Is No Nut November a Good Idea? We Talked to a Sexual Health Expert

Like many aspects of human sexuality, masturbation has a fraught reputation.

It is capable of giving people immense pleasure, but despite this — or perhaps because of it — many people don’t trust it, and argue that it’s bad or dangerous to partake in. Hence, pervasive old-school beliefs and sexual myths that engaging in self pleasure will cause you some form of physical or spiritual damage.

Though modern understandings of sexual health have largely shifted the conversation away from these baseless claims, sex-negative attitudes still exist in cultures all over the world, and we can see them in the proliferation of modern anti-masturbation challenges like No Nut November, which has been popular online in recent years, particularly with younger guys.

RELATED: Survey Claims That Masturbation Leads to a Healthier Lifestyle

But what is No Nut November, exactly? And why are so many men interested in trying it out? To answer these other questions, AskMen spoke to a bona fide sex expert. Here’s what he had to say:

What Is No Nut November?

“‘No Nut November’ is an annual online challenge some men participate in where the goal is to avoid orgasm and ejaculation for the entire month,” says Dr. Justin Lehmiller, Lovehoney Scientific Advisor and Kinsey Institute Researcher.

For most participants, that means no masturbation to completion, and no sex either. The name has nothing to do with actual nuts — it’s a reference to ‘nut’ as a slang sex term for an orgasm or an ejaculation. 

Masturbating without orgasming may be a common part of No Nut November for some participants, but others may see this as running counter to the concept of the challenge. Either way, such behavior would be likely to lead to inadvertent climax.

RELATED: How Masturbation Is Great for Your Sex Life

Why Is No Nut November Popular?

“This challenge appears to have originated on an online bodybuilding forum circa 2009,” says Lehmiller. “It was later popularized on the NoFap subreddit, and has since expanded to other social media platforms.”

“One of the ideas that made it popular was the belief that masturbation and orgasm reduce testosterone and that, by abstaining, you can boost your hormone levels and improve strength and energy,” he says. “However, there is no research to support these purported benefits.”

Some of these beliefs may stem from the feeling of sleepiness or low energy that occurs after orgasm, also known as “post-coital relaxation.”

This is a normal response to orgasm that stems from specific hormones released in the brain upon climax, likely oxytocin and prolactin — but regardless, it’s a temporary feeling and not a sign that the orgasm has weakened you or sapped your testosterone.

RELATED: Busting Myths About the Risks of “Chronic” Masturbation

There are also cultural and social factors — participating in a popular challenge can be a fun exercise in comparing yourself to others and trying to compete against them.

Since No Nut November is a challenge not to do something, it might feel easier than a challenge that requires active effort to engage in something every day — although many guys will realize that it may require a non-trivial amount of effort to avoid masturbating for an entire month.

Finally, guys may feel complex or negative feelings about the pornography they’re watching and decide to cut out masturbation as well as porn, rather than opting to cut out porn and masturbate using other erotic material, or just fantasizing.

RELATED: Is Porn Bad for You?

Is No Nut November a Good Idea?

Broadly, skipping masturbating for a month (or at least attempting to) is a harmless thing to do. And it is true that masturbation can be done to excess or in some cases have negative side-effects.

However, a closer look may reveal some valid reasons that No Nut November might not be either a necessary or positive undertaking for would-be participants.

“If someone wants to take a temporary break from masturbation and/or sex, that’s a personal decision and isn’t inherently good or bad,” says Lehmiller. “But it’s important to think carefully about your reasons.”

RELATED: Why Masturbation Matters

“If you’re doing it to boost testosterone,” he notes, “be advised that it’s not going to work — research just doesn’t support the idea that abstinence increases testosterone.”

“Likewise, if you’re doing it because you think masturbation in general is unhealthy, think again,” Lehmiller says. “Research has found that there are a lot of health benefits to self-pleasure.”

For one, research suggests that regular orgasm can lower one’s risk of prostate cancer. Other benefits can include lower stress, better sleep and greater overall happiness — not to mention that masturbating with a partner can be a great addition to a couple’s sex life, particularly if penetrative sex is proving difficult for any number of reasons.

RELATED: Do You Masturbate Too Often? Here’s Why the Answer Is Probably “No”

Second, lots of guys have complex relationships to masturbation due to feelings of sexual shame. Cutting back on your masturbation may lower those feelings, but they won’t address the root cause of the discomfort.

For better long-term effects, working to recognize that masturbation is a normal and healthy human behavior might be a more productive approach.

“However,” Lehmiller notes, “if you’re doing it because you just want to take a break for a while and focus on other things, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

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