Health effects

In addition to its central role in reproduction, various scientific findings indicate that semen has certain beneficial effects on human health, both proven benefits and possible benefits:

• Antidepressant: One study suggested that vaginal absorption of semen could act as an antidepressant in women; the study compared two groups of women, one of which used condoms and the other did not.^[4]
• Cancer prevention: Studies suggest that seminal plasma both prevents and fights cancer, particularly breast cancer,^[5] reducing risk by “not less than 50 percent.”^[6][7] This effect is attributed to its glycoproteinand selenium content, with apoptosis being induced by TGF-Beta. A related urban legend parodied these findings and claimed that performing fellatio at least three times a week reduced the risk of breast cancer.^[8]
• Preeclampsia prevention: It has been hypothesized that substances in semen condition a mother’s immune system to accept the “foreign” proteins found in sperm as well as the resulting fetus and placenta, keeping blood pressure low and thereby reducing the risk of preeclampsia. Regular exposure to the baby’s father’s semen, especially orally, may help make a woman’s pregnancy safer and more successful, because she is absorbing her partner’s antigens.^[9]