Study Finds Having Sex Can Help Pass Kidney Stones

Doctors in Indonesia have found a more pleasurable way to pass kidney stones.  Instead of the ‘water and wait’ method of drinking lots of water and waiting for the kidney stone to pass, they say you should be having sex or masturbating 3-4 times per week.

Roughly one out of ten adult Americans suffer from kidney stones, and standard treatment for those patients with smaller stones is to drink lots of fluids, waiting for the stones to pass. They may also be given medication that relaxes muscles in the urinary tract to aid in stone passage. If a stone gets too big, surgery may be required either to remove the stone, or break the stone into smaller pieces that the patient is able to pass.  However, the Indonesian doctors involved in this research study say their results show treating kidney stones with sex is effective, less invasive, and more pleasurable for the patient.

The doctors found that “orgasms and ejaculation lead to bladder neck contraction and relaxation, which could also help to pass kidney stones. As muscles relax, urine, along with kidney stones, may easily pass through the urethra.”  According to their report in the Journal of Sexual Medicine; “Performing sexual intercourse or masturbation three to four times a week is beneficial for promoting spontaneous expulsion of distal ureteral stones.”

Urologists at Universitas Airlangga in Surabaya wondered if sexual activity affected how many stones were able to be passed, and the length of time it took.  They reviewed five studies that had a total of 406 patients participating. Participants were instructed to either have sex or masturbate three to four times a week or to completely abstain from both activities.  The sex worked. The rate of kidneys passing stones was 5.7 higher  and the stones were expelled faster in the sexually active group.  Their results also showed that sex seemed to help with the pain caused by kidney stones. In the sexually active group 62% fewer participants required pain relief, and participants needing a surgical procedure to break up stones in order to pass them dropped by 20%.

The study was originally published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

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References

‍New York Post

‍The Journal of Sexual Medicine

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About the Author

Monica McCarthy has bachelors in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Central Washington University.  A majority of her career was spent as a political consultant.   She currently works at KidneyLuv as a staff writer.

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Patient Education Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. KidneyLuv makes every effort to provide information that is accurate and timely, but makes no guarantee in this regard. You should consult with, and rely only on the advice of, your physician or health care professional.

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