NoFap, Jelqing, Gummies, Edging: What Science Actually Says

If you’ve scrolled TikTok or Reddit lately, you’ve seen the promises: hold it in for 90 days and become a new man, stretch your way bigger, pop a gummy and go all night. It makes sense to want to check before you try. Wanting more control and more confidence is completely normal, and plenty of smart guys have tried every one of these. So here’s each trend, one at a time: the verdict, then the proof.

Why is there so much sex advice on TikTok, and how reliable is it?

Volume isn’t the same as accuracy. In a study of men’s health content on TikTok and Instagram, semen retention was the single most-viewed men’s health topic, with around 1.2 billion TikTok views and an average accuracy score of 2.6 out of 5. Posts by doctors scored much higher (4.2) than posts by non-doctors (2.3).

Another analysis of the top 40 TikTok videos on premature ejaculation found 32 of them unreliable. And when researchers looked at 11 paid online “ejaculation training” courses, none of the trainers had a recognized medical or psychology degree.

That doesn’t mean everyone online is lying. It means the loudest claims usually come without receipts.

Does semen retention (NoFap) actually work?

Verdict: no good evidence for the big promises. Long abstinence may hurt sperm quality.

The most-shared “proof” is a study saying testosterone peaks at 145% of baseline on day 7 of abstinence. The English version of that 2003 paper was retracted in 2021. An older Chinese version with 28 men still exists, but it’s tiny and old, nowhere near proof. There’s also no good-quality study showing that ejaculating lowers your testosterone over the long run.

What about fertility? A 2026 review on abstinence and semen quality found that ejaculating every 1 to 2 days is linked to better sperm quality. Holding off 4 to 7 days or more raises volume but lowers motility and increases DNA damage in sperm.

And who does NoFap? A survey of 1,063 people recruited on Reddit found that the motivation to quit masturbating was tied mostly to attitudes like seeing masturbation as unhealthy, religiosity and lower trust in science, not to actual behavior problems. The authors note that no harmful health effect of masturbation has been shown.

The honest bit: if taking a break from porn or masturbation helps you feel more in charge of your time or your head, that’s your call and it’s valid. It just isn’t a lasting-longer technique. If anything, the ISSM lists masturbating a while before sex among options for finishing too fast, the opposite of saving it up. The refractory period is part of why.

Does porn cause erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation?

Verdict: genuinely debated. Compulsive use is linked to erection problems; ordinary use isn’t, and cause and effect aren’t proven.

Here’s where the research actually stands:

What’s much less controversial: porn warps expectations. The median guy lasts about 5.4 minutes in stopwatch studies, not 30. If you want the real numbers, read how long sex really lasts. Those inflated expectations feed anxiety, and anxiety speeds things up and softens erections. More on that in our guide to nerves in bed.

If your porn use feels out of control or is hurting your relationship, a sex therapist is a better bet than a 90-day challenge with a forum.

Is jelqing safe, and does it make you bigger?

Verdict: no evidence of permanent size gains, and real risk of injury.

Jelqing is repeated stretching and “milking” of a semi-erect penis. Urologists quoted in 2024 coverage of the TikTok trend strongly advise against it: one explains that the tiny tears it causes may raise the risk of Peyronie’s disease (a bend in the penis caused by scar tissue), and says he mostly sees young men trying it.

Training can work on control and firmness. It doesn’t change size, and anyone selling you the opposite is selling.

Are rhino pills, sex gummies and honey packs safe?

Verdict: some are outright dangerous because of hidden drugs.

The FDA keeps a running list of sexual enhancement products with hidden ingredients, with new warnings in 2026 on honeys, candies, coffee and pills. The agency says the list covers only a fraction of what’s out there. Gummies like “Rhino 69 Gummy” were flagged for undeclared tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis.

Why that matters:

• Heart medication: hidden sildenafil or tadalafil combined with nitrates (like nitroglycerin) can drop your blood pressure dangerously.
• Unknown doses: you have no idea how much drug you’re taking.
• It’s common: of 776 adulterated supplements the FDA flagged from 2007 to 2016, 45.5% were sexual enhancement products, typically hiding sildenafil, tadalafil or similar drugs.

If a “natural” gummy works suspiciously like Viagra, that may be because it contains it. If you want an ED medication, get one prescribed. It’s safer and it’s honest about what’s in it.

Do “natural” supplements and testosterone boosters work?

Verdict: mostly weak or no effect, often underdosed.

An analysis of 25 erection supplements found that 80% had no expected efficacy and 88.8% contained at least one ingredient below its minimum effective dose. A few ingredients (ginseng, L-arginine) showed small effects in small trials, but the authors concluded none has enough evidence to be a first-line treatment.

For testosterone boosters, an analysis of 50 products found that 90% claimed to raise testosterone, but only about 25% of their claims had supporting data, and about 10% of the ingredients were linked to lower testosterone.

Things with better evidence for erections are boring but real: moving more, sleeping enough, losing weight if you carry extra, and pelvic floor training. See our guide to harder erections, naturally.

Does edging help you last longer?

Verdict: done with intention, yes, it’s basically the stop-start technique.

The clinical cousin of edging is stop-start, which the ISSM lists among behavioral options for premature ejaculation; the difference is the goal, since hanging on the edge for an hour trains you to stay highly aroused, while stop-start trains you to notice your arousal and bring it down on purpose. The full method, solo and with a partner, is in the stop-start and squeeze technique.

So what actually builds control?

Here’s the whole list side by side:

The common thread: control is trained, not saved up. The approaches with the most research behind them are behavioral (stop-start, squeeze), pelvic floor training and breathing, and they work best combined. US urology guidelines also note that combining behavioral therapy with medication can work better than either alone. Start with Kegels for men: find the right muscle first, then build up.

If you want a structured daily routine, Duro puts Kegels, breathing and challenges into a 5-minute session with a 3D guide showing each move. Heads up: the app is in French for now. It’s a training program, not a medical treatment. Not on your App Store yet, or on Android? Leave your email and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready for you.

When should you see a doctor?

Skip the forums and book an appointment if you notice:

• Pain during erections, sex or ejaculation
• Blood in your semen or urine
• A new curve or a lump in the penis
• Erection problems that come on suddenly, or that keep happening
• Finishing fast that started suddenly after years of lasting longer
• Chest pain or dizziness after taking any “enhancement” product

Erections deserve special attention: in a meta-analysis of 92,757 men, erectile dysfunction was linked to a 44% higher risk of cardiovascular events, with a stronger link in younger men. Weak erections can be an early signal from your heart. That’s worth a real checkup, not a gummy.