- With Mayo Clinic urologist
Erik Castle, M.D.
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Erik Castle, M.D.
Erik Castle, M.D.
Dr. Erik Castle is a board-certified urologist who joined the Mayo Clinic staff in Arizona in 2007.
Dr. Castle is an associate professor of urology at College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and a senior associate consultant in the Department of Urology, where he also is assistant residency coordinator.
He was an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Tulane University in New Orleans from 2004 to 2006 after serving as a clinical instructor/fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for one year.
Dr. Castle's research interests include prostate cancer, bladder cancer and kidney cancer. He is the director of the Desert Mountain Prostate Cancer Research Fund and is the principal investigator of Castle labs housed at the Samuel C. Johnson Medical Research building at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His basic science research is focused on novel secondary hormonal therapies of prostate cancer as well as genomics of prostate and bladder cancer.
His surgical expertise includes laparoscopic urology, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy with nerve sparing, robot-assisted radical cystectomy with neobladder, robot-assisted retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and other robotic urologic oncology procedures. He has performed many of these procedures as demonstrations internationally. He is a member of the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the American Urological Association, the Endourological Society, and the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons. He is president of the international Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons. He is also the director of the international laparoscopic nephrectomy courses throughout Mexico on behalf of the American Urologic Association.
Causes (3)
- Male masturbation: Does frequency affect male fertility?
- Abnormal sperm morphology: What does it mean?
- Semen allergy: A cause of infertility?
Treatments and drugs (1)
- Fertility herbs and supplements: Do they enhance fertility?
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Question
Male masturbation: Does frequency affect male fertility?
Does frequent masturbation affect male fertility?
Answer
from Erik Castle, M.D.
Frequent male masturbation doesn't reduce sperm count. Male masturbation also doesn't affect your ability to achieve an erection. Actually, not having an orgasm (ejaculating) for several days or more may lower your fertility. This is because it may lower the number of sperm with normal shape (morphology) and ability to move (motility). Both normal morphology and motility affect your sperm's ability to get to and fertilize your partner's egg. Having sexual intercourse with ejaculation several times a week will maximize your chances of getting your partner pregnant, whether you masturbate or not.
Next questionAbnormal sperm morphology: What does it mean?
- Practice Committee of American Society for Reproductive Medicine in collaboration with the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Optimizing natural fertility. Fertility and Sterility. 2008;90(suppl):S1.
- Levitas E. Relationship between the duration of sexual abstinence and semen quality: analysis of 9,489 semen samples. Fertility and Sterility. 2005;83:1680.
