What actually happens to your body if you successfully complete No Nut November

Spooky season is coming to an end with November on the horizon, which means just one thing for many chronically online users.

You may have heard of the 'No Nut November' (NNN) challenge before, and how thousands of people try their best to abstain from ejaculation for 30 days.

The trend began in the early 2010s, and it's still going strong in 2026.

But as time has gone on, the challenge has been linked to several health benefits, and some claim that it can even benefit your sexual organs.

There are some negatives too, and it can go beyond the uncomfortable 'blue balls' feeling.

As for the benefits that allegedly come from taking part in NNN, a sexual health expert has explained what really happens to your body over the month.

There are pros and cons to No Nut November. Credit: wakila/Getty

Health expert explains positives of No Nut November

Urologist Rena Malik has responded to claims that taking part in NNN can improve your fertility, improve the quality of your semen, and increase testosterone.

There is a lack of scientific papers and studies to back the claims up, but she has spoken out about how practicing 'semen retention' for 30 days can make a difference.

Speaking in a video on her YouTube channel, she explained: "Let's start with testosterone. In all the scientific literature, there are only two small studies, one that has 10 men and another with 29 men, that looked at testosterone levels during semen retention.

"The first study showed testosterone increase after three weeks of abstinence."

She then revealed that the men were told they could masturbate after completing three weeks, with the testosterone likely being the body building up anticipation as the brain awaits a sexual reward.

Malik said that an increase in testosterone would actually be 'extremely short-lived and likely driven just by the anticipation of being able to ejaculate, not the retention itself'.

Moving on to claims that it can improve fertility, the medical professional says that this is simply a myth, and that it may actually do the opposite.

"Semen quality actually declines the longer you abstain especially after five to seven days," she revealed, adding: "So after that time without ejaculation, studies have shown increased DNA fragmentation, worse shape or morphology, and reduced movement or motility."

Malik further disproved the point: "So if you're trying to conceive, having a prolonged abstinence actually works against you."

The final NNN claim is true

Unsurprisingly, the claim that you will experience an increase in semen volume after NNN is true.

It may be the most obvious conclusion, as after locking the gates for 30 straight days, you'd expect everything being held in to come out.

Abstaining for long periods of time can cause straining, in addition to wet dreams, which are also known as nocturnal emissions.

Essentially, there aren't as many health benefits that come from taking part in NNN as many believe, so is it really worth it?

Featured image credit: wakila/Getty