NoFap: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|Internet community forum}}

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{{short description|Internet community of people that want to stop watching porn and masturbating to it.}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=AprilJanuary 20202024}}

{{Infobox website

| name = NoFap

| logo = NoFap Company Logo, July 2015logo.pngsvg

| logo_size = 150px250px

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| url = {{ubl|{{URL|http://www.NoFap.com}} <br> |{{URL|https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/}}}}

| commercial = <!-- "Yes", "No" or leave blank -->

| type = Private

| registration = Optional

| language = English

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| owner = <!-- or: | owners = -->

| author = <!-- or: creator / authors / creators -->

| editor = <!-- or: | editors = -->

| launch_date = {{start date and age|2011|6|20}} (subreddit)

| revenue =

| alexa = <!-- {{increase}} {{steady}} {{decrease}} [http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/example.com ##] (US/Global MM/YYYY) -->

| ip =

| current_status = Active

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}}

'''NoFap''' is a website and community forum that serves as a [[support group]] for those who wish to give up [[pornography]] and [[masturbation]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowell|first1=Tom|date=17 September 2013|title=No fapping, please, it's making us ill|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|publisher=[[Telegraph Media Group]]|location=London, England|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10288240/No-fapping-please-its-making-us-ill.html|url-status=live|accessdate=22 May 2015|quote=So why are men doing it, and what happens when they do? "Why" can be answered two ways: some see a medical problem in chronic masturbation, others a spiritual one.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McMahon|first1=Tamsin|date=20 January 2014|title=Will quitting porn improve your life?: A growing 'NoFap' movement of young men are saying no to porn and masturbation|work=[[Maclean's]]|publisher=Rogers Media|location=Toronto, Canada|url=http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/can-swearing-off-porn-improve-your-life/|url-status=live|accessdate=22 May 2015|quote=Despite the evangelical tone, NoFap is fundamentally different from traditional campaigns that view masturbation as an assault on religious values. Instead, it is developing as a secular movement popular among young men, many of whom identify as liberal and atheist. The majority of NoFap members are men in their teens and early 20s, though there are women, too, says Alexander Rhodes, the 23-year-old web developer from Pittsburgh who founded the movement two years ago. He estimates about 60 per cent are atheists; the site is also home to a fair number of Christians and some Muslims, all in broad agreement that porn is harmful.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Imhoff|first=Roland|last2=Zimmer|first2=Felix|date=2020-04-30|title=Men's Reasons to Abstain from Masturbation May Not Reflect the Conviction of "reboot" Websites|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10508-020-01722-x|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|language=en|volume=|pages=|doi=10.1007/s10508-020-01722-x|issn=0004-0002|quote=We recently published a paper titled "Abstinence from Masturbation and Hypersexuality" (Zimmer & Imhoff, 2020) in which we tried to explore correlates of men's motivation to stay abstinent from masturbation. In motivating the study, we pointed to existing discourses around the topic and cited different protagonists within this debate (e.g., the Web sites "nofap.org" and "rebootnation.org").|via=}}</ref> Its name comes from the slang term ''[[wikt:fap#Etymology 2|fap]]'', referring to [[male masturbation]].<ref name="masters-of-their-domain" /> Reasons for this avoidance vary by individual, and may include [[Religious views on masturbation|religious]] and moral reasons, self-improvement, and physical beliefs that are not supported by mainstream medicine.<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation"/> The group's views and efforts to combat [[pornography addiction]] have been criticized as simplistic, outdated, and incorrect by neuroscientists, psychologists, and other medical professionals.<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation"/><ref name=Coon2014/>▼

▲'''NoFap''' is a website and community forum that serves as a [[support group]] for those who wish to give up [[pornography]] and [[masturbation]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cowell|first1=Tom|date=17 September 17, 2013|title=No fapping, please, it's making us ill|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|publisher=[[Telegraph Media Group]]|location=London, England|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10288240/No-fapping-please-its-making-us-ill.html|url-status=live|accessdateaccess-date=22 May 22, 2015|quote=So why are men doing it, and what happens when they do? "'Why"' can be answered two ways: some see a medical problem in chronic masturbation, others a spiritual one.|archive-date=June 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610065915/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/10288240/No-fapping-please-its-making-us-ill.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McMahon|first1=Tamsin|date=20 January 20, 2014|title=Will quitting porn improve your life?: A growing 'NoFap' movement of young men are saying no to porn and masturbation|work=[[Maclean's]]|publisher=Rogers Media|location=Toronto, Canada|url=http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/can-swearing-off-porn-improve-your-life/|url-status=live|accessdateaccess-date=22 May 22, 2015|quote=Despite the evangelical tone, NoFap is fundamentally different from traditional campaigns that view masturbation as an assault on religious values. Instead, it is developing as a secular movement popular among young men, many of whom identify as liberal and atheist. The majority of NoFap members are men in their teens and early 20s, though there are women, too, says Alexander Rhodes, the 23-year-old web developer from Pittsburgh who founded the movement two years ago. He estimates about 60 per cent are atheists; the site is also home to a fair number of Christians and some Muslims, all in broad agreement that porn is harmful.|archive-date=May 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502065939/http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/can-swearing-off-porn-improve-your-life/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|lastlast1=Imhoff|firstfirst1=Roland|last2=Zimmer|first2=Felix|date=2020-04-April 30, 2020|title=Men's Reasons to Abstain from Masturbation May Not Reflect the Conviction of "'reboot"' Websites|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10508-020-01722-x|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|language=en|volume=49|issue=5|pages=1429–1430|doi=10.1007/s10508-020-01722-x|pmid=32356083|pmc=7300076|issn=0004-0002|quote=We recently published a paper titled "'Abstinence from Masturbation and Hypersexuality"' (Zimmer & Imhoff, 2020) in which we tried to explore correlates of men's motivation to stay abstinent from masturbation. In motivating the study, we pointed to existing discourses around the topic and cited different protagonists within this debate (e.g., the Web sites "'nofap.org"' and "'rebootnation.org"').|viadoi-access=free}}</ref> Its name comes from the slang term ''[[wikt:fap#Etymology 2|fap]]'', referring to [[male masturbation]].<ref name="Burnett 2021">{{cite journal |last=Burnett |first=Scott |date=May 2021 |title=The Battle for 'NoFap': Myths, Masculinity, and the Meaning of Masturbation Abstention |editor1-last=Barber |editor1-first=Kristen |editor2-last=Bridges |editor2-first=Tristan |editor3-last=Nelson |editor3-first=Joseph Derrick |journal=[[Men and Masculinities]] |volume=25 |issue=3 |publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] |pages=477–496 |doi=10.1177/1097184X211018256 |doi-access=free |issn=1552-6828 |lccn=98659253 |oclc=321242407 |s2cid=236603234 }}</ref><ref name="masters-of-their-domain" /> ReasonsWhile reasons for this avoidanceabstinence vary by individual, the main motivation cited is attempting to overcome [[addiction to pornography]],{{efn|Though the term 'addiction' is frequently used, a pornography addiction is not an [[addiction]] in the true sense of a brain disorder, and mayis includeinstead more congruent with a [[Religiousbehavioral viewsaddiction]]. Addiction to pornography, behavioral or not, is not recognised as a legitimate medical diagnosis.}}<ref name=weir>{{cite journal|last1=Weir|first1=Kirsten |title=Is pornography addictive? |url=http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/pornography.aspx|url-status=dead|journal=Monitor on masturbationPsychology |religious]]date=April 2014 |volume=45 |issue=4 |page=46 |issn=1529-4978 |oclc=612512821 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405232028/http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/04/pornography.aspx |archive-date=April 5, 2014}}</ref><ref name="allez">{{cite book|editor-first=Glyn Hudson |editor-last=Allez |title=Sexual Diversity and moralSexual reasonsOffending: Research, selfAssessment, and Clinical Treatment in Psychosexual Therapy|chapter-improvementurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=MXnAAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA161 |date=June 4, 2014 |publisher=Karnac Books |isbn=978-1-78181-368-3 |page=161 |chapter=Chapter Ten. The pleasure, the power, and physicalthe beliefsperils thatof areInternet notpornography supported|access-date=April by27, mainstream2019}}</ref> medicineor other compulsive sexual behaviours.<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbationNoFap Subreddit"/>{{cite Theweb group's|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/|website=Reddit views|access-date=May 16, 2021 |title=NoFap|location="About community" section |quote=A porn addiction and effortscompulsive sexual behavior recovery peer support forum.}}</ref><ref name="NoFap: Homepage">{{cite web |title=NoFap Website |url=https://nofap.com/ |website=NoFap |access-date=May 16, 2021 |location=Second line (after slogan) |quote=NoFap™ is a secular community-centered sexual health platform designed to combathelp [[pornographyyou overcome porn addiction]], haveporn beenoveruse, criticizedand ascompulsive simplisticsexual behavior. We're here to help you quit or reduce porn use, outdatedimprove your relationships, and incorrectreach byyour neuroscientistssexual health goals.}}</ref> Other reasons for abstinence include [[Religious views on masturbation|religious]] and moral reasons, psychologistsself-improvement, and otherphysical beliefs that are not supported by [[medical professionalsscience]].<ref>{{cite web |title=What to know about the possible benefits of NoFap|url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/nofap-benefits#when-to-see-a-doctor|website=Medical News Today|date=September 29, 2020}}</ref><ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation"/><ref name=Coon2014"ley" />

