A clinical anatomist and diagnostic medical sonographer, Ladipo Taiwo Olatoye, has claimed that women reaching orgasm during sexual intercourse could help prevent breast cancer, attributing the purported benefit to the release of oxytocin.
Olatoye made the claim while featuring on Eve’s Lounge, a programme on Crest 91.1FM, Ibadan.
His comments come as the world commemorates October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the disease, promote early detection and encourage access to screening and treatment.
According to figures from the Global Burden of Disease Study, breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases diagnosed globally in 2023.
The study reported that 73 per cent of those cases occurred in high- and upper-middle-income countries, while projections indicate that the global burden of the disease will continue to rise in the coming decades.
It is projected that annual breast cancer deaths worldwide would increase by 44 per cent, from 764,000 in 2023 to nearly 1.4 million in 2050, with much of the increase expected in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
The number of new cases is also projected to rise by approximately one-third, from 2.3 million in 2023 to more than 3.5 million in 2050.
The study further found that three times as many new cases were diagnosed among women aged 55 and older in 2023 as among women aged 20 to 54.
Against this backdrop, Olatoye dismissed the idea that sucking a woman’s breast could prevent breast cancer, arguing instead that reaching orgasm and the associated release of hormones could offer protective benefits.
“Medically, sucking a breast doesn’t reduce anything. What I know is that releasing oxytocin can prevent it. That is why you have to be reaching orgasm,” he said.
He further described the hormone released during sexual activity as a “happy hormone”, suggesting that its release could help protect women against the disease.
“Happy hormone, it prevents breast cancer because you are releasing hormone,” Olatoye added.
He also questioned whether women adequately experience sexual satisfaction during intercourse, asking, “How many men can make their wife reach orgasm?”
He also discussed sexual activity in relation to men’s prostate health, arguing that regular sexual activity was important for men and drawing a parallel with his claim about women’s health.
“I am not even talking about prostate cancer now. I am talking about the atrophy that is involved when you don’t have sex regularly. I am not talking about the 21 times. I am talking about the regular, normal sexual activity,” he said.
‘Know your normal from abnormal’
Beyond his controversial comments on sexual activity, Olatoye urged women to familiarise themselves with their breasts and seek medical attention when they notice unusual changes.
He argued that women should not assume they are protected from breast cancer simply because the disease does not run in their families.
“I said earlier that hereditary or not hereditary, 80 per cent of women who have breast cancer is not related to hereditary at all. That, ‘Ehn, my mommy had breast cancer before, I might have it too.’ No, it is not related. The cause of breast cancer is unknown. Just know yourself. Know your normal from abnormal. Like, this is how my breast is, and if you notice something is wrong, go to the hospital,” he said.
Olatoye, who said he had been conducting ultrasound scans since 2017, disclosed that he had encountered numerous women with benign breast lesions and several cases involving suspicious malignant growths.
“This is my ninth year of scanning. I have scanned a lot of women who have benign lesions, not even cancers. But if I count from nine years till now, from 2017 till now, I have diagnosed more than 10 malignant lesions that later led to breast cancer,” he said.
He explained that a biopsy is used to examine suspicious breast tissue and establish whether a lesion is cancerous.
He also discussed the role of ultrasound in identifying breast abnormalities and the use of the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System, known as BI-RADS, to classify imaging findings and guide further investigations.
Olatoye urged women not to ignore breast lumps or other unusual changes but to seek professional medical assessment.
Warns against relying on herbs
The sonographer cautioned against using herbal preparations to treat suspicious breast lesions, arguing that such remedies could expose patients to additional risks.
“I don’t recommend herbs because taking herbs cannot help it. It can damage your lungs because you don’t know how strong it is. So, I can’t recommend herbs for any lesion. It does not make sense,” he said.
He also discussed benign breast lesions, including fibroadenomas, and urged women with breast abnormalities to consult healthcare professionals.
However, not every benign breast lesion requires surgical removal. Treatment depends on the type of lesion, its size, symptoms and clinical findings.
Olatoye further warned that breast cancer could affect younger women, noting that the condition was not restricted to older age groups.
“Below 40 can have breast cancer, from 15. So far you are at the reproductive stage; any ladies who are above teenage can have breast cancer because we don’t know the causes,” he said.
He mentioned smoking and alcohol consumption among factors associated with cancer risk.
Discusses prostate health and sexual activity
Olatoye also discussed sexual activity in relation to men’s reproductive health, claiming that a lack of regular sexual activity could lead to prostate enlargement.
“Prostate is not hereditary. It is the main organ that produces sperm. Seventy per cent of sperm produced is from the prostate. So, when you don’t release the fluid,
it accumulates; it will make the prostate bigger and bigger,” he said.
