What is “No Nut November”?

As the clock strikes midnight on 31 October, spooky season ends and No Nut November (NNN) begins.

#NoNutNovember sprung up on social media in 2011 and gained popularity in 2017. Since then, men have been pledging to abstain from ejaculating for the entire month of November, testing their willpower and self-control. Why would you not want to wank for a whole month? And is No Nut November good for you?

Apparent Health Benefits of Abstaining

The appeal of NNN is the supposed benefits of abstaining from masturbation. These include increased stamina; improved sperm quality; increased libido; reduced likelihood of erectile dysfunction; reduced stress and anxiety; improved concentration; increased muscle growth; deeper voice; and thicker hair.

But the research is limited.

One review of the scientific literature found that abstaining for less than a day (rather than a longer abstinence period) is linked to improved sperm motility (how well sperm moves). Other studies have shown some benefits of not ejaculating for between a day to three weeks, but they focus on a very small number of men so are hardly conclusive.

While there isn’t much evidence to suggest not wanking for a month is beneficial, there’s a lot of research to show that wanking improves your health and well-being.

Science shows that masturbating is good for you

• When you masturbate, a delicious cocktail of… hormones is released, relieving pain, boosting mood, encouraging social bonding, enhancing stamina and arousal and feeding the brain’s reward system
• Regular wankers tend to desire sex with their partners more than men who wank less often
• Frequently ejaculating lowers your risk of prostate cancer in later life
• Wanking an hour or so before sex can help you delay ejaculation
• Repeated orgasms can reduce premature ejaculation

If you still want to test your resilience and resist temptation this November, consider the challenge as a bit of fun and be prepared for the possibility of having wet dreams. “Slipping up” isn’t falling; your body is telling you it needs a release.

Consider why you’re participating: are you worried about your wanking habits? Take it from a Lovehoney writer: masturbating is normal and healthy and there isn’t such a thing as “wanking too much”, provided it isn’t regularly interfering with your relationships, work or daily life.

Enjoy exploring what gives you pleasure. If that’s seeing whether a few days’ abstinence feels good, have fun.

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash