While we are confident that the right answer to the question is qualitative, 'as much as you want such that it does not get in the way of regular life, or undermines sex,' scientists from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health have a quantitative answer.
Well, actually they have a number for minimum orgasms a month that significantly reduces the risk of prostate cancer.
And the number is <drum roll> 21.
The 2016 study co-authored by Lorelai Mucci, professor of epidemiology at the said institute found that ejaculating more than 20 times per month reduced prostate cancer risk by about 20% compared to ejaculating only four to seven times per month, for both men in their 20s and 40s.
This is such an exciting result because masturbation gets much more bad press than good press and even men who know that it is unscientific to hold it as responsible for any sort of health issues, experience a visceral self-loathing about masturbating.
For men's sense of self, and given this study, for prostate health, it is important to spread the word, and so this blog!
In fact we will be opening Season 3 of the Talking Sex podcast with an episode on masturbation.