Long term effects of wearing chastity devices

[tp621]

I am a mid-30s male. After a few months of experimentation, I started wearing a chastity device 24/7 about 2 weeks ago. I am able to handle all activities in the day time very comfortably. However, my nocturnal erections are a bit uncomfortable and I wake up 2 times to adjust the device and take a short walk to let it subside. I have three very specific questions about nocturnal erections and one general question about abstention:

1. If I continue to suppress my erections this way for long term could I harm my penile tissues?

2. The erection is not completely suppressed and the swelling puts some pressure on my testicles (which appear by themselves grow bigger and more full during the night). Can there be other complications from this pressure?

3. Some people say that these erections are linked to REM sleep. I haven't noticed any sleep deprivation or other neurological symptoms in the two weeks (irritatability, confusion, foginess, lack of attention, or ability to recall etc.). But can I run into long term effects of not getting a sound sleep of 7-8 continuous hours? I just take a 15 minute break those two times but otherwise sleep 7-8 hours.

4. I am not planning to masturbate or have sex for as long as I can and want to rely on wet dreams to release the fluids my reproductive systems build up. Can this lead to complications later?

[BonzoDog]

As a ‘late’ answer to Lincollon - you said Prostate Cancer is related to diet & consumption of dairy. That is not correct - much research has been done to try to understand what factors relate to increased risk of developing PCa. The only factor that comes up as a risk is family history - in my case, my paternal grandfather had it & my Uncle (Dad’s brother) also had it. So far, no dietary or other lifestyle factors have turned up, altho there’s some correlation between frequency of ejaculation with it - the more frequent, the lower the risk. One theory about why this is so is that fluids retained in the Prostate may become sort of ‘stale’ & that changes could lead to tissues becoming abnormal & eventually cancerous. So it’s thought that frequent ejaculation kind of clears the gland & keeps it functioning in a healthy manner.

Relating to diet as a ‘cure’ for PCa, again, much research has been done to determine if cutting meat from the diet, going Vegan or other changes could help, but there’s very little support for that either…

[JamesC186282]

Speaking as a prostate cancer survivor I think anything that increases your chances of getting this horror are to be avoided at all cost.  As to chastity as a thing I can only make assumptions on what motivates you to do this but...  Surprised your concerned about shrinkage.  I mean what difference will that make?  And from experience if your wife girlfriend thinks this is a great idea?  Or has a headache or its too late all the time....  at least ponder why.  Maybe check your phone bill to see if she is talking to someone a couple hundred times a month and seriously wonder why she is suddenly "working late" a lot. If your into that? Well at least get checked for HIV / STDs frequently if your exposed to her no matter how unlikely that probably will be with that piece of plastic/metal attached to you and the control of it (and you) in her hands.  

[doctorwhy88]

This is a remarkably useless comment. Im glad you survived prostate cancer, but unless you can post research showing any connection at all between anorgasmia and prostate cancer, best not to jump to conclusions.

Also, why would you assume that someone interested in kink must have a cheating partner? There’s zero connection. Consider sticking to topics within your scope in the future.

[Paxiled]

Boy, am I confused.  I can't be healthy in any way to keep any body part locked up.  Not your fingers.  Not your toes.  I'm not sure what the device has to do with chastity, as that can be done by not having sex.  Monks do it.  Lots of people do it for lots of reasons.  Some people just never meet anyone.  Also, men don't all have nocturnal erections.  Some do, some don't.  I've started to recently because of a prostate problem that affected a nerve in my bladder, and that causes me to have a lot of irritation after urination that when I'm sleeping seems to be causing erections that are a total nuisance as they just make me have to get up and urinate.  I stopped getting them years and years ago.  Also, wet dreams are almost completely a feature of youth and then most of us just don't get them anymore as we're busy having actual sex.  I haven't had one since I was a teenager.  There are theories about ejaculation, I get that.  Taoists believe they deplete male energy and should only be had when one wishes to conceive.  It's a thing.  But that does not require a device, in fact, to the contrary, the whole point is self control.  It's not something I believe in but if you do I'm just really curious, why a device that again can't be good.  Would you think wearing handcuffs for long periods of time are good for you because you believe the hands are the devil's workshop?  Bodies are meant to be as free from constraint as possible so everything relaxes and flows as it's supposed to biologically.  Obviously, our cerebrums have caused humans to behave far from biologically, but strictly as to health, this just doesn't sound like it can possibly be good for anyone.  

