Semen retention is a form of ejaculation abstention. It’s called ejaculation abstinence when someone purposefully avoids expulsion. One needs to learn how to have an orgasm without ejaculating in order to accomplish this, or they need to completely abstain from sexual activity.

Sperm preservation, an ancient Ayurvedic practice, is said to improve men’s physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Semen conservation, coitus reservatus, and sexual continence are other terms for semen retention.

There is no objective measurement of ejaculation frequency. Ejaculating is not necessary for either sexe to have the option of not having any. The claims of those who follow the NoFap lifestyle, however, are not backed by any scientific evidence. There’s nothing wrong with masturbating while you watch porn; in fact, it’s encouraged. If it doesn’t disrupt your daily activities, self-love is acceptable, right?

How is It Done?

Semen retention can be achieved in a few different ways. You are able to have sex without ejaculating. You can either learn to orgasm on your own without having to ejaculate, or you can completely forego sexual activity. Overall, it necessitates considerable self-control.

Combining some behavioral techniques with a masturbation aid device (like personal lubricants and masturbators) can be beneficial. such as the pause and squeeze method.

Request that your partner give you a couple of seconds of sustained pressure on the penis. Wait a while until the urge passes.

This method of operation is not brand-new. On the contrary, it has a long history of Taoist sexual practices. It is also present in other cultures. However, it goes by various names, such as sahaja (Hindu Yoga), maithuna (Hindu Tantra), coitus reservatus (Latin), and others. There aren’t many books or studies about semen retention that provide some understanding of this practice.

However, you shouldn’t confuse semen retention with today’s practices such as “Orgasm control” and “NoFap.” Orgasm control entails fully postponing ejaculation and orgasm before allowing both at the conclusion of the sexual act.

The term “NoFap” stands for refraining from solo sex, which includes watching porn and masturbating. On the other hand, people can ejaculate, orgasm, and have sex with a partner.

Retrograde ejaculation and semen retention differ from one another. When the semen exits through the penis instead of the bladder, this condition takes place. Little or no semen is produced as a result.

Is It Healthy to Retain Sperm?

Semen retention research is insufficient to conclusively state whether this procedure can be helpful in the long run. But experts assert that it might also have advantages.

When men try to hold in their semen for an extended period of time, this practice could help them enhance their:

• Physical health
• Mental health
• Spiritual well-being

2018 research indicates that shorter abstinence (less than 24h) substantially improved sperm motility. For improving progressive velocity and motility, this semen retention timeline was especially useful. Additionally, it might enhance physical renewal and boost testosterone levels and muscle mass.

In light of this, it’s crucial to discuss semen retention and testosterone. When the body does not expel the sperm, it absorbs it back into the body. To address this, the concepts of semen retention and testosterone boost were introduced.

According to studies, men’s testosterone levels rose after three weeks without having sex. Therefore, even though acute abstinence won’t alter how the nervous and endocrine systems interact to cause orgasms, it can raise serum testosterone levels.

However, the effects of semen retention might go beyond their purely physical advantages. It might increase vigor, energy, self-assurance, motivation, and focus. More self-assured people might experience anxiety problems less frequently.

Men can increase their concentration and pursue other accomplishments and goals by focusing less on sex and other sexual activities.

There may be spiritual advantages to the semen retention power. While you aren’t concentrating on the physical aspect of the relationship, you can use the time to develop a stronger and deeper emotional connection with your partner. Gaining a stronger sense of direction and overall harmony is the goal.

Why People May Try This?

One might attempt to keep their semen inside for a variety of reasons. For example, some people believe that semen retention may help with:

Mental Health

• increased motivation
• improved energy and focus
• more self-confidence
• reduced anxiety
• better memory
• improved concentration

Physical Health

• clearer skin
• increased testosterone
• more weight loss
• increased muscle mass
• physical rejuvenation
• a deeper voice

Spiritual Health

• a greater sense of purpose
• stronger or deeper emotional bonds in relationships
• a stronger sense of overall harmony

Does Sperm Build Up If Not Released?

No, as the sperm won’t accumulate if you don’t release it, avoiding ejaculating won’t harm your body in any way. It won’t have any negative effects on fertility or sex drive and the body will reabsorb it. However, men who delay or avoid ejaculating when sexually aroused might experience some negative side effects.

Epididymal hypertension, a condition people know as “blue balls,” can happen. When a man’s sexual arousal doesn’t result in ejaculation or orgasm, this happens.

It takes a long time for the extra blood to leave the testicles and penis after an erection. Some scrotal discomfort is being caused by this.

How Long Can Sperm Retention Last?

For semen retention, there are many online rewards. People are praising this process for helping them with their memory issues, depression, anxiety, general fatigue, and other minor health issues. And many men vouch for it.

Some people practice sperm retention techniques for a few days, while others do so for several weeks. Everyone experiences it differently.

The issue is that these assertions aren’t backed up by enough evidence. What is known is that preventing masturbation can improve sperm motility.

Masturbation may slightly lower the sperm count even though it won’t cause infertility. And everything counts when trying to get pregnant.

