The Prostate and Pleasure: Health Benefits, Cancer Prevention, and Sexual Recovery After Surgery What prostate masturbation does internally and externally — and how to maintain orgasm and sexual pleasure after prostatectomy
Prostate stimulation and regular ejaculation carry documented health benefits including reduced cancer risk and prostatitis prevention. This research-backed article covers how it works internally and externally, what the science says about cancer risk reduction, and how men can maintain orgasm and sexual pleasure after prostate cancer surgery.
SEXUAL HEALTH AND AWARENESS
The prostate gland is one of the least discussed organs in men’s health conversations and one of the most consequential. It is the size of a walnut, it sits between the bladder and the penis, and it has two jobs: producing the fluid that makes up a significant portion of semen, and adding to the pleasure of orgasm in ways that most men have never fully explored.
It is also the site of the second most common cancer diagnosis in American men. It is the target of surgery that dramatically affects sexual function. And it is the subject of a growing body of research suggesting that regular ejaculation — whether through partnered sex, masturbation, or prostate-specific stimulation — provides measurable protective benefits against the conditions that threaten it.
This article covers what the prostate is and what it does, what prostate stimulation produces internally and externally, what the research says about cancer prevention and prostatitis, and what men who have undergone prostate cancer surgery need to know about maintaining orgasm and sexual pleasure on the other side of treatment.
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The Prostate: Anatomy and Function
The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system, positioned between the rectum and the bladder, surrounding the urethra. One of its primary functions is to produce prostate fluid — an alkaline secretion that makes up roughly thirty percent of semen volume. This fluid protects sperm, supports motility, and contributes to the chemistry of successful fertilization.
The prostate also contains a dense concentration of nerve endings that contribute directly to the experience of orgasm. These nerve endings respond to both internal stimulation — via the rectum, which is directly adjacent to the prostate’s posterior wall — and to the muscular contractions of ejaculation itself. The prostate’s role in male orgasm is not incidental. It is structural.
The prostate is also known as the male G-spot — a quasi-mystical designation that reflects the fact that direct prostate stimulation can produce orgasms of significantly greater intensity than conventional penile stimulation alone. (Healthline / Greatist, Prostate Massage, 2024)
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What Prostate Stimulation Does: Internal and External
Internal Stimulation
Internal prostate stimulation is accessed via the rectum. The prostate’s posterior wall sits approximately two to three inches inside the rectum, toward the navel. This location makes it accessible through gentle pressure against the front wall of the rectum using a finger, a purpose-designed prostate massager, or the pressure of anal penetration.
When the prostate is massaged, it releases seminal fluid. This secretion helps clear the prostatic duct — the pipeline running between the prostate and the reproductive and urinary system. Clearing this duct reduces the stagnation of prostatic fluid that can contribute to infection and inflammation. (Healthline, Benefits of Prostate Massage Therapy)
Internally stimulated prostate orgasms differ from conventional orgasms in several documented ways. They tend to involve more of the pelvic floor musculature, produce more intense and diffuse sensation than penile stimulation alone, and can in some men produce orgasm without erection or ejaculation — which has significant implications for men with erectile dysfunction and for post-surgical sexual recovery.
External Stimulation
The perineum — the area of skin between the scrotum and the anus — sits directly over the prostate’s external surface. Firm pressure applied to the perineum during sexual activity provides indirect prostate stimulation that contributes to the intensity of orgasm without requiring internal access. (Greatist, Prostate Massage, 2024)
External perineal stimulation is accessible to men who are unwilling or unable to pursue internal stimulation and can meaningfully enhance the orgasmic experience. It is also relevant post-surgically, where internal anatomy may have changed but the perineum’s nerve supply remains intact.
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Cancer Prevention: What the Research Shows
A Harvard University study found that men who ejaculated 21 times per month — either from masturbation or sexual intercourse — were 31 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ejaculated only four to seven times per month. (NY Post / Dr. Daniel Kelly, Sheffield Hallam University; Clinical Genitourinary Cancer review)
Seven out of eleven studies conducted over the last 33 years found that ejaculation reduced prostate cancer risk. A review of those studies was published in Clinical Genitourinary Cancer. (Dr. Daniel Kelly, The Conversation, cited in NY Post)
The mechanism behind this protective effect is not fully understood, but researchers have proposed several theories. Regular ejaculation flushes carcinogens and other potentially harmful substances from the prostate before they can accumulate to damaging concentrations. It prevents the stagnation of prostatic fluid that may create conditions hospitable to abnormal cell development. And it maintains the regular cycling of prostate secretions in ways that support gland health.