==Founding==▼

The group's views and efforts to combat [[pornography addiction]] have been criticized as simplistic,<ref name="ley"/> outdated, and incorrect by [[neuroscientists]], [[psychologists]], and other [[medical professionals]].<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation"/><ref name="Coon2014">{{cite book|last1=Coon|first1=Dennis|last2=Mitterer|first2=John O.|title=Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior|edition=14|chapter=11. Gender and Sexuality|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-4jCBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA363|year=2014|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-305-54500-7|page=363|quote=Is there any way that masturbation can cause harm? Seventy years ago, a child might have been told that masturbation would cause insanity, acne, sterility, or other such nonsense. 'Self-abuse,' as it was then called, has enjoyed a long and unfortunate history of religious and medical disapproval (Caroll, 2013). The modern view is that masturbation is a normal sexual behavior (Hogarth & Ingham, 2009). Enlightened parents are well aware of this fact. Still, many children are punished or made to feel guilty for touching their genitals. This is unfortunate because masturbation itself is harmless. Typically, its only negative effects are feelings of fear, guilt, or anxiety that arise from learning to think of masturbation as 'bad' or 'wrong.' In an age when people are urged to practice '[[safer sex]],' masturbation remains the safest sex of all.|access-date=January 7, 2017|archive-date=June 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614044901/https://books.google.com/books?id=-4jCBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA363|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="HuffPost"/> The purported science behind the group's activities is said to come from anti-porn activist [[Gary Wilson (writer)|Gary Wilson]],<ref name="Hartmann pp. 409–430">{{cite journal | last=Hartmann | first=Marlene | title=The totalizing meritocracy of heterosex: Subjectivity in NoFap | journal=Sexualities | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=24 | issue=3 | date=June 28, 2020 | issn=1363-4607 | doi=10.1177/1363460720932387 | pages=409–430 | s2cid=225765798 | quote=The most influential account of the causal relationship between PMO and the emergence of masturbatory subjectivity, which I mainly refer to in the following, is given by Gary Wilson ... Nevertheless, Wilson's talk is of vital importance to NoFap.| doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/> "an Oregon man with no scientific training or background, who has made a career peddling [[pseudoscience]]."<ref name="BWatson"/>

NoFap was founded in June 2011 by Pittsburgh web developer Alexander Rhodes after reading a thread on Reddit about a 2003 Chinese study{{#tag:ref | The thread ({{cite web|title=TIL when men don't masturbate for 7 days their testosterone levels increase by 145.7%. • r/todayilearned|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/i514e/til_when_men_dont_masturbate_for_7_days_their/|website=reddit}}) discussed {{cite journal | vauthors = Jiang M, Xin J, Zou Q, Shen JW | title = A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men | journal = J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. | volume = 4 | issue = 2 | pages = 236–240 | year = 2003 | pmid = 12659241 | doi=10.1631/jzus.2003.0236}} | group = "note"}} which found that men who refrain from masturbation for seven days experience a 145.7% spike in [[testosterone]] levels on the seventh day. This hit the front page of a popular forum on Reddit.<ref name="aussie" /> The website states that some NoFap participants aim to "...improve their interpersonal relationships", do a "challenge of willpower – to seize control of your sexuality and turn it into superpowers", but always with the goal of being able to "abstain from PMO (porn/masturbation/orgasm)."<ref name="masters-of-their-domain">{{cite web|title=Inside NoFap, The Reddit Community For People Who Want To Be 'Masters Of Their Domain'|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-nofap-2013-11|last=Love|first=Dylan|date=28 November 2013|website=www.businessinsider.com|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref> While the website is most commonly associated with men seeking to quit porn and reduce masturbation, there are a minority of females who are users of the website as well, who are nicknamed "Femstronauts"; Rhodes has estimated that five percent of participants are women.<ref name="masters-of-their-domain" />▼

{{as of|2024|01|06|df=US|post=,}} the NoFap online community had more than 350,000 registered members.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NoFap® |url=https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php |access-date=January 6, 2024 |website=NoFap® |language=en-US}}</ref>

The expression "fap" is an onomatopoeic Internet slang term for male masturbation that first appeared in the 1999 web comic ''Sexy Losers'' to indicate the sound of a male character masturbating.<ref name="masters-of-their-domain" />

▲==Founding==

Alexander Rhodes appears in the documentary written and directed by Nicholas Tana called ''[[Sticky: A (Self) Love Story]]'', in which he discusses his findings and his opinions about masturbation.<ref name="Fandango">{{Cite web | url=http://www.fandango.com/movie-trailer/sticky:aselflovestory-trailer/189754 | title=Sticky: A (Self) Love Story: Trailer 1}}</ref> After this, Rhodes created NoFap as a "subreddit" forum community on Reddit. The endeavour is sometimes referred to as ''fapstinence''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://gawker.com/5994669/in-defense-of-masturbation | title=In Defense of Masturbation}}</ref><ref name="gander">{{cite news |last1=Gander |first1=Kashmira |title=A man who gave up masturbation for 700 days says it gave him superpowers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/masturbation-giving-up-effects-life-changes-reddit-nofap-men-say-it-gave-them-superpowers-a7345466.html |accessdate=4 April 2020 |work=The Independent |date=5 October 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/05242017/grumpy-ghey-fap-flap | title=The Grumpy Ghey: The Fap Flap| date=2017-05-24}}</ref>▼

▲NoFap was founded in June 2011 by Pittsburgh web developer Alexander Rhodes after reading a thread on Reddit about a 2003 Chinese study{{#tag:,<ref |name="masters-of-their-domain" The thread (/><ref>{{cite web|title=TIL when men don't masturbate for 7 days their testosterone levels increase by 145.7%. • r/todayilearned|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/i514e/til_when_men_dont_masturbate_for_7_days_their/|website=redditReddit|date=June 21, 2011 |access-date=May 2, 2022}}</ref> (which was [[Retraction in academic publishing|retracted]] in 2021 due to overlap with another published article in Chinese),<ref discussedname="Jiang Jiang Zou Shen p. ">{{cite journal | vauthorslast1=Jiang | first1=Ming | last2=Jiang M,| first2=Xin J,| last3=Zou Q,| first3=Qiang | last4=Shen JW| first4=Jin-wen | title =Retraction Note to: A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men | journal =Journal J.of Zhejiang Univ.University Sci.Science | volume = 4A | issue publisher=Zhejiang 2 | pages =University 236–240Press | year date=December 200310, 2021 | pmid issn= 126592411673-565X | doi=10.1631/jzus.2003.0236}}r236 | grouppage=| s2cid=245084121 | doi-access=free "note"}}</ref> which foundclaimed that men who refrain from masturbation for seven days experience a 145.7% spike in [[testosterone]] levels on the seventh day. This hit the front page of a popular forum on Reddit.<ref name="aussiemasters-of-their-domain" /> The website states that some NoFap participants aim to "...improve their interpersonal relationships", do a "challenge of willpower – to seize control of your sexuality and turn it into superpowers", but always with the goal of being able to "abstain from PMO (porn/masturbation/orgasm)."<ref name="masters-of-their-domain">{{cite webnews|last1=Love|first1=Dylan|title=Inside NoFap, The Reddit Community For People Who Want To Be 'Masters Of Their Domain'|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-nofap-2013-11|last=Love|first=Dylan|date=28 November 28, 2013|website=www.businessinsider.com|publisherwork=[[Business Insider]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709211326/https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-nofap-2013-11|archive-date=July 9, 2019|access-date=3 August 3, 2019}}</ref> WhileThe theexpression website''fap'' is mostan commonlyonomatopoeic associatedInternet withslang menterm seeking to quit porn andfor reducemale masturbation, therethat arefirst aappeared minority of females who are users ofin the website1999 asweb well,comic who''Sexy areLosers'' nicknamedto "Femstronauts";indicate Rhodesthe hassound estimatedof thata fivemale percentcharacter of participants are womenmasturbating.<ref name="masters-of-their-domain" />

▲While the website is most commonly associated with men seeking to quit porn and reduce masturbation, there are a minority of females who are users of the website as well, who are nicknamed "Femstronauts"; Alexander Rhodes has estimated that five percent of participants are women.<ref name="masters-of-their-domain"/> Rhodes appears in the documentary written and directed by Nicholas Tana called ''[[Sticky: A (Self) Love Story]]'', in which he discusses his findings and his opinions about masturbation.<ref name="Fandango">{{Cite web | url=http://www.fandango.com/movie-trailer/sticky:aselflovestory-trailer/189754 | title=Sticky: A (Self) Love Story: Trailer 1 |access-date=June 7, 2017 |archive-date=February 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203041806/https://www.fandango.com/movie-trailer/sticky:aselflovestory-trailer/189754 |url-status=live }}</ref> After this, Rhodes created NoFap as a "[[subreddit"]] forum community on Reddit. The endeavour is sometimes referred to as ''"fapstinence''".<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://gawker.com/5994669/in-defense-of-masturbation | title=In Defense of Masturbation}}</ref><ref name="gander">{{cite news |last1=Gander |first1=Kashmira |title=A man who gave up masturbation for 700 days says it gave him superpowers |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/masturbation-giving-up-effects-life-changes-reddit-nofap-men-say-it-gave-them-superpowers-a7345466.html |accessdateaccess-date=4 April 4, 2020 |work=The Independent |date=5 October 5, 2016 |language=en |archive-date=July 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709211300/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/masturbation-giving-up-effects-life-changes-reddit-nofap-men-say-it-gave-them-superpowers-a7345466.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Public 2017">{{Citecite web | first=Christopher John | last=Treacy | title=The Grumpy Ghey: The Fap Flap | website=The Public | date=May 24, 2017 | url=http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/05242017/grumpy-ghey-fap-flap | titleaccess-date=TheJuly Grumpy13, Ghey:2020 The| Faparchive-date=July 9, 2019 Flap| datearchive-url=2017https://web.archive.org/web/20190709211304/http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/05242017/grumpy-05ghey-24fap-flap | url-status=live }}</ref>

