Can masturbation kill you?

Medical experts are raising concerns about the health risks older men face when using counterfeit sexual enhancement drugs and avoiding medical consultations for erectile dysfunction. Following a spike in deaths among men in their fifties and sixties in the throes of sexual passion, Dr David Kimani, a consultant general surgeon and urologist at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), emphasised that masturbation does not pose a direct health threat. Instead, he highlighted the dangers of pre-existing medical conditions and the misuse of low-quality drugs.

"Many older men unknowingly have cardiovascular issues, clots, hypertension, or diabetes," said Dr. Kimani. "Compounding these risks are substandard, counterfeit sexual enhancement pills being sold illegally. Such drugs are potentially life-threatening, particularly when taken without a prescription."

Dr Kimani stressed that legitimate blue pills, such as Viagra, are prescription-only medications. "Proper and original Viagra costs at least Sh12,000 per dose and must be prescribed by a qualified expert," he explained. "Many men opt for the Sh100 street versions, take multiple pills at once, and unknowingly overburden their already weak hearts, leading to fatal outcomes."

He called on the government to strengthen post-market surveillance to ensure the availability of high-quality, safe medications. The risks are compounded when men avoid seeking professional medical advice, which is crucial for managing erectile dysfunction and associated health issues.

According to the Journal of Research at Minnesota State University, sexual behaviours such as masturbation extend into older adulthood (50+ years in chronological age) and are present at all stages of the ageing process.

"Different living situations and circumstances for older adults can affect masturbatory behavior, such as death of a spouse, living in long-term care facilities, and cognitive decline," the researchers found. "However, older adults who masturbate in the absence of partnered sexual activity have generally higher life satisfaction than those who are not sexually active," the study says.

Findings suggest that older adult masturbatory behaviours are affected by social aspects, including class, religion, educational attainment, gender, and assigned sex, in addition to biological factors, such as the presence or absence of erectile dysfunction, arthritis, dementia, and so on," they add.

Dr Kimani urges older men not to shy away from seeking expert advice.

"I have male patients who come to me even at 80 years of age when you were imagining they had already 'retired'. The cause of erectile dysfunction on its own predisposes you to what could have been a consequence of an underlying medical condition. An erection is a function of blood supply and so when you are not getting adequate blood supply because you are hypertensive or diabetic, it is because the blood vessels are blocked. This is why most patients with erectile dysfunction have an associated cardiovascular disease," he told Nation.  

"The things that lower the blood vessels in the penis are the same things that narrow the blood vessels in the heart and the brain, which is why these patients have a higher risk of developing heart attacks and strokes. Trouble starts when they go for cheaper enhancement drugs, take more than one pill at ago and imagine that the more tablets they take the better their sexual performance will be. But this only frustrates a weak heart, and the net effect is the cumulative increase in the unchecked dosing, leading to death," the urologist added, then highlighted that most people in this age bracket who use the pills also consume a lot of pornography.

"Today he tries brand A and feels that it is not working and so he will move to brand B, C, D and even E without consulting any expert to be checked first or caring about the potency of the drugs."

This, Dr Kimani says, does not mean that older men battling heart conditions as well as erectile dysfunction issues cannot have sex.

"We use the New York Health Association classification for the stages of heart failure after a series of tests to determine the viagra they need and the dose which is why it is important for them to get a prescription from a trained and qualified doctor," he says adding that they also ensure that the patient is not on combined medication before administering.

"Blue pills lower blood pressure in one respect and if you are taking another drug that lowers blood pressure, they may harm you."

But why are older men dying during sex?

"Having sex can be regarded as an extreme sport because the energy expensed per minute is quite high and so when you engage while having an underlying medical condition, it may lead to death. Imagine telling an old man in his 60s to run for 1 kilometre non-stop at the rate of 100 metres per hour; he is going to collapse, the doctor said.

Masturbation itself cannot kill. However, physical exertion could trigger complications if a man has an underlying heart condition."

"When you masturbate, you use bodily energy, and the fact that you have an erection means that there's a certain amount of blood being pumped towards your penis, which involves your heart. And so if you have an underlying issue with your heart, chances are when you ejaculate, you will feel a certain weakness that comes with some sort of dizziness, fatigue or even go out of breath and if you overdo it considering the underlying medical issues, it's not surprising that a point your heart can just give in," Maurice Matheka, a sex therapist, said.

A third reason that may cause death during masturbation is erotic asphyxiation (variously called asphyxiophilia, hypoxyphilia or breath control play). This, he says is the intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for the purposes of sexual arousal. With a partner (or alone), the act often involves strangulation. The term autoerotic asphyxiation is used when the act is done by a person to themself. Colloquially, a person engaging in the activity is sometimes called a 'gasper'.

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