No Nut November: A Scientific Look at the Meme Turned Movement
My view on No Nut November as a science-based sexuality coach
November 1st marked the beginning of No Nut November 2025. If you’re unfamiliar, No Nut November (NNN) is an internet challenge where participants (typically men) pledge to avoid ejaculation (“nutting”), and often sex, masturbation, and pornography, for the entire month of November. It began in 2011 as a parody of No Shave November and over the years evolved into a serious annual ritual for many.
Beneath the layer of memes and jokes that usually surround this event lies a genuine struggle. Men don’t undertake this challenge just for laughs, they do it as a test of willpower. Many of them feel enslaved by compulsive habits, and NNN serves as a drastic reset, a 30-day boot camp for their self-discipline. The fact that a funny meme was adopted as a serious practice speaks volumes about the challenges many men face today: porn addiction, lack of energy, and concerns about low testosterone.
But does a month of abstinence actually deliver on its promised benefits? Or could it be harmful? Let’s look at the science.
What Does the Science Say?
As far as I can tell, so far there is only one empirical study that focused specifically on NNN. It was conducted by Garas et al. (2025) and surveyed 435 participants. Its key finding was that those who completed the challenge did not experience significant changes in sexual pleasure, desire, dysfunction, or excitation compared to non-participants. In other words, the 30-day abstinence didn’t move the needle.
In addition, we learn from a systematic review produced by Melody Garas (2023) that masturbation abstinence does not demonstrate significant benefits in erectile dysfunction or prostate cancer. On the contrary, the research tends to show that regular masturbation and ejaculation:
Increase testosterone levels
Improve overall health and functioning of the male immune system
Reduce the risk for prostate cancer
So as we can see, there is no proven biological benefits. But we can speculate on certain psychological benefits.
The Real Rewards of NNN
According to what we can read and observe online, for many men the value of NNN lies in:
A Sense of Community: Platforms like the r/NoNutNovember subreddit create a digital support group. Men share struggles, celebrate milestones, and foster a sense of shared purpose, in order to combat the isolation that often comes with addiction.
Exercising Discipline: Successfully resisting urges can build self-confidence and reinforce one’s willpower, a skill they can apply to other areas of life.
Taking Back Control: For someone who feels their porn or masturbation habits are compulsive and out of control, a hard reset can be a powerful, symbolic first step toward moderation.
The Significant Downsides
It’s also clear that NNN can be problematic in several ways.
The aftermath of NNN: The existence of “Destroy Dick December”—a meme encouraging a massive, compensatory binge of masturbation immediately after NNN—reveals the challenge’s fundamental flaw. It promotes an all-or-nothing mindset, swinging from extreme repression to extreme indulgence, which is the very opposite of a healthy and balanced relationship with sexuality.
Co-option by Far-Right Figures: NNN has been adopted by some far-right and manosphere influencers who pair it with a sex-negative, often misogynistic ideology. They frame sexuality not as a healthy part of life, but as a destructive force that must be strictly controlled to conserve “masculine energy.” This can lead to shame and an unhealthy view of natural desires.
Shame and an Unhealthy Relationship with Masturbation: Framing masturbation as a failure can create intense guilt and anxiety. Let’s be clear: masturbation is a normal, healthy part of human sexuality. It relieves stress, improves sleep, and helps maintain prostate health. Turning it into a symbol of moral weakness can be psychologically damaging.
A Sexuality Coach’s Perspective
As a male sexuality coach, my view is that NNN is fundamentally sex-negative. It approaches sexual energy as a problem to be suppressed rather than a natural force to be understood and integrated.
The question isn’t whether NNN is universally good or bad. Its impact depends entirely on what you do the other eleven months of the year.
If you use it as a one-off discipline exercise and then return to a balanced life, it might be a neutral experiment. But if you’re the type who struggles with compulsive behavior, NNN often sets you up for failure. It creates a cycle of shame (if you “fail”) followed by bingeing (if you “succeed”), which reinforces the addictive pattern you were trying to break.
A Healthier Alternative
Instead of swinging between the extremes of total abstinence and compulsive release, I advocate for a more sustainable approach.
Practice Porn-Free Masturbation: For many, the core issue isn’t masturbation itself, but a dependency on increasingly extreme or frequent pornography. Try masturbating without porn, focusing on bodily sensation and fantasy. This can help re-sensitize you to your own body’s natural cues.
Embrace Short-Term Abstinence: You don’t need a 30-day marathon. From time to time, try abstaining for 3-7 days. Use that time to notice your urges without acting on them immediately. This builds awareness and willpower in a way that is sustainable in the long run.
Focus on Balance, Not Bans: The goal is a relaxed, guilt-free relationship with your sexuality. Masturbation is healthy; compulsive behavior is not. Learn to discern the difference.
Explore Tantric Practices: I recommend following a program that teaches how to experience ejaculation-free orgasms. This allows to experience sex and masturbation without the usual pitfalls that come with a regular orgasm: energy loss, fatigue, mood shift, etc. If you’re curious about this, you can learn more in this article:
Can Men Have Multiple Orgasms? The Science of Non-Ejaculatory Multiple Orgasms (NEMO)
·It’s a little-known fact, but men are capable of experiencing multiple orgasms without ejaculation, and without the typical crash that follows climax.
To conclude, No Nut November highlights a real and valid cry for help from many men feeling adrift in a hypersexualized digital world. But the solution it offers is not a real one. True sexual well-being isn’t found in doing a contest once a year, but in cultivating a balanced, shame-free relationship with your body and your desires—all year round.
If you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer them. You can reach me in DM or at neontantra.com/contact.
Note: This article is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. If you experience sexual dysfunction or pain, consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Interesting in learning ejaculation control and NEMO?
super interesting, just like sex, a lot of shame and a toxic relationship with food can be made worse with restrictive diets .