===NoFap.com===

Users on NoFap's subreddit more than tripled in number in two years, leading Rhodes to build an off-Reddit forum at NoFap.com and begin other plans to better serve the website's fast-growing factions in Brazil, Germany, and China.<ref name="Eck">{{cite web|last1=Eck|first1=Ian|title=The Men Who Would Not Wank|url=http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-men-who-would-not-wank|publisher=SanFranciscoSan Francisco Magazine|accessdateaccess-date=June 27, June2015|archive-date=March 20152, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302091539/http://www.modernluxury.com/san-francisco/story/the-men-who-would-not-wank|url-status=live}}</ref> NoFap.com is a forum-style website where individuals who have committed to abstain from pornography and/or masturbation for a period of time can talk about their experiences and engage in challenges to help them recover. NoFap.com is the sister website of the Reddit-hosted NoFap community.<ref name="Deseret">{{cite web|last1=Israelsen-Hartley|first1=Sara|title=Adolescent addiction: When pornography strikes early|url=http://national.deseretnews.com/article/802/Adolescent-addiction-When-pornography-strikes-early.html#dSAGkxAvOUUqlXqB.99 |publisherwork=Deseret News |accessdatelocation=27Salt Lake City, UT |access-date=June 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623170058/http://national.deseretnews.com/article/802/adolescent-addiction-when-pornography-strikes-early.html#dSAGkxAvOUUqlXqB.99|archive-date=June 23 June, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> NoFap.com sells "premium memberships" and "store merchandise".

==Membership==

===Demographics===

A 20202014 studyinternet reportssurvey found that "virtually99% allof NoFap followers (99%) are male",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/1zt8z7/the_rnofap_survey_results_and_breakdown/|title=The r/NoFap Survey Results and Breakdown!|date=March 7, 2014}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=April 2023|reason=This is a random Reddit poll, falls under [[WP:UGC]]}}<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation">{{cite journal|last=Zimmer|first=F.|author2=Imhoff, R.|date=March 4, 2020-03-04|title=Abstinence from Masturbation and Hypersexuality|url= https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8.pdf|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|volume=49|issue=4|pages=1333–1343|doi=10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8|pmid=32130561|pmc=7145784|quote=As visible from zero-order correlations and multiple linear regression, motivation for abstinence was mostly associated with attitudinal correlates, specifically the perception of masturbation as unhealthy. While there were associations with hypersexuality, no significant correlation with behavioral markers such as maximum number of orgasms was found. Higher abstinence motivation was related to a higher perceived impact of masturbation, conservatism, and religiosity and to lower trust in science. We argue that research on abstinence from masturbation can enrich the understanding of whether and how average frequencies of healthy behavior are pathologized.|viaarchive-date=}}</ref>May The membership of NoFap ranges from [[atheists]]20, like founder Rhodes, to [[fundamentalist Christians]].<ref name="christ" /><ref name="salon">{{cite web|last1=McMurry|first1=Evan|title=9 hilarious ways the religious right tried to eradicate masturbation2020|archive-url=httphttps://wwwweb.salonarchive.comorg/2014web/0320200520121318/13https:/9_hilarious_ways_the_religious_right_tried_to_eradicate_masturbation/|website=salonlink.springer.com|accessdate=27 June 2015|date=2014/content/pdf/10.1007/s10508-03019-1301623-8.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Womenalthough Rhodes said that women are also a part of NoFap,.<ref name="christ">{{cite web |last1=Blair |first1=Leonardo |title=Christians Find Help for Porn, Masturbation Addiction Through 'NoFap' Community Started on Reddit by 24-Y-O Web Developer |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-find-help-for-porn-masturbation-addiction-through-nofap-community-started-on-reddit-by-24-y-o-web-developer-110061/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160930185021/http://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-find-help-for-porn-masturbation-addiction-through-nofap-community-started-on-reddit-by-24-y-o-web-developer-110061/ |archive-date=September 30, 2016 |access-date=June 10, 2015 |website=[[The Christian Post]]|accessdatedate=10December June4, 2013 2015}}</ref> although theThe communitymembership isof sometimesNoFap viewedranges tofrom be[[atheists]], alike partfounder ofRhodes, theto [[androspherefundamentalist Christians]].<ref name="christ" /><ref name="salon">{{Citecite web|last1=McMurry|first1=Evan|title=9 hilarious ways the religious right tried to eradicate masturbation|url=httpshttp://thevisionwww.salon.com/cultura2014/rimorchio-marketing03/13/9_hilarious_ways_the_religious_right_tried_to_eradicate_masturbation/|titlewebsite=Il[[Salon.com]] marketing|access-date=June del27, rimorchio2015|date=JulyMarch 2713, 20182014|websitearchive-date=March 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325171611/http://www.salon.com/2014/03/13/9_hilarious_ways_the_religious_right_tried_to_eradicate_masturbation/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Rhodes has publicly solicited and received funding from religious groups.<ref name="BWatson">{{cite journal |last= Watson|first=Brian|date= 2020|title=The VisionNew Censorship: Anti-sexuality Groups and Library Freedom|journal= Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy|volume=4|issue=4|pages=19–28|doi=10.5860/jifp.v4i4.7177|hdl=2022/25773|s2cid=238069109|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The users of the website call themselves "Fapstronauts."<ref name="Hall.AU">{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Lex |date=December 26, 2016 |title=Internet porn abounds but 'no fappers' rise to the occasion |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/internet-porn-abounds-but-no-fappers-rise-to-the-occasion/news-story/67c474a806d07014042a08f5814aabe6 |publisherurl-access=subscription |work=[[The Australian]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102223359/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Farts%2Freview%2Finternet-porn-abounds-but-no-fappers-rise-to-the-occasion%2Fnews-story%2F67c474a806d07014042a08f5814aabe6&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=eeb2905ac74ea1754646851dbb3f93d0-1604356439 |archive-date=26November December2, 20162020 |url-status=dead |access-date=April 4, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McMahon|first1=Tamsin|title=Will quitting porn improve your life?|url=https://www.macleans.ca/society/life/can-swearing-off-porn-improve-your-life/ |publisherwork=Maclean's|date=20 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="aussie">{{cite web|last1=Love|first1=Dylan|title=Inside NoFap20, The Reddit Community For People Who Want To Be 'Masters Of Their Domain'2014|url=https://www.businessinsider.com.au/whataccess-is-nofap-2013-11|website=Business Insider: Australia|accessdate=10 June 2015|date=2013-11-29}}</ref>April Some correspondents have nicknamed NoFap's community members as ''NoFappers''<ref>{{Cite web4, 2020|url=http://www.informationng.com/2017/03/listenarchive-watching-prnography-can-ruin-sx-life-10-reasons.html |titledate=ArchivedJuly copy |access-date=2017-03-109, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/2017031205163620190709211305/httphttps://www.informationngmacleans.comca/2017society/03life/listencan-watchingswearing-prnographyoff-canporn-ruinimprove-sxyour-life-10-reasons.html |archive-date=2017-03-12 /|url-status=dead live}}</ref><ref name="masters-of-their-domain"/> Some correspondents have nicknamed NoFap's community members "NoFappers",<ref name="Nettle 2019">{{Citecite web |url last=https://neonnettle.com/features/423-nofap-why-a-growing-number-of-males-are-refusing-to-masturbateMurphy | first=Jack | title=NoFap: Why A Growing Number Of Males Are Refusing To Masturbate |first website=Neon|last= Nettle |website date=NeonJanuary Nettle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite1, web2019 | url=https://www.theaustralianneonnettle.com.au/artsfeatures/review/internet423-pornnofap-aboundswhy-buta-nogrowing-fappersnumber-riseof-tomales-theare-occasion/newsrefusing-story/67c474a806d07014042a08f5814aabe6to-masturbate | titleaccess-date=SubscribeJuly to the Australian &#124; Newspaper home delivery13, website,2020 iPad, iPhone & Android apps}}</ref><ref ''name="Hall.AU"/> "fapstinent''",<ref name="Taylor Jackson pp. 621–639">{{cite journal | last1=Taylor, | first1=Kris, and| last2=Jackson | first2=Sue Jackson.| "s2cid=149306706 | title='I want that power back': Discourses of masculinity within an online pornography abstinence forum." | journal=Sexualities | publisher=SAGE Publications | volume=21. | issue=4 (| date=January 30, 2018): 621–639| issn=1363-4607 | doi=10.1177/1363460717740248 | pages=621–639| hdl=2292/41827 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> or ''"no-fappers''".<ref>{{Cite web |urlfirst=https://www.newsweek.com/nofap-masturbation-sex-abstinence-reddit-subreddit-no-fap-november-709746Kastalia |last=Medrano |date=November 13, 2017 |title=Can not masturbating for a month give you 'superpowers?' The men doing No Nut November sure hope so |firsturl=Kastalia Medrano On 11https:/13/17www.newsweek.com/nofap-masturbation-sex-abstinence-reddit-subreddit-no-fap-november-709746 at 3:39 PM|lastwebsite=ESTNewsweek|access-date=NovemberFebruary 132, 20172019|websitearchive-date=NewsweekDecember 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205013454/https://www.newsweek.com/nofap-masturbation-sex-abstinence-reddit-subreddit-no-fap-november-709746|url-status=live}}</ref> Some self-described [[pornography addiction|porn addicts]] seek out NoFap for help,<ref name="aussie" /> while others join the website for the challenge or to improve their lives and [[interpersonal relationships]].<ref name="aussiemasters-of-their-domain" />