This is why men may need to abstain from masturbation for 4–5 days prior to sperm collection for IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) and IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) procedures.

How Often Should a Man Release Sperm?

How frequently should a man release sperm per month? People who are curious about ejaculation issues frequently ask this question.

You should ejaculate on a regular basis, but there is no set frequency. No absolute proof exists either that not ejaculating will result in health problems.

But numerous studies revealed that a higher ejaculation frequency lowers the risk of prostate cancer. According to a 2016 study, the risk of prostate cancer is reduced by about 20% when men eject semen more than 20 times per month. This sum is considerable.

In light of this, some Taoist teachers advise men to ejaculate 20% to 30% of the time they engage in sexual activity. Or, two to three times out of every ten sessions. In a perfect world, you would pay attention to your needs, wants, and personal interests.

Any motion or position that feels natural to you is acceptable. You can enjoy the intercourse if not ejaculating feels refreshing to you. However, you are free to skip semen retention if it sounds excessively taxing.

What Happens If You Hold Your Sperm for Too Long?

It is not harmful to think about semen retention. No side effects have ever been reported.

Therefore, there is no harm in doing it if you enjoy it. However, it might change based on how tightly you squeeze it. Most of the semen can be held in the urethra if the penis is held at the glans (tip or head). The bladder may also become backed up with some of the semen.

This is retrograde ejaculation if the bladder receives the majority of it. The following time you urinate, the semen will then be released.

Risks

Contrary to popular belief, there are occasionally some complications even though there are typically not many risks involved.

We’ll look at these in more detail in the sections that follow.

Epididymal Hypertension

Epididymal hypertension, also referred to as blue balls, is what may occur if a person is sexually aroused but does not ejaculate or orgasm.

Following an arousal that does not result in an orgasm, they may feel aching or pain in their testicles. This happens as a result of an accumulation of blood in the testicles brought on by arousal.

Older research suggests that it is a harmless condition that is common in young male adults. Treatment usually involves ejaculation or reducing arousal.

Ejaculation Issues

If a person regularly prevents themselves from ejaculating or reaching orgasm, they may develop ejaculation issues.

For example, a person may find themselves unable to ejaculate or orgasm when they want to, or they may experience premature ejaculation. They may also develop retrograde ejaculation, which causes semen to travel back into the bladder.

Possible Benefits of Not Ejaculating

Some of the potential benefits of not ejaculating may include:

It May Lead to a More Intense Orgasm

There is a notion that delaying ejaculation for a while may enable individuals to have orgasms that are more potent.

However, one small-scale study from 2001According to a reliable source, there may not be much of an effect on a person’s nervous system when they ejaculate after refraining from ejaculating for three weeks.

• Edging

Edging is the practice of engaging in sexual stimulation to the point of orgasm before stopping and starting again.

According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, edging may help increase the intensity of orgasm in some people.

It May Help With Premature Ejaculation

People who have early ejaculation may use edging-like methods to extend their sexual activity.

MethodsThe start-stop or squeeze techniques, for example, stimulate the penis up until the point of orgasm, then stop or squeeze the penis until the urge to ejaculate disappears.

It May Increase Fertility

Some individuals might think that semen retention can enhance sperm quality, thereby boosting fertility. There hasn’t been much research done on this, though.

One older study suggests that to present the best possible semen samples, a person only needs to abstain from ejaculating for 1 dayIt also advises against going longer than 10 days without engaging in sexual activity, according to a reliable source.

A 2018 study suggests that ejaculatory abstinence periods of more than 4 daysSperm are negatively impacted by Trusted Source. One 2015 studyDaily ejaculation, according to a reliable source, does not significantly harm the quality of sperm.

A 2018 reviewReexamining the current recommendations for optimal sperm samples call for 2–7 days of ejaculatory abstinence, according to a trusted source. Shortening the abstinence period may improve the quality of the sperm, the review contends.

When to stop preventing ejaculation

If there is any pain or discomfort involved with self-ejaculation prevention, the person should stop doing it. In addition, they ought to stop preventing ejaculation if they are unable to do so if or when they decide that they want to.

If a person can no longer ejaculate but still wants to father biological children, they should visit a doctor because this may require medical treatment. This is known as anejaculation and can occur due to:

• injury to the spinal cord
• an infection
• stressor psychological issues (situational anejaculation)
• pelvic injury or surgery
• medication use, including the use of some antidepressants
• nervous system disorders

If, after deciding to ejaculate, a person finds blood in their semen, they should not panic. Within a few days, this ought to be resolved. If a person is worried, it might be worthwhile to speak with a medical expert.

Read about How To Improve Spiritual Health?

Summary

There is currently insufficient data to draw any firm conclusions about the potential advantages of semen retention. There hasn’t been a lot of evidence, though, to suggest that there might be health risks.

For however long they choose, a person is free to forego sexual activity. Additionally, they can experiment with incorporating tantric sex or edging into their sexual life to see if they enjoy it.

A person should ejaculate on a regular basis, but there is no set standard for this. People ought to therefore test out what feels right to them.