Rena Malik, MD Podcast Moment: Neuroscientist Completely Destroys the Semen Retention Myth
Oct 28, 2025
In a riveting discussion, Dr. Jim Pfaus, a leading neuroscientist specializing in sexual behavior and neurobiology, debunks the semen retention myth. He explains how delaying sexual activity can intensify desire but warns that excessive delays can dampen interest. Pfaus reveals that orgasms can occur without ejaculation and discusses the brain's reward pathways, addressing how compulsive sexual behaviors relate to anxiety and depression. He emphasizes the distinction between compulsion and addiction, urging listeners to take personal responsibility for their behaviors.
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Delay Increases Desire Not Testosterone
- Semen retention has no physiological basis for boosting testosterone and often lowers testosterone with sexual abstinence.
- The perceived benefit comes from delayed gratification increasing desire, not hormonal preservation.
The Inverted U Of Delayed Gratification
- Delayed gratification follows an inverted U-curve where moderate delay increases reward but excessive delay reduces interest.
- Extreme delay can lead to apathy or substitution into other compulsive habits like over-exercising.
Orgasm Is Motor Memory With Real Chemistry
- Orgasms can occur without ejaculation by activating motor memory, shown in hypnotic studies.
- Prolactin still rises to masturbation-levels even when seminal emission doesn't occur, so orgasmic neurochemistry is similar.