No-nut November

LEBOHANG MOSIA

Are there any advantages to abstaining from masturbation for a month?

MASTURBATION has been demonstrated to relax muscles, promote sleep, release endorphins, lessen tension, and aid in understanding one’s own sexual reactions.

Additionally, there is certainly no chance of STIs or pregnancy.

So why would someone decide to forego masturbating for such a long time?

The origin of “No Nut November”, as it is often known, may be attributed to a chance article in the Urban Dictionary in 2011. Over time, it acquired popularity on Twitter, Reddit, 4chan and TikTok.

Now, it’s been appropriated by some well-intentioned organisations fighting porn addiction, like NoFap, and other far-right organisations that demand total abstinence from masturbation.

But in essence, No Nut November refers to a task someone has set for themselves to refrain from masturbating for the entire month of November. Despite the fact that mostly guys participate, everyone is welcome.

As seen on the No Nut November subreddit, it’s for folks “who find it impossible to spend even a few days without playing tug of war with the cyclops” to try to “go the entire month without making the bald guy cry”. It’s as arbitrary as trends like “No Shave November”.

However, there are some misconceptions, particularly about men’s self-control, that still remain.

The term “energetic suicide” refers to the reduction of jing, or sexual energy, each time a person ejaculates. And among some contemporary Taoist practitioners, the notion that when you cum, you’re essentially haemorrhaging life force is still present.

Such statements are supported by anecdotes rather than scientific evidence.

As per Dr Lauren Rosewarne, senior lecturer at the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, the No Nut message isn’t fully healthy and men need to masturbate for health reasons, including “to clear up the prostate”.

Rosewarne noted that there are still competing schools of thought on pre-sportsturbation, even within the sporting community, but the research seems to indicate that masturbating has no effect on testosterone levels.

Every form of sexual abstinence will always have a puritanical tone. For both men and women, at least up until recently, masturbating has been considered very taboo, according to clinical psychologist and sex therapist Gemma Cribb.

Society picks up the shame, but it can be unlearned.

According to Rosewarne, “If you are someone who has had a court order to stop masturbating, that’s a different matter”.

We can go nuts, literally, because the majority of us don’t actually do it in unsafe or unlawful environments.

Essentially, refraining from masturbation for an extended period has no discernible medical benefits for either men or women.

Finally, we advise you to exercise body autonomy and to behave as you wish. However, you should think twice before participating in No Nut November.

IN No Nut November, there’s a recurring joke about how, once you get to a certain point, you’ll be able to levitate and develop psychic abilities. | UNSPLASH