===Beliefs===

The overwhelmingadvocacy goalof NoFap can be summarized as "90 days of membersabstinence from porn, masturbation, and orgasms."<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation" /> A study of anti-porn attitudes among Polish Internet users found that "Despite the suggestive name, the official goal of the NoFap forumsmovement is not to stopencourage masturbationcomplete entirelyabstinence from masturbation, but to support internet users in the process of refraining from accessing pornographic materials and thatachieving thisvarious goalwellbeing isgoals duerelated to theirsexual health"perception,<ref name="Gałuszka" /> and this understanding of masturbationNoFap's asmission unhealthy"is also acknowledged by other critical sources.<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation" /> After abstaining from porn and masturbation for a period of time, some of NoFap's users claim to experience various improvements in physical and mental health.<ref name="gander"/> Some NoFap users say their brains were warped by porn, at the expense of real relationships.<ref>{{cite journal|lastname="Taylor|first=K.|author2= Jackson, Spp.|date=2018|title='I want that power back': Discourses of masculinity within an online pornography abstinence forum|journal= Sexualities|volume= 21|issue=4|pages=621–639|doi=10.1177"/1363460717740248}}</ref>

NoFap hosts a wide variety of different opinions on sexual health, and supports users with various goals as long as they are trying to improve their sexual health.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-40382766 |title=The online groups of men who avoid masturbation |last=Subedar |first=Anisa |date=June 24, 2017 |publisher=BBC |access-date=September 23, 2017 |quote=NoFap' is an organisation that supports its users regardless of what their goals might be as long as they're trying to improve their sexual health and live their sexual habits in a way that they want to," he says, pointing out that abstinence is not the ultimate aim of all participants. "We don't have a unified goal. Some people want to masturbate some people don't want to masturbate – it hosts a wide variety of people with different viewpoints. |work=[[BBC News]] }}</ref> NoFap techniques are sometimes cited as a self|archive-improvementdate=September method by members of the [[manosphere]]24,<ref>Hilton Jr,2017 Donald L|archive-url=https://web. "Clinical Associate Professor Department of Neurosurgery University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonioarchive."<org/ref> and by others as a way to counter the effects of "[[death grip syndrome]]",<ref>Infante, Scott Wayneweb/20170924094054/http://www. A Systematic Review of the Psychological, Physiological, & Spiritual Effects of Pornography on Malesbbc.com/news/blogs-trending-40382766 Trevecca|url-status=live Nazarene University, 2018.}}</ref> an issue with penis sensitivity which some men attribute to overly aggressive masturbation.

Some of the group's beliefs cite the work of Gary Wilson, an anti-pornography activist who has no medical or scientific training.<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/><ref name="BWatson"/> Wilson's work is [[pseudoscientific]].<ref name="BWatson"/>

The NoFap forums are rife with antisemitic posts and conspiracy theories.<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/> They accuse the Jews and the [[Illuminati]] of unleashing porn in order "to undermine white men".<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/> NoFappers think that quitting porn is the magical solution to all their problems.<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/>

===Political and religious motivation===

According to various sources, the overwhelming majority of all websites and YouTube channels devoted to anti-masturbation and anti-porn addiction propaganda, channels, and websites supporting NoFap are owned by [[far-right]], [[religious fundamentalists]], and [[conservative]]s who are [[biblical inerrantists]], and also are entirely political in nature.<ref name="Burnett 2021"/><ref name="DLey 2018">{{cite web | last=Ley | first=David J. | title=Is One Sexual Behavior Triggering Certain Groups? | website=Psychology Today | date=October 27, 2018 | url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/women-who-stray/201810/is-one-sexual-behavior-triggering-certain-groups | access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref> The NoFap community is sometimes viewed to be a part of the [[manosphere]]{{snd}}online groups credited with propagating misogyny.<ref name="hen">{{cite journal |last1=Hen |first1=Xiaoting |author2=Yin, Chenjun |date=2022 |title=Mapping the manosphere. Categorization of reactionary masculinity discourses in digital environment |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2021.1998185 |journal=Feminist Media Studies |volume=37 |issue=5 |pages=1923–1940 |doi=10.1080/14680777.2021.1998185 |s2cid=247464779}}</ref><ref name="Oliveri 2018">{{cite web |last=Oliveri |first=Alice |date=July 27, 2018 |title=Il marketing del rimorchio |url=https://thevision.com/cultura/rimorchio-marketing/ |access-date=July 13, 2020 |website=The Vision |language=it}}</ref>

Psychologists, MDs, and social scientists noticed that the traditional Christian obsession with combating sexual activities, including masturbation,<ref>{{cite book |author-last=Mbuwayesango |author-first=Dora R. |year=2016 |origyear=2015 |chapter=Part III: The Bible and Bodies – Sex and Sexuality in Biblical Narrative |editor-last=Fewell |editor-first=Danna N. |editor-link=Danna Nolan Fewell |title=The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Narrative |location=[[Oxford]] and [[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |pages=456–465 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199967728.013.39 |isbn=9780199967728 |lccn=2015033360 |s2cid=146505567}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Gnuse |first=Robert K. |date=May 2015 |title=Seven Gay Texts: Biblical Passages Used to Condemn Homosexuality |journal=[[Biblical Theology Bulletin]] |publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] on behalf of Biblical Theology Bulletin Inc. |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=68–87 |doi=10.1177/0146107915577097 |issn=1945-7596 |s2cid=170127256}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sauer |first=Michelle M. |year=2015 |chapter=The Unexpected Actuality: 'Deviance' and Transgression |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U8mBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA74 |title=Gender in Medieval Culture |location=London |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |pages=74–78 |doi=10.5040/9781474210683.ch-003 |isbn=978-1-4411-2160-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-last=Frontain |author-first=Raymond-Jean |year=2003 |chapter=Introduction |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7nVq0BLfVT4C&pg=PA1 |editor-last=Frontain |editor-first=Raymond-Jean |title=Reclaiming the Sacred: The Bible in Gay and Lesbian Culture |location=[[New York City|New York]] and [[London]] |publisher=[[Harrington Park Press]] |edition=2nd |pages=1–24, 53, 55 |isbn=9781560233558 |lccn=2002068889}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author1-last=Palmer |author1-first=Randall |author2-last=Winner |author2-first=Lauren F. |year=2005 |origyear=2002 |chapter=Protestants and Homosexuality |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hMVH6upbI9QC&pg=PA149 |title=Protestantism in America |location=[[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Columbia University Press]] |series=Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series |pages=149–178 |isbn=9780231111317 |lccn=2002023859}}</ref> is unhealthy and unwholesome. This also applies to secular advocacy of anti-pornography and anti-masturbation,<ref name="nelroth2020">{{cite journal |last1=Nelson |first1=Kimberly M. |last2=Rothman |first2=Emily F. |date=February 2020 |title=Should Public Health Professionals Consider Pornography a Public Health Crisis? |editor-last=Morabia |editor-first=Alfredo |editor-link=Alfredo Morabia |journal=[[American Journal of Public Health]] |publisher=[[American Public Health Association]] |volume=110 |issue=2 |pages=151–153 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2019.305498 |doi-access=free |issn=1541-0048 |pmc=6951382 |pmid=31913670 |s2cid=210121251}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Rothman |first=Emily F. |year=2021 |chapter=Pornography as a US Public Health Problem |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M30_EAAAQBAJ |title=Pornography and Public Health |pages=1–15 |location=[[Oxford]] and [[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |doi=10.1093/oso/9780190075477.003.0001 |isbn=9780190075477 |lccn=2021013439}}</ref> including 16 US states' legislatures which have declared that pornography is a "public health crisis".<ref name="nelroth2020"/><ref name="Governing 2019">{{cite web | first=Mattie | last=Quinn | title=Is Porn a Public Health Crisis? 16 States Say Yes. | website=Governing | date=July 17, 2019 | url=https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-pornography-public-health-crisis-states.html | access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref>

