Semen Retention: Is Not Ejaculating Beneficial?

Medically reviewed by Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD

Semen retention is the practice of not ejaculating, which is thought by some to have physical, spiritual, or mental health benefits. The practice can range from abstaining from sex to teaching yourself how to orgasm without ejaculation.

Although semen retention has been popularized on social media platforms in recent years, it is an ancient practice deeply rooted in Indian culture, Chinese culture, and others.

This article explores semen retention from a historical and contemporary perspective, including the purported benefits and potential risks. It also explains what is involved in the practice of semen retention and when the avoidance of ejaculation may not be a good idea.

Defining "Retention" During Sex or Masturbation

Semen retention attracted a lot of attention on social media platforms like Reddit and TikTok in tandem with the emergence of the "NoFap" movement in 2011. The online community of over 300,000 members acts as a support group for those who wish to give up masturbation (referred to as "fap") for moral, religious, self-improvement, or medical reasons.

Though the NoFap movement is largely centered on overcoming addiction to porn and other compulsive sexual behaviors, the concept that ejaculation is "bad" for you—or that semen retention is beneficial—extends back centuries.

Related: Does Porn Cause Erectile Dysfunction?

Historical and Cultural Perspective

Semen retention can be viewed in different ways by different people and cultures.

For some, it may reflect religious or cultural beliefs that regard masturbation and ejaculation as inherently "bad" or "amoral." From biblical passages that decry men who "wasted their seed" to the long-standing myth that masturbation causes acne, semen retention is often tacitly portrayed as virtuous while ejaculation is deemed "unseemly" or "shameful."

In various cultures, semen retention is considered beneficial and even a source of emotional, sexual, and spiritual enlightenment. There are, in fact, many cultures for which semen retention has been practiced for centuries, including:

• Ayurveda: Indian culture traditionally regards semen as a precious body fluid that needs to be preserved. Ayurvedic practitioners are taught that the conservation of semen adds to their strength and takes them on the pathway to the supreme soul (Brahmacharya).

• Taoism: Taoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, teaches that the conservation of semen is a means to increase your energy and life force. As opposed to sexual abstinence, Taoists practice prolonged sexual arousal without orgasm (referred to as huanjing bunao).

• Tantra: The yogic practice of tantra asserts that the retention of semen not only prolongs sexual pleasure but allows a person to reabsorb their divine essence and the divine essence of their partner (referred to as maithuna).

• Karezza: The Karezza method, a more modern practice first described in 1931, involves the enjoyment of sex in the absence of orgasm. Also referred to as coitus reservatus or sexual continence, the practice today is thought to enhance sexual bonding and intimacy.

Related: Are Aphrodisiacs Real?

Semen Retention: Safe or Unsafe?

Semen retention is neither "bad" nor "good" for you. Ultimately, ejaculation is not a requisite of sex, and celibacy is not considered an impediment to your health or happiness. You do not need sex to live.

In recent years, many claims have been made on social media about the benefits of semen retention as well as the potential risks. Some of these claims are stronger than others, and some are outright untrue.

Benefits of Semen Retention

Different cultures have attributed physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to semen retention.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), semen retention is said to treat shenkui, an illness directly attributed to orgasms and the loss of ching (vital essence) through ejaculation. The retention of semen is thought to relieve these symptoms of shenkui, including:

• Mental fogginess

• Chills

• Dizziness

• Backache

• Tiredness

• Weakness

• Insomnia

• Frequent dreams

Some TCM practitioners even suggest that semen retention can overcome sexual problems like premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. The evidence supporting these claims is weak.

With practices like tantra and Karezza, which focus on sexual intimacy in the absence of orgasm, proponents claim that semen retention can help:

• Relieve stress

• Reduce tension and stress

• Improve concentration and focus

• Relieve pain

• Improve relationships

Some of these claims may seem reasonable, given that delayed ejaculation and anorgasmia (the inability to orgasm) are associated with high levels of sexual performance anxiety. By taking the demands of ejaculation out of sex, sexual stresses can be eased.

Even so, few quality studies support these claims. Other claims have not been proven, including suggestions that holding off can improve fertility, increase muscle mass, or lower blood pressure.

Risks of Not Ejaculating

Generally speaking, it is neither healthy nor unhealthy to hold in your semen.

However, if you are sexually active and are used to frequently ejaculating, you may experience aching in your testicles if you suddenly stop. The condition, called epididymal hypertension or "blue balls," is not serious and usually eases on its own within minutes or hours.

