NoFap Premature Ejaculation: Can It Help With PE?

Do you ever feel like you masturbate too much? If so, you’re not alone.

For some guys, the endless supply of internet porn can lead to habits that might feel shameful, including frequent masturbation and using self-pleasure as a replacement for real sexual relationships.

Men trying to limit their solo sessions may resort to NoFap, an online community that promotes abstinence from pornography and masturbation. Proponents of NoFap say the movement can improve various aspects of health and even help reduce premature ejaculation (PE). But is there any scientific data behind these claims? Are there NoFap premature ejaculation benefits?

Before we dig into the research, you should know masturbation is a healthy sexual practice. While compulsive sexual behavior may be a cause for concern, the space between frequent masturbation and negative health consequences is murky.

That being said, if you think NoFap can help curb your appetite for porn and improve your erections, keep reading to find out what the research says.

PE is a common male sexual dysfunction issue affecting 20 to 30 percent of men.

According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine, symptoms of premature ejaculation include:

• Ejaculation that happens too quickly during vaginal intercourse, typically within one minute for lifelong cases or within three minutes for acquired cases

• Inability to delay ejaculation during most or all penetrations

• Experiencing negative personal consequences from sex, including distress, frustration, performance anxiety, or avoiding sexual intimacy altogether

Lifelong premature ejaculation starts from a person’s earliest sexual experiences and continues over time, whereas acquired premature ejaculation emerges later in life.

Does porn cause PE? What about masturbation? Keep reading for insight.

According to a 2021 study, people who believe they’re addicted to porn also report a higher rate of sexual dysfunction issues, including:

• Premature ejaculation

• Erectile dysfunction (ED)

• Sexual dissatisfaction

However, despite this risk, there is no actual evidence linking porn usage with any physical sexual functioning issues.

The study concluded that internet porn use alone didn’t predict sexual dysfunction. Instead, self-perception of increased porn addiction was related to negative sexual outcomes.

In other words, thinking porn is causing problems for you in the bedroom could end up causing problems in the bedroom.

There’s no evidence linking masturbation to premature ejaculation. In fact, the opposite is more likely.

Research shows that certain masturbation styles — like penis-root masturbation (placing one or both thumbs on the back of the internal base of the penis) — can actually help prolong sex and reduce the risk of premature ejaculation.

The stop-start technique can also help some men with premature ejaculation. During masturbation, you pause before orgasm, let the arousal subside, then resume — repeating this cycle several times before climax.

Some men may also find that masturbating before sex helps them last longer. However, it might be difficult to get another erection if you masturbate too closely to your sexual experience, so it’s not always recommended.

NoFap is an internet community of so-called “fapstronauts“ convinced that controlling those baser browser instincts can unlock new levels of healthy bodily function.

The NoFap movement alleges that “beating your meat“ less often can improve: 

• Overall health

• Memory

• Cognitive performance

Some even say it can boost performance in the bedroom, which might appeal to those dealing with sexual dysfunction problems like premature ejaculation.

NoFap is essentially a modernized version of age-old perceptions about masturbation tied up in the world of abstinence — but with a twist. It has challenges that go against PMO (porn, masturbation, and orgasm).

The PMO NoFap movement combines two principles:

• Abstaining from masturbation is better for your health than masturbating.

• Watching internet pornography is bad for your health.

Take those two statements, mix them together, throw them into the crazy world of internet forums, and you’ll get the subreddit /nofap.

NoFap Challenges

Within the NoFap movement are various “challenges“ men can complete for supposedly better health and semen retention.

For example, “NoFap November“ is an annual 30-day challenge that helps guys “reset“ by avoiding porn and masturbation. If this sounds familiar, it is. Everyone from the writers of Seinfeld to the masterminds behind Lent considered this reset concept.

NoFap also has a 90-day “reboot“ that challenges members to not orgasm, masturbate, or look at porn for three months — with all the (purported) benefits of NoFap being the reward.

Research on Potential NoFap Premature Ejaculation Benefits

As of now, no medical evidence backs up NoFap’s promises to its members. 

There’s a widespread belief in porn-induced erectile dysfunction. This might be a motivator for many men to abstain from watching internet porn or masturbation as a whole.

Researchers have acknowledged problems that can arise from indulging in excessive pornography. However, they still don’t have scientific evidence to back up whether excessive porn is a physiological cause of premature ejaculation.

It’s certainly not the most unusual treatment you may have heard of. Premature ejaculation hypnosis, anyone?

Can “no fapping“ challenges help you manage premature ejaculation? There are two answers to this question: One is about abstinence from masturbation, and the other has to do with pornography addiction.

Let’s look at both approaches independent of the NoFap movement.

Masturbation Abstinence and PE

Currently, no evidence supports a link between health benefits and being abstinent. This includes a study where researchers examined a possible connection between premature ejaculation and response to nerve tests.

Porn Abstinence and PE

With regard to porn, NoFap’s argument leaves much to be desired in the way of evidence.

If internet porn conditions the brain to respond more to its unique features — like endless variety, extreme content, and video stimulation — then quitting porn may help reverse these effects and restore arousal toward real-life partners, according to a research review. But lots more data is necessary to confirm or deny the connection between porn use and sexual dysfunction.