The [[American Psychiatric Association]] had by then already dismissed such [[moral panic]] ("political stunt")<ref name="nelroth2020"/> in [[DSM-5]] (published in 2013),<ref name=weir/> and DSM-5-TR, published in March 2022, does not recognize a diagnosis of sexual addiction (which would include internet pornography viewing).<ref name="Martinez-Gilliard 2023 p. 113">{{cite book | last=Martinez-Gilliard | first=Erin | title=Sex, Social Justice, and Intimacy in Mental Health Practice: Incorporating Sexual Health in Approaches to Wellness | publisher=Taylor & Francis | year=2023 | isbn=978-1-000-84578-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y1yqEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT113 | access-date=March 5, 2023 | page=unpaginated | quote='Sex addiction' is also referred to as a diagnosis or presenting problem. Sex addiction is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR and identified as Compulsive Sexual Behavior in the ICD-11 rather than an issue of addiction.}}</ref><ref name="American Psychiatric Association 2022 ch. 29">{{cite book | author=American Psychiatric Association | title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR(tm)) | publisher=American Psychiatric Association Publishing | series=G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series | year=2022 | isbn=978-0-89042-576-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PIGizgEACAAJ | chapter=Conditions for Further Study | page=916 | quote=Excessive use of the Internet not involving playing of online games (e.g., excessive use of social media, such as Facebook; viewing pornography online) is not considered analogous to Internet gaming disorder, and future research on other excessive uses of the Internet would need to follow similar guidelines as suggested herein. Excessive gambling online may qualify for a separate diagnosis of gambling disorder.}}</ref><ref name="American Psychiatric Association 2022 ch. 19">{{cite book | author=American Psychiatric Association | title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR(tm)) | publisher=American Psychiatric Association Publishing | series=G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series | year=2022 | isbn=978-0-89042-576-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PIGizgEACAAJ | chapter=Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders | page=543 | quote=In addition to the substance-related disorders, this chapter also includes gambling disorder, reflecting evidence that gambling behaviors activate reward systems similar to those activated by drugs of abuse and that produce some behavioral symptoms that appear comparable to those produced by the substance use disorders. Other excessive behavioral patterns, such as Internet gaming (see 'Conditions for Further Study'), have also been described, but the research on these and other behavioral syndromes is less clear. Thus, groups of repetitive behaviors, sometimes termed "behavioral addictions" (with subcategories such as 'sex addiction,' 'exercise addiction,' and 'shopping addiction'), are not included because there is insufficient peer-reviewed evidence to establish the diagnostic criteria and course descriptions needed to identify these behaviors as mental disorders.}}</ref><ref name="Prause Binnie 2023 p=136346072311570"/> Neither [[ICD-10]], nor ICD-11 recognize sex addiction or porn addiction as a valid diagnosis.<ref name="Martinez-Gilliard 2023 p. 113"/><ref name="Prause Binnie 2023 p=136346072311570"/>

==Reception==

{{seefurther|Masturbation#Health effects{{!}}Health effects of masturbation|Effects of pornography}}

Therapist Paula Hall for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' was asked about NoFap claims of "physical health benefits mentioned including renewed energy, greater focus, concentration, and better sleep" and responded "there is little medical evidence for any of these changes".<ref name="HuffPost">{{cite web|last1=Galager|first1=Sophie|title=The Rise Of NoFap: Why Young Men Are Quitting Masturbation The NoFap community has grown alongside the rise in internet porn – but is it helping anyone?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/why-are-young-men-stopping-themselves-masturbating_uk_5d2f0f49e4b0a873f6449ff8 |website=Huff PostHuffPost UK |date=August 19, 2019|access-08date=April 21, 2020|archive-19date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102223359/https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=2_cc-session_510eaf20-1c2e-4bcc-89a9-49d2dfb53812|url-status=live}}</ref> Therapist Robert Weiss for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' sees NoFap as part of a tech backlash.<ref name="tech">{{cite web|last1=Weiss|first1=Robert|title=Is 'No Fap' Movement Start of Tech Backlash?|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weiss/no-fap-movement_b_3302874.html |website=HuffHuffPost Post|accessdateaccess-date=27 June 27, 2015|date=May 19, 2013|archive-05date=March 15, 2016|archive-19url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315204550/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weiss/no-fap-movement_b_3302874.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The endeavor has also been criticized as generating embarrassing side effects such as prolonged or unwanted erections in men or an excessive [[libido]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Harrison|first1=Alexandra|title=Nudge, Don't Thrust: The Application of Behavioral Law and Economics to America's Porn Addiction|journal=Texas Review of Law and Politics|volume=19|date=2014|page=337|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/trlp19&div=18&id=&page=|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=July 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713214157/https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals%252Ftrlp19&div=18&id=&page=|url-status=live}}</ref> Psychologist [[David J. Ley]] wrote: "I'm not in opposition to them, but I do think their ideas are simplistic, naive and promote a sad, [[reductionistic]] and distorted view of [[male sexuality]] and [[masculinity]]".<ref name="ley">{{cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-who-stray/201503/the-nofap-phenomenon|title=The NoFap Phenomenon|last1=Ley|first1=David|website=[[Psychology Today]]|accessdateaccess-date=June 10, June2015|archive-date=March 4, 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150304190158/https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-who-stray/201503/the-nofap-phenomenon|url-status=live}}</ref> Ley criticizes NoFap supporters as amateurs who are using "bad data" and "extrapolations on weak science to argue that porn has a disproportionate effect on the brain" and claim that porn use causes [[erectile dysfunction]].<ref name="ley"/> Ley has stated that the website is a continuation of the anti-masturbation movements from the past, such as Swiss doctor [[Samuel Tissot]]'s 18th-century claims that masturbation was an illness that "weakened the male spirit" and led to immorality; American doctor [[Benjamin Rush]], who claimed that masturbation caused blindness; and [[W.K. Kellogg]], who developed corn flakes as part of his anti-masturbation efforts.<ref name="ley" />▼

<!--see [[WP:FRINGE]]: in an article about a fringe viewpoint, "the proper contextual relationship between minority and majority viewpoints must be made clear."-->

The medical consensus is that there is no harm from normal masturbation practices.<ref name="Coon2014">{{cite book|last1=Coon|first1=Dennis|authorlink1=|last2=Mitterer|first2=John O.|authorlink2=|title=Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior|edition=14|chapter=11. Gender and Sexuality|chapterurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=-4jCBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA363|year=2014|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-305-54500-7|page=363|quote=Is there any way that masturbation can cause harm? Seventy years ago, a child might have been told that masturbation would cause insanity, acne, sterility, or other such nonsense. "Self-abuse," as it was then called, has enjoyed a long and unfortunate history of religious and medical disapproval (Caroll, 2013). The modern view is that masturbation is a normal sexual behavior (Hogarth & Ingham, 2009). Enlightened parents are well aware of this fact. Still, many children are punished or made to feel guilty for touching their genitals. This is unfortunate because masturbation itself is harmless. Typically, its only negative effects are feelings of fear, guilt, or anxiety that arise from learning to think of masturbation as "bad" or "wrong." In an age when people are urged to practice "[[safer sex]]," masturbation remains the safest sex of all.}}</ref><ref name="Sigel2004">{{cite journal|last=Sigel|first=Lisa Z.|date=Summer 2004|title=Masturbation: The History of the Great Terror by Jean Stengers; Ann Van Neck; Kathryn Hoffmann|journal=Journal of Social History|volume=37|series= |issue=4|pages=1065–1066|issn=0022-4529|accessdate=|quote=Stengers and Van Neck follow the illness to its fairly abrupt demise; they liken the shift to finally seeing the emperor without clothes as doctors began to doubt masturbation as a cause of illness at the turn of the twentieth century. Once doubt set in, scientists began to accumulate statistics about the practice, finding that a large minority and then a large majority of people masturbated. The implications were clear: if most people masturbated and did not experience insanity, debility, and early death, then masturbation could not be held accountable to the etiology that had been assigned it. Masturbation quickly lost its hold over the medical community, and parents followed in making masturbation an ordinary part of first childhood and then human sexuality.|jstor=3790078|doi=10.1353/jsh.2004.0065}}</ref> According to the ''[[Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy]]'', "It is considered abnormal only when it inhibits partner-oriented behavior, is done in public, or is sufficiently compulsive to cause distress."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/sexuality,-gender-dysphoria,-and-paraphilias/overview-of-sexual-behavior|title=Overview of Sexuality|author=George R. Brown, MD|date=July 2019|work=Merck Manuals Professional Version|accessdate=4 March 2020}}</ref> In the US, masturbation was a diagnosable psychological condition until [[Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders|DSM]] II (1968).<ref name="Ley2014">{{cite book|author=David J. Ley|title=The Myth of Sex Addiction|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YlBQ8G56X7YC&pg=PA12|date=10 July 2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-1-4422-1305-0|page=12}}</ref> The [[American Medical Association]] declared masturbation as normal by consensus in 1972.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Planned Parenthood Federation of America|author-link1=Planned Parenthood|date=March 2003|title=Masturbation: From myth to sexual health|journal=Contemporary Sexuality|volume=37|issue=3|page=v|issn=1094-5725|oclc=37229308|quote=Finally, the American medical community pronounced masturbation as normal in 1972 American Medical Association publication, ''Human Sexuality'' (Rowan, 2000).}}</ref> Masturbation is a common behavior and is linked to indicators of sexual health.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Coleman |first=E. |date=2008 |title=Masturbation as a Means of Achieving Sexual Health |journal= Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality |volume= 14 |issue=2–3 |pages=5–16 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J056v14n02_02 }}</ref> Masturbation does not deplete one's body of energy<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/Handouts/pdfs/masturbation.pdf |title=Masturbation: Questions and Answers |publisher=McKinley Health Center University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |date=2 April 2008 |accessdate=9 June 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151228181238/http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/Handouts/pdfs/masturbation.pdf |archivedate=28 December 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> or produce [[premature ejaculation]].<ref name="Strassberg2015">{{cite book|last1=Strassberg|first1=Donald S.|last3=Perelman|first3=Michael A.|last2=Mackaronis|first2=Julia E.|year=2015|chapter=Sexual dysfunctions|chapterurl=https://books.google.com/books?id=VoEZBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA442&lpg=PA442&focus=viewport&dq=editions:n7U-Dq0ClTsC&hl=nl|editor1-last=Blaney|editor1-first=Paul H.|editor3-last=Millon|editor3-first=Theodore|editor2-last=Krueger|editor2-first=Robert F.|edition=Third|title=Oxford textbook of psychopathology|location=NY|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=441–442|isbn=978-0-19-981177-9|oclc=879552995}}</ref> More masturbation is associated with higher testosterone levels<ref>{{cite journal |last=Andersen|first=M. |date= 2011|title=The association of testosterone, sleep, and sexual function in men and women| journal=Brain Research| volume=1416|pages= 80–104|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006899311014302}}</ref> and testosterone increases immediately with orgasm.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kruger|first=Tillman|date= 1998|title=NEUROENDOCRINE AND CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSE TO SEXUAL AROUSAL AND ORGASM IN MEN| journal=Psychoneuroendocrinology| volume=23|pages= 401–411|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453098000079}}</ref>