Masturbating without orgasm is also thought by some to cause retrograde ejaculation (in which semen flows to the bladder rather than out of the penis). Although retrograde ejaculation is sometimes intentionally used to retain semen—most notably with huanjing bunao—there is no evidence that holding it causes damage.

Can Not Ejaculating Affect Sperm?

Despite what some people may tell you, unejaculated sperm does not build up, Sperm cells have limited life and the body will reabsorb any that have not been ejaculated. While prolonged abstinence may affect sperm quality, so too can excessive ejaculation.

Related: What Is Hyperspermia?

Effects on Mental Health

In cultures where semen retention is an extension of one's spiritual or religious beliefs, the stress and expectations surrounding the practice can lead to high levels of emotional and psychological distress, resulting in a condition known as Dhat syndrome.

The condition, first described by psychiatrist N.N. Wig in 1960, was reported in Indian males who experience an extreme fear of ejaculation, leading to a host of physical symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, heart palpitations, insomnia, and erectile dysfunction.

Similar effects were seen in Chinese cultures, where illnesses attributed to ejaculation induced high levels of anxiety and panic, even to the point at which people believed their very health would be compromised if they ejaculated.

These responses are not limited to traditional cultures. Similar distress was reported in many NoFap members who experienced an intense fear of a "relapse" after committing to the movement. According to a 2023 study in the journal Sexualities, nearly 30% of the 587 members surveyed reported anxiety, depression, and erectile dysfunction as a result of these fears.

Related: The Facts About Age and Sex Drive

How to Practice Semen Retention

Semen retention may be pursued for many reasons. You may want to do so to reduce the stress of delayed ejaculation or to connect with your partner on a deeper level. You may want to pursue it for health or spiritual reasons or to use it as a method of birth control (albeit one that is less reliable).

There are methods that can help. One called edging involves stopping yourself from reaching orgasm when you're on the cusp. It is often used by practitioners to prolong sex, prevent premature ejaculation, or increase the intensity of an orgasm.

There are several guidelines that can help make the practice easier:

• Go slowly: As excited as you may feel, taking things slowly will provide you with better control over orgasms and prevent accidental ejaculation.

• Communicate: Always let your partner know what you are experiencing, telling them when to slow down or when it's time to take a break.

• Stop and squeeze: When you feel orgasm approaching, squeeze the end of your penis where the head joins the shaft. Maintain pressure until the urge to ejaculate passes.

• Induce retrograde ejaculation: If you feel you are about to ejaculate, you can divert the flow of semen by applying pressure to the perineum (the space between your anus and testicle). This can induce retrograde ejaculation and reroute semen from the penis to the bladder.
  

Can You Orgasm Without Ejaculation?

In many spiritual practices, orgasm is not dependent on ejaculation to be considered an orgasm. In tantric teachings, breath control, meditation, and finger pressure all work together to achieve orgasm without the loss of virya (semen) or prana (life force).

Orgasm without ejaculation can also be a medical condition referred to as a dry orgasm. Nerve damage, surgery, medications, testosterone deficiency, and retrograde ejaculation are all possible causes. While harmless, dry orgasms can affect your ability to induce pregnancy.

Related: Are Vaginal Orgasms Real?

Should Anyone Not Do Semen Retention?

Although semen retention doesn't cause any health problems, it's important to understand what the practice can and cannot do. What's important to remember is that semen retention cannot harm you. If holding back makes you feel better or stronger, there's no reason to stop the practice unless masturbation or ejaculation causes guilt and makes you feel worse about yourself.

While social media will often espouse the dangers of a so-called masturbation addiction, there is, in fact, no correlation between the number of times a person masturbates and whether they meet the criteria of hypersexuality disorder (also known as a sex addiction).

Pursuing abstinence in the absence of a diagnosis can deprive you of treatments that can help if you have this compulsive sexual disorder (including medications and therapy). Worse yet, you run the risk of relapse if the underlying cause is not addressed by a qualified mental health professional.

Demonizing masturbation and ejaculation—otherwise healthy facets of sexual expression—may fuel feelings of distress, anxiety, guilt, and shame. If you are experiencing significant distress, seek the help of a mental health professional.

Related: What to Know About Sex Addiction

Summary

Semen retention is the intentional avoidance of ejaculation. The practice has been used for centuries in many cultures as a means to improve health, attain spiritual enlightenment, and bond with a sexual partner on a more intimate level.

In recent years, semen retention has garnered attention on social media, where it is purported to have numerous health benefits, including the treatment of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. To date, there is no evidence that semen retention can treat any medical condition.

While semen retention is not physically harmful, people can undergo distress if they have difficulty maintaining the practice.

Related: Reaping the Health Benefits of Sex

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