Want to learn more about the benefits of not ejaculating? Check out our blog.

If you want to hop on the bandwagon with the NoFap movement, that’s your choice.

But we can tell you now that a 30-day abstinence challenge probably won’t cure PE. And based on the research, sexual health experts don’t recommend NoFap, either.

In place of NoFap, other methods may help with premature ejaculation symptoms.

Medication-Free Approaches for PE

The stop-start technique, the squeeze method, and pelvic floor exercises (also known as Kegels) are medication-free approaches that may prevent you from coming before you’d like to.

• Stop-start technique. For the stop-start method, you’ll stimulate your penis right up until the point of orgasm, then pause until the need to ejaculate goes away. This requires some self-control, but you can get better at it with practice.

• Squeeze technique. The squeeze technique involves stimulating your penis and then stopping sexual stimulation right before you orgasm. Next, you’ll apply slight pressure to the head of your penis to decrease sensitization, then get back to business. If you’re going to try the squeeze technique, we recommend talking to your partner beforehand so nobody’s confused.

• Pelvic floor exercises. Then there are Kegel exercises, which may improve your pelvic floor muscles’ stamina and give you some degree of orgasmic control to address ongoing premature ejaculation symptoms. You can Kegel away, but science isn’t exactly sure how many you should do — or how often you need to do them — to get desired results. 

Masturbation before sex and condom use may also help delay ejaculation.

Topical PE Treatments

If you’re looking for over-the-counter treatments proven to help prevent or relieve PE symptoms, consider benzocaine wipes.

Benzocaine wipes have similar ingredients to some other topical numbing medications. When used as directed, they can be effective at improving bedroom performance and satisfaction (for both you and your sexual partner).

A small study looked at 21 men with PE who used 4% benzocaine wipes. After two months of use, there was a significant improvement in average intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) — how long it takes to ejaculate after penetrating a vagina.

You can also consider using Climax Control condoms made with 4.5% benzocaine lubricant (on the inside) to help you last longer while protecting you against STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and unplanned pregnancies.

PE Medications (Off-Label)

A final option may be SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants. These medications work by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin in the brain — when the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) is reabsorbed by the cells that released it. 

SSRIs are typically first-line treatments for depression, but delayed ejaculation is one of the side effects. Consequently, they’re sometimes prescribed off-label to treat premature ejaculation. (Off-label use means a medication is prescribed for something it’s not specifically FDA-approved for.)

SSRIs that may be prescribed for premature ejaculation include:

• Sertraline (the generic version of Zoloft^®)

• Paroxetine (generic for Aropax^®, Paxil^®, Pexeva^®, Seroxat^®, Sereupin^® and Brisdelle^®)

• Fluoxetine (Prozac^®)

• Fluvoxamine (Luvox^®)

• Citalopram (Celexa^®)

• Escitalopram (Lexapro^® and Cipralex^®)

• Vilazodone (Viibryd^®)

Check out our guide to sertraline for PE to learn more about this treatment option.

Sildenafil (popularly known by the brand name Viagra^®) is another medication that might help treat PE and can be prescribed off-label for that purpose. A study revealed that it may:

• Improve IELT

• Boost sexual satisfaction

• Decrease PE severity

• Increase the frequency of sexual activity

This is another drug without official approval from the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to treat premature ejaculation specifically. While it’s approved to treat erectile dysfunction, research shows it can be effective in relieving symptoms.

If the non-medical treatment options for premature ejaculation aren’t working for you, get medical advice from a mental health professional or another healthcare provider about the potential benefits of antidepressants or ED medication.

There’s nothing wrong with watching porn online in moderation. But if you believe you’re facing porn addiction, it’s best to bypass the PMO NoFap movement and seek professional help.

Are there NoFap premature ejaculation benefits? We can safely say that the NoFap movement isn’t a good way to treat premature ejaculation.

If you’re dealing with PE symptoms or another form of sexual dysfunction, try other methods to delay ejaculation and improve your sex life. There are over-the-counter (like desensitizing wipes) and prescription medications you can try to enhance sexual performance.

Considering joining the NoFap movement because you think excessive masturbation is affecting your daily life? We’re not here to talk you out of it — but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Here’s what to keep in mind about NoFap and premature ejaculation:

• Masturbation is a common behavior that falls within the normal range of healthy sexual activity. In fact, it’s promoted as a safe-sex behavior and applied in sex therapy.

• There’s a lack of evidence on the relationship between masturbation and sexual dysfunction. This makes it hard to determine if ceasing masturbation or limiting it will have effects.

• NoFap is a movement created on Reddit to help men abstain from internet pornography and masturbation. But there’s not much evidence to back up its claims.

• If you’re thinking of joining the NoFap community for help with PE symptoms, consider other methods. These include physical techniques, wipes, creams, and off-label medications.

Want to learn more about PE? Check out premature ejaculation treatments from Hims to learn more about ways to manage this sexual function issue.

If you have ED, you can explore available erectile dysfunction treatments on our men’s health platform.