sexual activity doesn’t mean that someone will not develop it later in life.
Photo Courtesy of: Osvaldo_Zoom on flickr
Mon, Mar 8, 2010
Health