Male chastity is both a principled stance taken in religion and a kink enjoyed by many men worldwide. In this study, we talked exclusively to those who are locked in chastity for the enjoyment of the fetish. We wanted to investigate why these men choose to lock up their genitals, what the short-term benefits are and what long-term effects can be identified based on their experiences. In total, we surveyed 78 men, so the data pool is quite small, but it does give us a variety of opinions that can help form a wider study in the future. We also interviewed the owner of a website that sells these devices to draw on her knowledge of the subject.

The reason for conducting this study into male chastity is simple. As a group we’ve researched this subject and a large number of common misconceptions have been made on the topic. Misinformation appears to be rife and we thought it necessary to see if any of these myths had some foundation to their claims.

It should be made clear from the start that none of the research groups is a medical doctor or has training, education or expertise in the medical field. This study is based on real-world user experience with chastity devices and should therefore not be viewed as a comprehensive medical journal.

Does wearing a chastity device cause erectile dysfunction or nerve damage

A common question relating to male chastity is if it somehow could cause issues relating to erectile dysfunction and/or nerve damage. This is something we discussed at length before starting our research and no clear link or evidence was found. None of the 78 men that were surveyed had experienced any signs of ED, though with some users having minimal experience it’s difficult to ascertain what long-term effects could exist.

“I’ve worn a chastity device for 30 days and more at a time over the last 8 years and have seen no negative effects regarding erectile dysfunction. When I’ve been allowed a release my erections are still normal and I’m able to ejaculate without any side effects.” Peter, 46.

Does this mean that there are no possible side effects from wearing a chastity device long-term? No, we’re not able to accurately state that using one for multiple days at a time prevents natural erections from occurring. You are essentially modifying the body’s natural behaviour and disrupting this could force your body to adapt. Only a full urology study conducted with control points could offer more accurate results, but the data we’ve gathered shows it isn’t doing harm to those we asked.

The question of nerve damage is worth looking more closely at. The general consensus is that nerve damage is only caused when a chastity cage is used incorrectly, or more precisely when you use the wrong size. This is true of the cage section and the ring that holds it in place.

“We strongly encourage our customers to measure themselves properly before they order. Failing to use the correct back ring with a chastity cage can restrict blood flow and prevent you from being able to urinate unimpeded.” Mistress K of House of Denial, a male chastity cages website.

Preventing or decreasing natural blood flood to the penis can cause ED, though this isn’t the only cause. Diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension and old age are all contributing factors that should be considered. Using a cage or ring that’s too small even for small periods of time can cause nerve damage, which is another potential cause for ED. The advice that we were given by the device retailer is to measure correctly, remove the device completely in the event of any unnatural pain and take it off to check yourself for sores or cuts so that they can be treated and heal up. Using the correct size shouldn’t restrict any blood flood, so it should be safe to wear for longer use.

Overnight wear of a device is typical amongst the men we spoke to and it’s nearly always a challenge for beginners as the body adapts to the constraints a cage puts the penis under. On average men have 3-5 erections during a night and the use of an incorrectly fitted cock cage will not only wake you up, but can have severe consequences for your health.

Is orgasm denial healthy or could it create medical issues?

It’s very important to remember that orgasm denial isn’t exclusively a physical consideration, but a mental one too. You need to think about what psychological effects being denied an orgasm can do to you as well as the medical problems that could occur if you’re prevented from orgasm.

Both an Australian study and a Harvard University study found that men who orgasm between 4.6-7 times a week on average are 36% less risk of developing prostate cancer. It’s also important for cardiac and pulmonary health.

“I’m allowed one orgasm a week when she unlocks the cage for routine cleaning. It’s supervised and I’m immediately locked back in the cage once I’ve orgasmed. This was agreed upon mutually when I started with chastity nearly 3 years ago. We’ve seen no harmful effects throughout this time.” Jack, 26.

Many of the men we spoke to orgasm at least once a week with their long-term health as a high priority. Some remove the cage and orgasm without it, while others are milked by their partner or themselves with the cage still locked firmly in place.

The psychological effect of wearing a chastity device, be it for yourself or if you’re in a relationship, is often overlooked. People with no experience of chastity play might think it to be an odd kink or something that doesn’t make any sense, but when you assess the short and long-term benefits it’s easy to see why so many men are attracted to it.

The men who are self-locked mentioned that strict discipline is required to successfully remain locked for any length of time. The short-term benefit from this includes increased productivity and focus. Some men reported that it helped them control pornography addiction.

“I’ve been his keyholder for 9 months and I see him once a month on average. He has a spare key for the lock in case of emergencies and the use of it requires my permission. Obviously, if he needs to remove it quickly due to a problem retroactive permission can be sought at a later time.” Anonymous dominatrix discussing one of her clients.

The couples that were questioned identified immediate benefits from chastity that included increased desire and attentiveness towards their partner, becoming more considerate and similar characteristics as self-locked users. Mentally some of these effects plateau over time as users get more familiar with them. The time it took for this to happen ranged from only 24 hours all the way up to a few months, though for a few this was even longer. Modified behaviour was observed by some and involved becoming more submissive in certain situations.

Final Observations

Seeing as no widespread medical study has ever been conducted to conclusively ascertain if there’s any link between wearing a chastity cage and physical detriment we can’t scientifically confirm or deny it. The feedback received through our own research suggests that, with correct use, there are certainly no short-term negative effects. Given a chance to be released, all users returned to normal with regular erections and orgasms. Any reported physical issues were the result of user error or malpractice.

It's a medical fact that regular orgasms are favourable for male health, particularly prostate health. Educating chastity devices wearers on this is integral for the community that uses them and one which we will endeavour to pursue.  

Finally, we would be very interested in seeing a report on the mental health implications of long-term chastity. This is a topic that hasn’t been explored enough and it needs to be looked at. Finding out what impact giving the keys to a cage over to a long-standing partner, particularly in distance relationships, is a subject that’s not been researched enough to date.