Castration Makes Men Live (Much) Longer

By on September 25, 2012 in News 25

EunuchOne imagines that telling a eunuch he’ll live 20 years longer is just adding insult to his injury, but in any event this “new” discovery has some people excited. Dr. Julyenne Wong reports for ABC News:

Call it making the best of a potentially bad situation. Eunuchs — castrated men — live nearly 20 years longer than other men, a new study has found.

The study of over 80 eunuchs from the Chosun Dynasty, which ruled in Korea from 1392 to 1897, looked at the world’s only known record of eunuchs’ lives and compared them to genealogical records of other men of similar social rank. The researchers cross-checked their results with other royal records.

They found that the average lifespan of a Korean eunuch was about 70 years, 14 to 19 years higher than non-castrated men of similar social standing.

Three of the 81 eunuchs lived to be over 100 years old. The researchers calculated that the rate of centenarians among this group of eunuchs was at least 130 times higher than the current rate in developed countries.

“Our study supports the idea that male sex hormones decrease the lifespan of men,” wrote Kyung-Jin Min, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Inha University in Inchon, South Korea, and lead author of the study published today in the journal Current Biology…

[continues at ABC News]

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  • The Pink Ninja

    Sounds like another Cock and Bull story to me.

  • bobbiethejean

    This sounds extremely spurious. How about we do an ACTUAL scientific study before we start suggesting guys de-prune themselves? 

    • Matt Staggs

      Do I hear a volunteer?

    • Matt Staggs

      Do I hear a volunteer?

      • Nunzio X

        I volunteer. I’ve outlived my dick anyhow.

        I’ll get back to you RE the increase in lifespan, but it may be a couple of decades.

      • Nunzio X

        I volunteer. I’ve outlived my dick anyhow.

        I’ll get back to you RE the increase in lifespan, but it may be a couple of decades.

      • bobbiethejean

         Abso-fuckin-lutely! Who’s up first? *puts on the ogle-goggles and fondling gloves*

      • bobbiethejean

         Abso-fuckin-lutely! Who’s up first? *puts on the ogle-goggles and fondling gloves*

      • TennesseeCyberian

        No way I’d volunteer, but I will say this about the logistics:

        My grandma’s little old dog had anal tumors that disappeared when he was castrated late in life.  He lived another four years because of the procedure.

        If even 25% of the male population could be conviced to do the same, that would leave 25% of the females unattended.  That means potential bigamy for 33% of those remaining.

        If 50% went under the knife, that would mean possible bigamy for everyone remaining.  From there, we get into 3 and 4 wives per man.

        Not that it will happen, and not that it matters.  The Western world probably has enough MMORPGs and porno to keep the ratio in check. And besides, we already have serial polygamy, anyway.

        Drunken math corrected

  • truth

    havin’ a worthles penis is equal to death for me anywayz so I can do without those 20 years long has my weapon’s still active….

  • truth

    havin’ a worthles penis is equal to death for me anywayz so I can do without those 20 years long has my weapon’s still active….

  • Dueyv9

    anything that gets the population control crowd hard.

  • Dueyv9

    anything that gets the population control crowd hard.

  • TedHeistman

    I’ve always been skeptical of testosterone replacement therepay as a longevity treatment.

  • TedHeistman

    I’ve always been skeptical of testosterone replacement therepay as a longevity treatment.

  • TedHeistman

    I let my dog keep his balls and he lived to be almost 17. true story.

  • okOkay

     Apparently men who are castrated aren’t afflicted with male pattern baldness either (assuming they are castrated before they start losing hair). I don’t care, I’d rather go bald and die early.

  • Varys

    As someone born a ‘Eunuch’, or intersexed if you want to be polite, I’ll point out we still have sex. So 20 years still sounds pretty good, Majestic.

  • Varys

    As someone born a ‘Eunuch’, or intersexed if you want to be polite, I’ll point out we still have sex. So 20 years still sounds pretty good, Majestic.

  • Varys

    As someone born a ‘Eunuch’, or intersexed if you want to be polite, I’ll point out we still have sex. So 20 years still sounds pretty good, Majestic.

  • VaudeVillain

    Most mammals live considerably longer if their reproductive organs are removed. Most also tend to be happier.

    It makes people uncomfortable to consider themselves as simply another animal, but deep down we’re just apes with big-ass brains.

  • VaudeVillain

    Most mammals live considerably longer if their reproductive organs are removed. Most also tend to be happier.

    It makes people uncomfortable to consider themselves as simply another animal, but deep down we’re just apes with big-ass brains.

  • VaudeVillain

    Most mammals live considerably longer if their reproductive organs are removed. Most also tend to be happier.

    It makes people uncomfortable to consider themselves as simply another animal, but deep down we’re just apes with big-ass brains.

  • Guest

    Bullshit statistics invented on the spot, no doubt.

  • Guest

    Bullshit statistics invented on the spot, no doubt.