[BonzoDog]

I would personally be opposed to trying to suppress nocturnal erections. It’s pretty well accepted by most experts that these are designed to keep penile tissues ‘nourished’ by periodically flooding them with blood, which is what happens during an errction. Without this, these tissues can start to degenerate over time, lose elasticity due to fibrosis & over time that could result in loss of erectile function - in other words, ED !! I’m pretty sure you don’t want that!

I’m also opposed to the practice of trying to rely on wet dreams for release - there are several studies showing that frequent ejaculation clears the prostate & associated glands of fluids that can become ‘stale’ & there’s strong evidence this may help prevent development of prostate cancer. Studies showed that men who had more frequent ejaculations had a lower rate of prostate cancer later on.

As for the sleep angle, it prbly isn’t doing too much harm, but I would not continue to do this for the 2 VERY big reasons I mentioned - Possible ED & Prostate cancer.

FYI - I am a prostate cancer patient myself, so I know quite a bit about this subject - what factors can increase the odds of getting it, the purpose of nocturnal erections, frequency of ejaculation, etc., having done quite a bit of research into these topics...

[Lincollon]

your answers are not based on facts, they are opinions.

I have been in long term chastity for 10 years. Non of what you mentioned had occurred. The body produces less sperm when not needed and exoells what has not been used naturally. The penis is not a muscle it does not atrophy or need full erection to maintain it's elasticity. It springs right back to it's original luster even 6 months without an erection.
Prostate cancer is most linked to poor diet and consumption of dairy products.
Sleep interruption albeit unwelcome does not appear to cause any of the original posters concerns and reduce over time.
The benefits of Long term chastity outweigh it's downsides.
Mr. prostrate patient have you ever enjoyed chastity?

[auntiejessi]

Actually, his opinions are factual.

https://www.nhs.uk/news/cancer/frequent-ejaculation-may-decrease-prostate-cancer-risk/

https://www.healthline.com/health/prostate-cancer/ejaculation-prostate-cancer

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/columns/savage-love/article/13043788/can-locking-my-penis-in-a-chastity-device-cause-longterm-damage - a urologist speaks here, as do several BDSM specialists.

Age, race, family history and obesity play the largest roles in prostate cancer, not dairy products - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/prostate-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353087 My father died from prostate cancer, though, and he was very fit and ate healthier than most ever will.

Your choices are your own, of course, and we don't judge here, but we are an evidence-based site. It's important that when making any decision regarding your body that you make a fully informed one.

[BonzoDog]

Thx for providing those links, auntiejessi. You’re right - we need factual information. And thx for backing me up on my answer - you are correct that my comments were not just my opinions - I read many, many research studies on this particular subject.

Part of the ‘penile rehab’ men (including me) get after prostate cancer surgery is designed to keep blood flowing into those tissues to prevent total atrophy. Even with ‘nerve-sparing’ surgery (which I had), there’s usually a period of time where the nerves are nearly completely nonfunctional, thus, no nocturnal erections occur, and during that time, fibrosis of the erectile tissues can occur, which is mostly irreversible, and by the time nerves begin to transmit signals again, it’s too late & natural function may never return. That’s why I was opposed to any attempts to suppress the natural process of nocturnal erections, which virtually 100% of modern-day Urologists believe is the reason they exist. As you said, it’s his life & his choices, but the consequences of following those practices need to be understood...

[linda_francis]

Having experimented with a chastity device and being very very aroused for long periods of time (without release) my question was really about the risks to the cardio vascular system. Is there any data regarding say, raised blood pressure as a result of spending un-naturally long periods of time in an aroused state? Or even, is it the opinion of any medical professionals that the practise could be injurious in this way?