===Research concerning NoFap forums and followers===

Both the American Psychiatric Association and the World Health Organization rejected "pornography addiction" as a diagnosis.<ref name="Slate">{{cite news|url=https://slate.com/technology/2018/07/why-are-we-still-so-worried-about-watching-porn.html|title=Why Are We Still So Worried About Watching Porn?|last1=Prause|first1=N|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|accessdate=30 July 2018|date=30 July 2018}}</ref> Scientific studies contradict the NoFap belief that pornography use and erectile dysfunction are causally linked.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Prause N, Pfaus J |date= |title=Viewing Sexual Stimuli Associated with Greater Sexual Responsiveness, Not Erectile Dysfunction|journal=Journal of Sexual Medicine| volume=3 |issue= 2|pages= 111–125|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26185674}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Grubbs JB, Gola M|date= 2019|title=Is pornography use related to erectile functioning? Results from cross-sectional and latent growth curve analyses|journal=Journal of Sexual Medicine| volume=16 |issue= 1|pages= 90–98|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30621919/}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Landripet I, Stulhofer A|date= 2015|title=Is pornography use associated with sexual difficulties and dysfunctions among younger heterosexual men?. The journal of sexual medicine|journal=Journal of Sexual Medicine| volume=12 |issue= 5|pages= 1136–139|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jsm.12853}}</ref> Introductory psychology textbook authors Coon, Mitterer and Martini passingly mention NoFap, and speak of pornography as a "supernormal stimulus", but use the model of compulsion rather than addiction.<ref name="CoonMitterer2016">{{cite book|first1=Dennis|last1=Coon|first2=John O.|last2=Mitterer|first3=Tanya S.|last3=Martini|title=Psychology: Modules for Active Learning|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oPS5DQAAQBAJ&pg=PA414|date=5 December 2016|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-337-51708-9|pages=413–414}}</ref>

NoFap appears to oppose science. Their website includes legal warnings that scientists are prohibited from conducting research on them, and they have threatened to sue scientists who do.<ref name="Gałuszka">{{cite journal | last1= Gałuszka | first1=Damian | title=Anti-porn attitudes among Polish Internet users. An initial research | journal=Psychologia Wychowawcza | date= 2020 }}</ref>

A 2021 qualitative study found that NoFap's approach to pornography appears to be harmful. Specifically, the scientists studied "members of the online NoFap/PornFree self-help communities" and concluded "commitment to abstinence, framed by the notions of recovery and relapse, was found to be a major factor for maintaining distress."<ref name="Chasioti">{{cite journal | last1=Chasioti | first1=Dimitra | last2=Binnie | first2 = James | title=Exploring the Etiological Pathways of Problematic Pornography Use in NoFap/PornFree Rebooting Communities: A Critical Narrative Analysis of Internet Forum Data | journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior | date= 2021 | volume=50 | issue=5 | pages=2227–2243 | doi=10.1007/s10508-021-01930-z | pmid=34143364 | pmc=8275519 | doi-access=free }}</ref> A 2021 research article concluded with a warning, saying that "the mythical articulations that emerge from contestations over concepts like NoFap have the potential to galvanize young men into horrific, real-world violence."<ref name="Burnett 2021"/>

A 2020 study found that while NoFap claimed to be science-based, the more that NoFap followers believed that they should abstain from masturbation, the more they also reported "lower trust in science".<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation" /> Social psychologists Taylor and Jackson, who analyzed the content of NoFap forums, concluded in their study that some NoFap participants not only rejected pornography, but also [[feminist views on pornography|radical feminist critiques of pornography]]. They also stated that members of NoFap frequently utilized and redeployed familiar hegemonic masculine views (e.g. men as dominant seekers of pleasure and women as the 'natural' suppliers of this pleasure), in turn reproducing societal expectations of gendered sexual dominance and submission.<ref name="Taylor Jackson pp. 621–639"/> Another 2020 study stated that the forum represents itself as a source of medical information, which seems to discourage members from seeking actual medical advice and instead encourages [[self-diagnosis]].<ref name="vonSydow">{{cite journal | last1=von Sydow | first1=Vincent | title=NoFap. Sexuellt frustrerade mannens räddning?: En kritisk studie om maskulinitet och mäns frivilliga avståndstagande från pornografi och masturbation i forumet Nofap. com | journal=Center for Gender Studies | publisher=Uppsala university | date= 2020 }}</ref>

▲Therapist Paula Hall for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' was asked about NoFap claims of "physical health benefits mentioned including renewed energy, greater focus, concentration, and better sleep" and responded "there is little medical evidence for any of these changes".<ref name="HuffPost">{{cite web|last1=Galager|first1=Sophie|title=The Rise Of NoFap: Why Young Men Are Quitting Masturbation The NoFap community has grown alongside the rise in internet porn – but is it helping anyone?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/why-are-young-men-stopping-themselves-masturbating_uk_5d2f0f49e4b0a873f6449ff8|website=Huff Post UK|date=2019-08-19}}</ref> Therapist Robert Weiss for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' sees NoFap as part of a tech backlash.<ref name="tech">{{cite web|last1=Weiss|first1=Robert|title=Is 'No Fap' Movement Start of Tech Backlash?|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-weiss/no-fap-movement_b_3302874.html|website=Huff Post|accessdate=27 June 2015|date=2013-05-19}}</ref> The endeavor has also been criticized as generating embarrassing side effects such as prolonged or unwanted erections in men or an excessive [[libido]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Harrison|first1=Alexandra|title=Nudge, Don't Thrust: The Application of Behavioral Law and Economics to America's Porn Addiction|journal=Texas Review of Law and Politics|volume=19|date=2014|page=337|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/trlp19&div=18&id=&page=}}</ref> Psychologist [[David J. Ley]] wrote: "I'm not in opposition to them, but I do think their ideas are simplistic, naive and promote a sad, [[reductionistic]] and distorted view of [[male sexuality]] and [[masculinity]]".<ref name="ley">{{cite web|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/women-who-stray/201503/the-nofap-phenomenon|title=The NoFap Phenomenon|last1=Ley|first1=David|website=[[Psychology Today]]|accessdate=10 June 2015}}</ref> Ley criticizes NoFap supporters as amateurs who are using "bad data" and "extrapolations on weak science to argue that porn has a disproportionate effect on the brain" and claim that porn use causes [[erectile dysfunction]].<ref name="ley"/> Ley has stated that the website is a continuation of the anti-masturbation movements from the past, such as Swiss doctor [[Samuel Tissot]]'s 18th-century claims that masturbation was an illness that "weakened the male spirit" and led to immorality; American doctor [[Benjamin Rush]], who claimed that masturbation caused blindness; and [[W.K. Kellogg]], who developed corn flakes as part of his anti-masturbation efforts.<ref name="ley" />

