Almost everyday we read about something that is bad for us, but why does it take so long for science to uncover? I am a 47 year old male and this story really caught my attention. If I knew about this risk, I would have been more careful when I was in my 20’s or early 30’s, but I probably would have ignored the risk anyway.

A new study finds men who are sexually active in their 20s and 30s are more likely to develop prostate cancer – especially if they masturbate frequently.

The study also found that frequent sexual activity in a man’s 40s appears to have little effect and even small levels of sexual activity in a man’s 50s could offer protection from the disease. Most of the differences were attributed to masturbation rather than sexual intercourse.

The study, led by the University of Nottingham, looked at the sexual practices of more than 431 men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer before the age of 60, together with 409 controls who do not have prostate cancer.

Among men with prostate cancer, 34 percent had masturbated frequently in their 20s, compared to 24 percent among the control group. A similar spread was found for men in their 30s.

The results, based on questionnaires, are detailed in the journal BJU International (the British Journal of Urology).

I am sure will get a lot of comments on this one.