Having sex two to four times a week slashes the risk of prostate cancer
A moderate amount of sex 'cleans out the pipes' but prostate cancer risk has been found to rise over the optimum level of sexual frequency
HAVING sex two to four times a week slashes the risk of prostate cancer, a major review suggests.
But fellas who have bedded a high number of sexual partners are at greater risk.
And blokes who first had sex at a young age are also more likely to suffer.
Boffins from Sichuan University, in China, analysed data on 55,490 men from 22 previous studies.
They found the tumour risk started to fall as sexual frequency increased but then rose again.
The optimum level was two to four times a week – when risk was 10 per cent lower than average.
Self-loving provided similar benefits.
The risk of prostate cancer increased by 10 per cent for every ten female partners a man had.
And it decreased by 4 per cent for every five-year delay in age at first intercourse.
Having a moderate amount of sex is thought to be healthy because it “cleans out the pipes”.
But having too much may be a sign of excessive sex hormones, which heighten cancer risk.
Sleeping around increases the risk of catching an STI, which is also linked to the disease.
Study leader Dr Jian Zhongyu said: “Men with fewer sexual partners, older age at first intercourse and moderate frequent ejaculation were associated with a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer.
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“Modification of sexual activity factors would appear to be a useful low-risk approach to decreasing the risk of prostate cancer.”
Around 47,200 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year, with 11,600 dying from the disease.
The findings are published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
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