Regular ejaculation is thought to help maintain prostate health by flushing out toxins and reducing the buildup of harmful substances. The prostate produces a fluid that is a component of semen, and regular ejaculation helps to keep this fluid moving, preventing stagnation and reducing the chances of infection and inflammation. Several studies have indicated a link between frequent ejaculation and a lower risk of prostate cancer. (Xialla, Benefits of Masturbation for Prostate Health, 2024)
The protective association is consistent whether ejaculation occurs through partnered sex or masturbation. The biological mechanism does not distinguish between them. What matters is the frequency of ejaculation and the regular clearance of prostatic fluid that it produces.
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Prostatitis: Prevention and Management
Prostatitis — inflammation of the prostate gland — affects a significant proportion of men at some point in their lives and produces symptoms including pelvic pain, painful urination, and painful ejaculation. Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, the most common form, is particularly difficult to treat and significantly reduces quality of life. (Medical News Today, Prostate Milking, 2024)
Regular ejaculation may help reduce the risk of developing prostatitis by keeping the prostate and its ducts clear of potential blockages and infections. This can be particularly beneficial for men who are prone to this condition. (Xialla, 2024)
Prostatic massage has been used therapeutically for prostatitis, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with antibiotics. The massage helps drain blocked prostatic fluid, reduce inflammation, and improve the delivery of antibiotics to the affected tissue. While the medical research on prostate massage as a standalone treatment is limited, the anecdotal support and clinical use are documented. (Healthline, Benefits of Prostate Massage Therapy)
Prostate massage therapy may also provide symptomatic relief for painful ejaculation by clearing fluid blockages in the reproductive system that produce discomfort during orgasm, and it has been used historically in the treatment of erectile dysfunction before modern pharmacological options became available. (Healthline, 2024)
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Prostate Cancer Surgery: What Changes and What Doesn’t
Radical prostatectomy — the surgical removal of the prostate — is one of the primary treatment options for localized prostate cancer. It is effective. It is also a significant intervention in the male sexual anatomy whose effects on sexual function are both predictable and manageable with appropriate rehabilitation.
The Dry Orgasm
You can orgasm after prostate cancer treatment, but it usually results in a dry orgasm. With a dry orgasm, no fluid comes out of the urethra when you climax. But you can still feel the pleasurable sensation of climax. (Cleveland Clinic, Sex After Prostate Cancer, 2023)
If you had a prostatectomy, the procedure removes the seminal vesicles which produce and hold semen, and cuts the vas deferens, so there is no semen to come out. This is the consistent and expected outcome of the surgery. The absence of ejaculate does not, in itself, eliminate the capacity for orgasm or the sensation of pleasure that accompanies it. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)
Patients who recover from robotic prostatectomy can expect one significant change regarding orgasm — the orgasm without ejaculation. It will feel different but the pleasure part will still be there. (Dr. David Samadi, RoboticOncology.com)
What the Research Shows About Orgasmic Recovery
A prospective study of 499 men who underwent radical prostatectomy between 2005 and 2013 found that at a median follow-up of 36 months, orgasmic function was worse, stable, or improved in 60.1 percent, 30.5 percent, and 9.4 percent of men respectively. Orgasmic function recovery plateaued at 15 to 21 months post-surgery. (Journal of Urology, Orgasmic Function after Radical Prostatectomy, 2017)
The sexual problem after radical prostatectomy that has received the most focus in current literature is erectile dysfunction. However, there are orgasmic complications that encompass orgasm-associated urinary incontinence (climacturia), anorgasmia, changes in orgasmic sensation, and painful orgasm. Climacturia — urine leakage during orgasm — occurs in approximately 25 percent of men after prostate removal. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023; Nature, International Journal of Impotence Research, 2021)
Erectile function alone is not sufficient for satisfactory sexual experience and may not be used as a proxy for sexual quality of life. This is a critical clinical finding — the focus on restoring erection as the primary marker of post-surgical sexual recovery has been shown to be inadequate. A multidisciplinary approach including the partner is important. (Nature, International Journal of Impotence Research, 2021)
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Maintaining Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure After Surgery
Penile Rehabilitation: Use It or Lose It
The goal of penile rehabilitation is to reduce the risk of permanent erectile dysfunction before and after treatment. It focuses on increasing oxygenation and preserving the structures of erectile tissue to prevent long-term damage. The theory is that helping men regain erections earlier after treatment could prevent long-term damage — a use it or lose it approach. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)
Penile rehabilitation typically involves PDE5 inhibitors such as Cialis or Viagra begun shortly after surgery, vacuum erection devices used regularly to promote blood flow to penile tissue even without spontaneous erection, and intracavernosal injection therapy for cases where oral medications are insufficient.
