What is NoFap and are the benefits legit?

Masturbation is a natural and normal part of life without any demonstrated health risks. Still, many people have been taught to feel shame around sexual behaviors or to believe that certain practices can be “bad for you.” Popular movements and organizations, such as NoFap, only complicate the matter.  

Through buzzy challenges, NoFap encourages followers to abstain from masturbation—as well as pornography and sex altogether—to “reboot” and reap rewards, such as enhanced sexual function (think: no more erectile dysfunction), increased testosterone, and more happiness. While there’s no harm in reflecting on and potentially changing habits, hopping on the NoFap bandwagon might not be the best way to do so. Here’s what you should know about NoFap.

NoFap is an online community focused on abstaining from masturbation and porn use. (It originated as a subreddit in 2011 and still exists today, with millions of members.) NoFap is technically a private company and website offering forums and courses with the mission of helping people “recover from porn addiction and other compulsive sexual behavior.” However, the term “NoFap” has also been co-opted by the larger community and is often used to reference the general practice of abstaining from masturbation or porn through challenges, such as No Nut November.

The NoFap organization primarily encourages recovery via “rebooting” challenges, i.e. temporary pledges of abstinence from masturbation, porn use, or sex altogether. The reboots seem to be “choose your own adventure.” The org recommends taking a 90-day abstinence challenge as the “gold standard,” but it also hosts monthly challenges and encourages participants to choose a duration that feels right to them. 

NoFap’s “rebooting” challenges involve temporarily abstaining from pornography, masturbation, and sometimes orgasm altogether. According to the organization and some of its followers, refraining from these activities can result in a range of mental and physical benefits, including boosted sex drive, better sexual function, and even increased happiness. 

Here, some of NoFap’s alleged (key word!) benefits, according to the organization and its followers; though keep in mind the majority have little-to-no evidence: 

Purported physical health benefits of NoFap 

• Improved testosterone levels

• More energy

• Better focus and concentration

• Improved sperm count and quality

• Muscle growth

• Increased libido

• Better sleep

• Better physical performance and stamina

• Better sexual function 

Purported mental health benefits of NoFap 

• Increased motivation, self-control, and willpower

• Reduced stress and anxiety

• Boosted confidence 

• Reduced feelings of shame

• Less brain fog and more productivity  

• Fewer symptoms of depression

• Increased happiness

• Feelings of spirituality

• Stronger relationships

With so many purported positive outcomes, one has to wonder: does NoFap actually work? 

The lion’s share of NoFap’s alleged benefits have yet to be proven by science. Truthfully, there isn't much research out there on the benefits of abstaining from masturbation—or, really, on masturbation at all.

A few studies (including the original one that inspired r/NoFap) have found that abstinence of a week or more may temporarily increase testosterone levels in men, though other studies have not found this impact and overall results are mixed. Testosterone, a sex hormone, does have an effect on libido, energy, mood, and the size and strength of bone and muscle in men. Your body needs to maintain a balance of testosterone and other hormones to function properly, and levels tend to fluctuate widely throughout the day. In a 2020 study examining abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality, researchers concluded that, there aren’t clearly demonstrated health benefits to abstaining from masturbation. 

On the flip side, there do not seem to be physical health risks to getting off—plus, it’s largely considered beneficial. Experiencing orgasm (such as through masturbation) can help reduce stress, improve sleep, relieve pain (such as that associated with headaches), and enhance mood, all due largely in part to the hormones released upon reaching climax.

As for the mental health impact of masturbation? Well, that may depend on how the person (masturbator, if you will) feels about the act. For example, a 2016 study found that post-masturbation guilt was associated with psychological distress, depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, relationship difficulties, and alcohol use. It’s important to note that masturbation isn’t directly causing these things but rather the individual’s sentiments around masturbation might be—and many people’s views of masturbation are shaped by their cultural, religious, or even political associations. 

Researchers from the aforementioned 2020 study found that, among Reddit communities dedicated to masturbation abstinence, such as NoFap, the people who believed masturbation as having a highly negative impact on their lives were the ones who were most motivated to abstain. These people also had lower trust in science and had higher levels of conservatism and religiosity.

NoFap is also focused on helping people recover from porn addiction. One interesting study published in 2021 surveyed 942 heterosexual men aged 18-44 years from Reddit and found no connection between internet porn use and sexual dysfunction. However, they did find that self-perceived porn addiction had a small-to-moderate link to negative effects including erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation, and sexual dissatisfaction. This is another instance wherein the perception of the behavior (vs. the behavior itself) appears to be linked to negative consequences. And this makes sense given research shows mental health struggles can affect sexual function; for example,  one study indicates ED may be more common in those with anxiety. 