A 2020 study foundanalysing that while NoFap claimed to be science-based, the more that NoFap followers believed that they should abstain from masturbation, the more they also reported "lower trust in science".<ref name="AbstinenceMasturbation" /> Social psychologists Taylor and Jackson, who analyzed the content of NoFap forums, concluded in their study that some NoFap participants not only rejected pornography, but also radical feminist critiques of pornography. They also stated that members of NoFap frequently utilized and redeployed familiar hegemonic masculine discourses (e.g. men as dominant seekers of pleasure and women as the 'natural' suppliers of this pleasure), in turn reproducing societal expectations of gendered sexual dominance and submission.<ref>{{cite journal| last =Taylor|first =Kris| title ='I want that power back': Discourses of masculinity within an online pornography abstinence forum| journal =Sexualities|volume =21|issue =4|pages =621–639|date =2018| doi =10.1177/1363460717740248}}</ref> A 2020 systematic review of the mediadiscourse on pornography, published in the journal ''[[Social Forces]]'', describedstated regarding NoFap: "These claims do not necessarily come from scientific experts. Instead, we find that newspaper articles draw from a variety of professionals who are not scientists" and mention that "Rhodes is quoted repeatedly reflecting that he was 'addicted to internet porn' and shares the personal consequences." They conclude "journalists and political actors are overextending scientific findings to advance their media markets and political agendas"..." toin codifysupport of gender stereotypes and normativesexual heterosexuality"norms.<ref name="Burke MillerMacPhee p.">{{cite journal | last1=Burke | first1=Kelsy | last2=MillerMacPhee | first2=Alice | title=Constructing Pornography Addiction's Harms in Science, News Media, and Politics | journal=Social Forces |date publisher=24Oxford University Press (OUP) | date=April 24, 2020 | issn=0037-7732 | doi=10.1093/sf/soaa035 |language=en}}</ref>

A ''New York Times'' story by Rob Kuznia expressed concern about white supremacists promoting the belief that pornography is a conspiracy of Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kuznia|first1=Rob|title=Among Some Hate Groups, Porn Is Viewed as a Conspiracy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/hate-groups-porn-conspiracy.html|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=7 June 2019|date=2019-06-07}}</ref> A 2020 paper stated that NoFap appears to have been specifically targeted by suchfar-right groups, writing, "the struggle for the 'remasculinization' of white men by overcoming porn (addiction) had to be an antisemitic one: a fight against 'Jewish pornography' and 'Jewish filth,' in which other current anti-porn actors such as NoFap should join".<ref>{{cite journal| last =Kerl|first =Kristoff| title ="'Oppression by Orgasm"': Pornography and Antisemitism in Far-Right Discourses in the United States Since the 1970s| journal =Studies in American Jewish Literature|volume =39|issue =1|pages = 117–138|date =2020|urldoi =10.5325/studamerjewilite.39.1.0117|s2cid =216218638|url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/751598}}</ref> [[Cultural studies]] scholar Simon Strick stated regarding NoFap that a "racist culture war...was already implied in the call to join the 'movement' by becoming abstinent". The chapter continues, "NoFap present themselves as a search for non-toxic and progressive gender roles, even as they partake in gendered and racialized narratives that are no less violent".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Strick |first=Simon |date=2019 |chapter=Right-Wing World-Building: Affect and Sexuality in the 'Alternative Right' |editor1=Jurgen Gebhardt |editor2=Heike Paul |editor3=Ursula Prutsch |title=The Comeback of Populism: Transatlantic Perspectives |series=Publikationen der Bayerischen Amerika-Akademie, Band 21 (volume 21) |location=Heidelberg |publisher=Universitätsverlag Winter |isbn=9783825346355 |oclc=1112228506}}</ref> A paper in 2021 which analysed a large corpus of Tweets about NoFap found subject positions linked to myths including anti-feminist and anti-Semitic themes.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Burnett |first=Scott |date=August 2022 |title=The Battle for "NoFap": Myths, Masculinity, and the Meaning of Masturbation Abstention |journal=Men and Masculinities |language=en |volume=25 |issue=3 |pages=477–496 |doi=10.1177/1097184X211018256 |issn=1097-184X|doi-access=free }}</ref>

NoFap supporters are "known for vitriolically attacking female scholars not sharing their view".<ref name="Paasonen">{{cite book|first1=Susanna|last1=Paasonen|first2=Feona|last2=Attwood|first3=Alan|last3=McKee|first4=John|last4=Mercer|first5=Clarissa|last5=Smith|title=Objectification: On the Difference between Sex and Sexism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H2r0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10|date=August 12, 2020|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-429-53424-9|page=81|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-date=November 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102223403/https://books.google.com/books?id=H2r0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10|url-status=live}}</ref> Sociologist Kelsy Burke stated that "Rhodes and a small staff manage NoFap.com and its brand full time".<ref name="Burke">{{cite news|url=https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/05/men-quitting-masturbation-nofap-dangers.html|title=Sinning Like a Man Evangelical porn addiction groups show the truth about men who are obsessed with quitting masturbation.|last1=Burke|first1=Kelsey|newspaper=Slate|access-date=May 18, 2020|date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=May 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519033443/https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/05/men-quitting-masturbation-nofap-dangers.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She states, "There is no scientific evidence that supports the idea of these superpowers. Yet hundreds of thousands of NoFap users insist they experience them." She critiques similar gender problems in groups including NoFap, stating, "The scientific and spiritual gets muddled together as participants reinforce damaging gender stereotypes—those of hypersexual, biologically ravenous men who are simply "wired differently" than women. Women whose sexuality exists only in relation to male desire...porn addiction recovery reproduces the worst lessons of porn itself."<ref name=Burke/> NoFap forums are described by a 2020 paper as a place where "men's sexual entitlement to women was left unquestioned".<ref>{{cite journal |last= Meenagh|first= Joni|date= 2020|title='She doesn't think that happens': When heterosexual men say no to sex |journal=Sexualities|volume= 24|issue= 3|pages= 322–340|doi=10.1177/1363460720936460 | issn=1363-4607 |s2cid= 225524217}}</ref>

Several journalists have criticized NoFap.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Singal|first1=Jesse|title=Why We're Scared of Masturbation|url=https://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/why-were-scared-of-masturbation.html|publisher=NY Mag|accessdate=10 June 2015|date=2014-08-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/kanye-west-porn-masturbation-nofap-incels-fringe-right|title=KANYE WEST IS A NOFAP HERO|last1=Klee|first1=Miles|newspaper=Mel Magazine|accessdate=24 October 2019|date=24 October 2019}}</ref><ref name=Bishop/><ref name=Manavis/> Some of them report that the forums were filled with [[misogyny]], stating that "there is a darker side to NoFap. Among the reams of Reddit discussions and YouTube videos, a fundamentally misogynistic rhetoric regularly emerges",<ref name="Bishop">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/09/whats-causing-women-to-join-the-nofap-movement|title=What's causing women to join the NoFap movement?|last1=Bishop|first1=Kate|newspaper=[[TheGuardian.com|The Guardian]]|accessdate=9 September 2019|date=2019-09-09}}</ref> and that "the NoFap community has become linked to wider sexism and misogyny, reducing women to sexual objects to be attained or abstained from and shaming sexually active women."<ref name="Manavis">{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2018/11/no-nut-november-insidious-internet-challenge-encouraging-men-not|title=No Nut November: the insidious internet challenge encouraging men not to masturbate|last1=Manavis|first1=Sarah|newspaper=The New Statesman|accessdate=13 November 2018|date=13 November 2018}}</ref>▼

Claims of the semen retention community as well as those of the NoFap community are among the least accurate in respect to men's health.<ref name="Dubin Aguiar Lin Greenberg 2022 p. ">{{cite journal | last1=Dubin | first1=Justin M. | last2=Aguiar | first2=Jonathan A. | last3=Lin | first3=Jasmine S. | last4=Greenberg | first4=Daniel R. | last5=Keeter | first5=Mary Kate | last6=Fantus | first6=Richard J. | last7=Pham | first7=Minh N. | last8=Hudnall | first8=Matthew T. | last9=Bennett | first9=Nelson E. | last10=Brannigan | first10=Robert E. | last11=Halpern | first11=Joshua A. | title=The broad reach and inaccuracy of men's health information on social media: analysis of TikTok and Instagram | journal=International Journal of Impotence Research | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | date=November 19, 2022 | volume=36 | issue=3 | pages=256–260 | issn=0955-9930 | doi=10.1038/s41443-022-00645-6 | pmid=36402921 | pmc=9676765 | s2cid=253707767 }}</ref>

The medical orthodoxy attributes the sufferance of NoFap users to various mental disorders, rather than caused by PMO (porn, masturbation, orgasm).<ref name="Prause Binnie 2023 p=136346072311570">{{cite journal | last1=Prause | first1=Nicole | last2=Binnie | first2=James | title=Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: A preregistered survey study | journal=Sexualities | publisher=SAGE Publications | date=February 22, 2023 | issn=1363-4607 | doi=10.1177/13634607231157070 | page=136346072311570| s2cid=257172274 | url=https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/download/af044dbeb36aefcdb593641a18267139b810bb745d21ca4e8881f5e40472d2e8/1373447/Submission_Sexualities_12.13.2022.pdf }}</ref><ref name="Medical Daily 2023">{{cite web | first=Urja | last=Kalyani | title=NoFap Forums: Study Finds Participants Facing 'Suicidal' Tendencies, Other Mental Health Problems | website=Medical Daily | date=March 3, 2023 | url=https://www.medicaldaily.com/nofap-forums-study-finds-participants-facing-suicidal-tendencies-other-mental-468321 | access-date=March 4, 2023}}</ref> Prause and Binnie note that the NoFap forums are overloaded with [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] seeking to explain this away.<ref name="Prause Binnie 2023 p=136346072311570"/>