Masturbation as Rehabilitation
Masturbate: This helps you learn how your body will respond to stimulation after surgery and builds your sexual confidence. Physicians who specialize in post-prostatectomy sexual recovery consistently recommend regular masturbation as a rehabilitation tool, independent of whether erection is achievable. (Dr. David Samadi, RoboticOncology.com)
The man who learns that he can achieve orgasm without erection — through sustained stimulation, pelvic floor engagement, and prostate-area stimulation via the perineum — is in a significantly better position post-surgically than the man who waits for erection to return before attempting sexual activity. The neural pathways for orgasm and the pathways for erection are related but not identical. Maintaining one while the other recovers preserves sexual engagement and confidence during the recovery period.
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Kegel exercises — the repeated contraction and relaxation of the pelvic floor musculature — improve both orgasmic intensity and urinary control post-prostatectomy. The pelvic floor muscles are directly involved in the muscular contractions of orgasm, and strengthening them produces stronger orgasmic sensation. They also help manage climacturia by improving urinary sphincter control. (Dr. David Samadi; Nature, 2021)
Prostate Area Stimulation Post-Surgery
Following prostatectomy, internal prostate stimulation is no longer possible because the prostate has been removed. However, the nerve-rich area where the prostate previously sat may retain some sensitivity, and external perineal stimulation remains available and can contribute to orgasmic sensation. Men who incorporated internal prostate stimulation in their pre-surgical sex life and found it valuable may find that perineal and posterior pelvic stimulation provides some of the same neural activation post-surgically.
Reframing the Sexual Experience
It is important to rethink the way you look at the sexual act. These intimate moments release more endorphins when intensified with all sorts of activities that arouse pleasure for both partners, such as hugging, sensate focus, oral sex, or sex toys. Oral sex after prostate cancer is another form of intimacy that connects partners during a period when conventional intercourse may be difficult. (Dr. David Samadi, RoboticOncology.com)
The important strategies for rehabilitating sexual function include pelvic floor muscle therapy, couple therapy, appropriate preoperative counseling, and focusing on non-penetrative alternatives. Sexual recovery after prostate surgery is a process that benefits from involving the partner and from a broad rather than narrow definition of what sexual satisfaction includes. (Nature, International Journal of Impotence Research, 2021)
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The Bottom Line
The prostate is both a health organ and a pleasure organ, and taking care of it involves both dimensions. Regular ejaculation — through whatever means works — produces documented protective benefits against the conditions that most threaten prostate health. Men who incorporate prostate stimulation into their sexual practice are accessing a significant source of both pleasure and health benefit that mainstream men’s health conversations consistently underaddress.
For men who have undergone prostate cancer surgery, the picture is more complex but not hopeless. Orgasm is possible. Pleasure is possible. The road to reclaiming a satisfying sexual life after prostatectomy requires information, patience, rehabilitation, and the willingness to redefine what sexual satisfaction looks like on the other side of a significant procedure.
The prostate’s absence does not end that life. It changes it. The evidence is consistent that the change is manageable and the pleasure is recoverable.
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Sources
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, January). Maintaining Your Sex Life After Prostate Cancer. Health.ClevelandClinic.org.
Dr. Daniel Kelly, Sheffield Hallam University. (2024). Why Men Who Masturbate Frequently Might Keep Prostate Cancer at Bay. The Conversation. Cited in NY Post and AOL.
Dr. David Samadi. (2026). Sex After Prostate Surgery and Achieving Orgasm. RoboticOncology.com.
Greatist / Tom Russell. (2024, August). Prostate Massage: Benefits, Research, Prep, How To, Risks. Greatist.com.
Healthline. (2024). Benefits of Prostate Massage Therapy. Healthline.com.
Mayo Clinic Connect. (2024, December). Can a Dry Orgasm After Prostatectomy Still Be Pleasurable? Connect.MayoClinic.org.
Medical News Today / Zawn Villines. (2024, February). Prostate Milking: Definition and How to Do It. MedicalNewsToday.com.
Nature / International Journal of Impotence Research. (2021, March). Focusing on Sexual Rehabilitation Besides Penile Rehabilitation Following Radical Prostatectomy Is Important. Vanderhaeghe D, Albersen M, Weyne E. PMC11776200.
ScienceDirect / Journal of Urology. (2017). Orgasmic Function After Radical Prostatectomy. AUAJournals.org.
Xialla. (2024, August). Benefits of Masturbation for Prostate Health. Xialla.com.
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Sexual Health & Awareness