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Does excessive masturbation damage the tissues of the penis?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am 26 years old bodybuilder, who weighs 220 lbs and 5.9 feet tall. I masturbate from the past 14 years, and recently I was doing it excessively, up to eight times a day. I never had sex before, and I am afraid of failing in my future relation due to this amount of masturbation.

Sometimes, I have a weak erection, but when I stop for one or two days, it becomes stronger. I have some drops of urine come out after I finish urinating. I feel I will have a weak erection or premature ejaculation during sex.

  • What do I have to do to avoid that?
  • Do I have to stop masturbation completely?
  • What test or examination can I do to evaluate my sexual performance before I have sex?

Thank you for your time and advice.

Would really appreciate any recommendations you have.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Masturbation is the most harmless of all sexual acts. No fear of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) or pregnancy.

Having said that, I must emphasize that excess of everything is harmful. If you masturbate too often, you actually lose the true excitement and stimulation. It is like a person having too much of a drink; the fun of drinking is gone; self-pleasuring becomes just a compulsion.

Similarly, excessive masturbation is like a compulsion. You need to do it because you have recurrent thoughts about doing it. So, when the fun part is gone, the erection tends to become weaker.

I suggest you reduce self-pleasing and do it only when you feel that the sexual urge and excitement can no longer be bearable. If you feel your mind is always preoccupied with sexual thoughts, I suggest you take medication like Fluvoxamine. It helps in relieving repetitive, intrusive thoughts.

And I do not think masturbation will cause you any marital problems.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

Thank you for the excellent and detailed response.

As I mentioned before, I was masturbating too much, almost 5 to 7 times a day. I had erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. When I quit doing it for two or three days, my erection came back.

I did not mention that I was addicted to porn. I started a program called the easy way to stop porn addiction. The procedure uses a method to quit porn, and it was effective.

But the problem is it requires stopping masturbating for at least four weeks, and it is better if done for eight weeks. After this, you have to masturbate one time every two weeks to check the erection. Then you can go back to moderate masturbation.

Now I have stopped masturbating for four weeks, and I found a good but not full erection when I wake up. I cannot say I have a weak or good erection because I did not masturbate. The problem is that I developed prostatitis due to the lack of masturbation.

When I finish urinating, a thick yellowish fluid comes out, and I have to push hard to make it come out. I feel something needs to be released; sometimes I have pain in my penis and testicles, and sometimes I feel burning during urination. I started a medicine called Prostaguard, which was helpful.

  1. Can I start masturbating again?
  2. Do I have to follow the way that I mentioned to have a good erection, or have I stopped for enough time?
  3. Does overmasturbation cause damage to the tissues of the penis, or is it a myth? Is there any medical checkup to evaluate the erection?
  4. Is Prostaguard safe to use?

Thank you for your time and advice.

Would really appreciate any recommendations you have.

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Let me answer your queries one by one.

Yes, you can resume masturbation. But compulsive masturbation is a big no. A good erection can occur even if you do not abstain for 4 to 8 weeks. You need not follow any strict program.

Masturbation does not cause tissue damage per se. But if you masturbate vigorously with excessive pressure or force, then yes, it may damage tissues.

There is not much literature to support or discourage the use of Prostagaurd. Using it is fine. But it will not treat your prostatitis or the urinary tract infection that you are suffering from. You need to take an effective antibiotic regime to cure it. Prostate infections are a bit difficult to treat, as antibiotics penetrate poorly, so a full course of antibiotics needs to be taken.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.

Medically reviewed byiCliniq medical review team
Published At July 18, 2017
Reviewed AtJune 10, 2026

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