Male patients care about their prostate—the importance of sexual pleasure in a man’s life hinges on the prostate, due to its role in ejaculation and orgasm. 

Prostate massage—typically done by insertion of a finger into the rectum to stimulate the prostate gland—is a common topic of internet searches and is all over social media. Therefore, doctors should be able to discuss when a prostate massage may be beneficial—or not—at the doctor’s office. 

Why a prostate massage?

The prostate is an important organ involved in ejaculation (its procreative function) and in the ecstasy of the orgasm (its recreative function).

Levin RJ. Prostate-induced orgasms: A concise review illustrated with a highly relevant case study. Clinical Anatomy. Wiley Online Library. December 20, 2017.

A prostate massage via the rectum is often performed by a medical practitioner or a sex partner—for two very different reasons.

The prostate can become inflamed, a condition known as prostatitis. Western conventional medical practitioners will perform a routine digital rectal examination (DRE) to diagnose prostatitis, growths, and any abnormalities of the prostate. If symptoms suggest the presence of an infection, the doctor may massage or rub the prostate to obtain fluid for a later study.

In terms of sexual slang, the prostate is sometimes referred to as the male G-spot. Stimulating the prostate with a finger by rectal insertion can be a sexual activity used in the bedroom to help bring about orgasm. The prostate gland can also be stimulated from outside the body by massaging the perineum. Orgasms achieved by perineum massage are often called perineum orgasms.

Are there proven benefits?

Much of the research regarding prostate massage therapy is limited or inconclusive, and as a result, it is hard to determine if it has any medical benefit. One school of thought is that a prostate massage can play a positive role not only in men’s physical health but also in their mental and emotional well-being.

It’s worth looking at the results of a few studies on the practice.

• A small study of 48 patients who underwent a prostate massage to unblock obstructive glandular ducts showed positive results for treating chronic prostatitis.

  Lin W, Wang Y, Chen Y. Efficacy analysis of physical therapy in treating chronic prostatitis: unblocking obstructed glandular ducts could be a novel treatment strategy. Res Rep Urol. 2023;15:553–561.

   

• A 1999 study at UCLA in 73 patients determined that combining a prostate massage with antibiotic therapy for pelvic pain syndrome due to chronic prostatitis can be effective.

  Shoskes DA, Zeitlin SI. Use of prostatic massage in combination with antibiotics in the treatment of chronic prostatitis. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 1999;2(3):159–162.

   

• A 2011 study has shown that a prostate massage may be necessary to obtain precise measurements of PCA-3 (prostate cancer antigen-3), a specific biomarker of prostate cancer that is found in urine to help diagnose and manage prostate cancer.

  Fontenete S, Silva J, Teixeira AL, et al. Controversies in using urine samples for prostate cancer detection: PSA and PCA3 expression analysis. Int Brazil J Urology. 2011;37(6):719–726.

  A prostate massage prior to collecting urine showed higher detectable levels of PCA-3 after a prostate massage. 

   

Although there are no conclusive studies on the link between prostate massage and orgasm, research does show that men with prostate cancer who have had a radical prostatectomy have more trouble experiencing an orgasm after their prostate is removed.

An extensive review of orgasmic dysfunctions after radical prostatectomy finds that despite technical surgical advances, “the achievement of good operative functional outcomes is still considered a troublesome issue both for patients and urologists.”

Capogrosso P, Ventimiglia E, Cazzaniga W, et al. Orgasmic dysfunction after radical prostatectomy. World J Mens Health. 2017;35(1):1–13.

The dysfunctions include impairments in sexual desire, penile morphology, and orgasm.