===Journalistic descriptions of NoFap===

▲Several journalists have criticized NoFap.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Singal|first1=Jesse|title=Why We're Scared of Masturbation|url=https://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/why-were-scared-of-masturbation.html|publisher=NY Mag|accessdateaccess-date=10 June 10, 2015|date=August 4, 2014|archive-date=June 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629004749/http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/08/why-04were-scared-of-masturbation.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/kanye-west-porn-masturbation-nofap-incels-fringe-right|title=KANYE WEST IS A NOFAP HERO|last1=Klee|first1=Miles|newspaper=Mel Magazine|accessdateaccess-date=October 24, 2019|date=October 24, 2019|archive-date=24April October10, 20192020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410202919/https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/kanye-west-porn-masturbation-nofap-incels-fringe-right|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Bishop/><ref name=Manavis/> Some of them report that the forums were filled with [[misogyny]], stating that "there is a darker side to NoFap. Among the reams of Reddit discussions and YouTube videos, a fundamentally misogynistic rhetoric regularly emerges",<ref name="Bishop">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/09/whats-causing-women-to-join-the-nofap-movement|title=What's causing women to join the NoFap movement?|last1=Bishop|first1=Kate|newspaper=[[TheGuardian.com|The Guardian]]|accessdateaccess-date=September 9, 2019|date=September 9, 2019|archive-date=September 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909061616/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/09/whats-09causing-women-to-join-the-nofap-movement|url-status=live}}</ref> and that "the NoFap community has become linked to wider sexism and misogyny, reducing women to sexual objects to be attained or abstained from and shaming sexually active women."<ref name="Manavis">{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2018/11/no-nut-november-insidious-internet-challenge-encouraging-men-not|title=No Nut November: the insidious internet challenge encouraging men not to masturbate|last1=Manavis|first1=Sarah|newspaper=The New Statesman|accessdateaccess-date=13 November 13, 2018|date=November 13, 2018|archive-date=November 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181113223221/https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/social-media/2018/11/no-nut-november-insidious-internet-challenge-encouraging-men-not|url-status=live}}</ref> NoFap followers have posted videos on YouTube that regularly feature anti-homosexual and anti-woman values, such as "stop being a little bitch" demands.<ref name="Hartmann pp. 409–430"/> A ''New York Times'' story by Rob Kuznia expressed concern about white supremacists promoting the belief that pornography is a conspiracy of Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kuznia|first1=Rob|title=Among Some Hate Groups, Porn Is Viewed as a Conspiracy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/hate-groups-porn-conspiracy.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=June 7, 2019|date=June 7, 2019|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609090230/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/us/hate-groups-porn-conspiracy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Scientist Shane Kraus, PhD, speaking to [[CNET]] describes there is "no scholarship" supporting the Reboot claims of NoFap.<ref name="CNET">{{cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/porn-addiction-is-ruining-lives-but-scientists-arent-convinced-its-real/|title=Porn addiction is ruining lives, but scientists aren't convinced it's real|last1=Van Boom|first1=Daniel|newspaper=CNET|access-date=December 2, 2020|date=December 1, 2020}}</ref>

''[[Der Spiegel]]'' reported that some NoFap adherents also belong to groups with members who have been connected to hate crimes and terrorist murders, arguing that there is a general potential for radicalization within the [[manosphere]].<ref name="Rosenbach Müller Höfner Baumgärtner 2021">{{cite web | last1=Rosenbach | first1=Marcel | last2=Müller | first2=Ann-Katrin | last3=Höfner | first3=Roman | last4=Baumgärtner | first4=Maik | last5=Spiegel | first5=Der | title=Hatred Against Women: The Dark World of Extremist Misogyny | website=DER SPIEGEL | date=March 10, 2021 | url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/from-digital-hate-to-analog-violence-the-dark-world-of-extremist-misogyny-a-832ed3cb-21d1-4e84-8c28-089365e91a83 | access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>

[[NPR]] published an article that the NoFap forum is rife with racist, misogynistic and violent posts.<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416">{{cite news |publisher=NPR |title=Masturbation abstinence is popular online. Doctors and therapists are worried |date=February 3, 2024 |first=Lisa|last=Hagen |url=https://www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1198916105/mens-health-masturbation-abstinence | access-date=13 August 2024}}</ref>

==Litigation==

NoFap has been involved in legal actions filed or threatened by its founder, Alexander Rhodes. After threatening two scientists with litigation, the scientists published a letter defending the need to be allowed to criticize NoFap: "As [NoFap] operate in the public sphere, however, we deem it not only as legitimate but necessary to acknowledge and cite them as one prominent voice in the debate around masturbation abstinence—everything else would be an unjustifiable muting of their stand."<ref>{{cite journal |last= Imhoff|first=Roland |date=2020 |title= Men's Reasons to Abstain from Masturbation May Not Reflect the Conviction of "reboot" Websites|journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior|volume=49 |issue=5 |pages=1429–1430 |doi= 10.1007/s10508-020-01722-x|pmid=32356083 |pmc=7300076 }}</ref> NoFap threatened to sue ''[[The Spectator]]'' for writing about their association with [[right-wing]], [[antisemitic]] groups.<ref>{{cite web | last=McDonald | first=Matt | title='NoFap' distance themselves from the Proud Boys | website=The Spectator | url=https://spectator.us/nofap-proud-boys/ | access-date=August 5, 2020 | archive-date=August 4, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804191918/https://spectator.us/nofap-proud-boys/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

<!--<ref name="Vice"/>

NoFap has initiated litigation with a claim of libel, against scientist [[Nicole Prause]].--><!-- The case was dismissed with prejudice after the parties followed mediation; the terms of their agreement are confidential.<ref name="PacerMonitor Federal Court Case Tools 2019">{{cite web | title=RHODES v. PRAUSE et al (2:19-cv-01366), Pennsylvania Western District Court | website=PacerMonitor Federal Court Case Tools | date=March 25, 2021 | orig-date=October 23, 2019 | url=https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/30620620/RHODES_v_PRAUSE_et_al | access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref>-->

Alexander Rhodes sued his own mother because she accused NoFap of getting involved with extremist organizations.<ref name="Hagen 2024 u416"/>

==Similar sites==

In 2017, an [[The Independent|''Independent'']] article called "Inside the Community of Men Who Have Given Up Porn" noted that an alternative subreddit, /r/pornfree, is different from 'NoFap' as members abstain from pornography but not necessarily masturbation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/porn-free-men-community-give-up-sex-videos-masturbation-reddit-pornfree-a7713841.html|title=Inside the community of men who have given up porn|last=Hosie|first=Rachel|date=May 3, 2017-05-03|website=[[The Independent]]|access-date=February 20, 2018|archive-02-date=February 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220212512/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/porn-free-men-community-give-up-sex-videos-masturbation-reddit-pornfree-a7713841.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Another ''Independent'' article, from 2018, described /r/pornfree as less 'extreme' compared to /r/nofap.<ref name="Hosie 2017">{{Citecite web | last=Hosie | first=Rachel | title=Man deletes 18 terabyte porn collection to try and end his addiction | website=The Independent | date=August 15, 2017 | url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/porn-addiction-man-delete-18-terabyte-sex-videos-collection-to-help-a7893991.html |title access-date=ManJuly deletes13, his2020 18| terabytearchive-date=January porn31, collection2020 to help overcome addiction|date archive-url=2017https://web.archive.org/web/20200131161306/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-08style/porn-15|website=[[Theaddiction-man-delete-18-terabyte-sex-videos-collection-to-help-a7893991.html Independent]]|language=en|access url-datestatus=2020-01-31live }}</ref>

A study of NoFap reddit users found that NoFap members were most likely to also be members of TheRedPill, seduction, and similar men's rights and pick up artist Reddit groups.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Khan|first= Abeer|date= 2020|title= Reddit Mining to Understand Gendered Movements|journal= EDBT/ICDT Workshops|url= http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2578/DARLIAP3.pdf|access-date= August 25, 2020|archive-date= September 18, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200918202000/http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2578/DARLIAP3.pdf|url-status= live}}</ref> Another study reported a similar pattern that NoFap Reddit members also were likely to be supporters of U.S. President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Massachs |first=Joan |date=2020 |chapter=Roots of Trumpism: Homophily and Social Feedback in Donald Trump Support on Reddit |title=WebSci '20: Proceedings of the 12th ACM Conference on Web Science |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/proceedings/10.1145/3394231 |url-access=subscription |format=July 6–10, 2020, Southampton, UK |location=New York |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery |pages=49–58 |arxiv=2005.01790 |doi=10.1145/3394231.3397894 |isbn=9781450379892 |oclc=1381938796 |s2cid=218502169}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Controversial Reddit communities]]

* [[Effects of pornography]]

* [[Men Going Their Own Way]]

* [[No Nut November]]▼

* [[Opposition to pornography]]

* [[Postorgasmic illness syndrome]]▼

* [[Sexual abstinence]]▼

* [[Semen retention]]

* [[Sex Addicts Anonymous]]

* [[Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous]]

* [[Sexaholics Anonymous]]

▲* [[Sexual abstinence]]

▲* [[Postorgasmic illness syndrome]]

* [[Coitus reservatus|Coitus Reservatus]]

▲* [[No Nut November]]

* [[Huanjing bunao]]

== Explanatory notes ==

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==

{{reflist|30emReflist}}

==External links==

* {{officialOfficial website|http://www.nofap.com}}

*[https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/ Reddit sub-site]

*[https://twitter.com/nofap NoFap] on [[Twitter]]

{{Reddit}}

{{Masturbation}}

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