While porn addiction is not an official medical diagnosis, there’s no denying that compulsive or excessive masturbation or porn use can be problematic. Some researchers suggest that excessive use of porn may be associated with ED. The line where “excessive” begins will be different for everyone, but if your masturbation or porn-watching habits are interfering with your daily life or relationships, it could be cause for concern.

Some of the anecdotal benefits shared by NoFap members may also be chalked up to the placebo effect (i.e. if you expect a treatment to help you or have a certain effect, it may be more likely to do just that). Setting, pursuing, and achieving any type of goal—whether you’re exercising more, getting up early, or abstaining from masturbation—can also inherently have a positive effect on confidence, motivation, autonomy, and self-worth, which may be why NoFap participants report those results as well. 

Some NoFap users have reported that abstaining from masturbation increased nocturnal ejaculations (aka wet dreams), made them feel frustrated or agitated, and made it harder to sleep. 

But that’s anecdotal. In general, there are no demonstrated health risks that come from not masturbating, though (as you may have guessed) research in this area is lacking. One study found that not ejaculating for more than four days can have a detrimental effect on sperm DNA and outcomes of certain fertility treatments. On the flip side, some findings suggest that ejaculating regularly may have positive outcomes, such as decreasing the risk of prostate cancer. 

While it’s unlikely that not masturbating will cause any harm, it’s important to seek proper care if you’re struggling with your relationship to sex or masturbation, feeling intense shame or anxiety, or having trouble with sexual performance. Abstinence is not a magic pill for those issues, and may even backfire. Think of it this way: If you already feel guilty about your masturbation habits then try to stop completely but fail, it may just end up increasing negative feelings you have towards yourself and your sexual behaviors.

Not everyone is a fan of NoFap. One of the major criticisms is that the movement only perpetuates the stigma around masturbation and shames people for healthy sexual behaviors.

For example, in a July 2024 scientific article, a committee convened by the International Society for Sexual Medicine reviewed the current research on compulsive sexual behavior (including what’s been called sexual addiction, porn addiction, sexual compulsivity, and out-of-control sexual behavior). The researchers concluded that they “strongly oppose therapeutic interventions that increase the experience of discrimination, stigma, and moral incongruence. This includes approaches that … prohibit unilaterally certain sexual behaviors (e.g. viewing pornography, masturbation), apply an addiction model with notions of abstinence from sexual behavior, or seek to impose the professional’s moral or religious values on patients under the guise of evidence-based treatment.”  

There are also concerns that masturbation abstinence communities including NoFap can be fertile ground for misogynist, discriminatory, and violent discourse, according to a 2021 article published in the journal Men and Masculinities. Some of the language within the NoFap community can at times echo that of extremist groups, though it’s important to note that there isn’t any evidence that the NoFap organization is involved with such parties — and the actions or views of individual people shouldn’t be assumed to represent the whole group. 

Though you may see them mentioned in similar contexts, semen retention is not exactly related to NoFap. 

NoFap refers to the practice of abstaining from porn use, masturbation, or orgasm altogether. Semen retention, on the other hand, is the practice of not ejaculating—“dry” orgasms and sexual experiences are still on the table. (One technique used to achieve semen retention is edging.) Unlike NoFap, semen retention is an ancient practice linked to certain beliefs and practices and was deemed important in some cultures that considered losing semen to be a negative thing for an individual’s health or vitality.

As for the benefits? Both abstinence from masturbation and practicing semen retention are thought to  result in more or strengthened spiritual feelings, according to anecdotal reports. Research has shown that abstaining from ejaculating for 1–3 days can lead to increased semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, total sperm count, and sperm DNA fragmentation, which may be helpful when trying to conceive. Otherwise, neither semen retention nor NoFap has definite, research-backed mental or physical health benefits. Moreover, abstaining from ejaculation for greater than four days may even be harmful for sperm DNA.

On paper, NoFap may be dedicated to helping people through porn addiction. But their methods still revolve around abstaining from masturbation and porn use, which might not be healthy or helpful for everyone—and has no real scientific backing when it comes to improving your health.

Reminder: There’s no shame in masturbating. But if you feel that your urge to do so—or your reliance on porn to get it done—is causing problems in your life or relationships, consider speaking with a healthcare provider or mental health professional (such as a sex therapist). And if down-there difficulties, such as ED, are what led you to discover NoFap in the first place, keep in mind that there are plenty of evidence-backed, safe treatments out there (e.g. Viagra, Cialis). All you need to do is consult a healthcare provider in-office or virtually, such as through Ro.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

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Current version

July 19, 2024

Written by

Lauren Mazzo

Fact checked by

Raagini Yedidi, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Raagini Yedidi, MD

Raagini Yedidi, MD, is an internal medicine resident and medical reviewer for Ro.