São Paulo, April 1, 2026 — Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among men, and even so, conversations around the topic and regular medical checkups remain very limited.
In this context, the nonprofit organization Fuck Cancer, together with VML Health NY, Dirty Work, and Jamute, has launched “Beat Cancer Off,” a new awareness campaign based on a striking scientific finding: men who ejaculate 21 or more times per month may reduce their risk of prostate cancer by up to 22%, according to the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), one of the largest and longest-running studies of its kind.
“At Fuck Cancer, we aim to turn reliable science into behavioral change,” says Yael Cohen, co-founder of the organization. “The data on ejaculation frequency and prostate cancer risk is compelling. It’s rare to see science and behavior align so closely. So yes, we’re encouraging men to take care of their health. Instead of hiding this in a scientific paper, we’re bringing it into culture.”
The film, presented in a music video format, follows the marathon of a prostate going through 21 days of “exercise,” featuring various expressions and figures of speech used around the world to refer to masturbation—such as Peeling the Banana, Oliare il meccanismo (oil the mechanism), Polir le Poireau (polish the leek), and Shiko Shiko Suru. The different illustration styles and techniques prioritize handmade work. To achieve this, Dirty Work brought together more than 50 artists from various disciplines to lend a hand in the fight against prostate cancer.
“Beat Cancer Off” is a mixed-media production combining traditional 2D animation, cut-out, 3D animation, puppetry, and live action. It maintains a humorous tone, relying on unexpected analogies to depict the 21 ways of talking about masturbation and its connection to cancer prevention.
“This film dives into the most curious linguistic and cultural expressions surrounding masturbation. Each technique we chose carries the essence of humor and the story of a place. That alone makes the piece globally intriguing,” say directors Gustavo Leal and Faga Melo of Dirty Work. For them, the main challenge was finding the right balance of humor to convey each message.
“We wanted to tell a story that could represent every corner of the world. Each expression deserved to be portrayed with a unique visual style. Our biggest challenge was bringing all these styles together in a single film, and once we found that concept, everything fell into place,” the directors explain.
“Working with multiple artists was an incredible experience. Each one interpreted a specific expression in their own authorial language, adding a very interesting extra layer to our narrative,” Leal and Melo add.
“We took advantage of this moment—when people are being informed about how to prevent this disease—to create an original soundtrack with lyrics covering most of the fun, often affectionate nicknames for male self-pleasure. Producing the sound for this film was extremely rewarding,” says James Feeler, founder and creative director of Jamute.
“Every detail of the campaign was designed to make prostate health impossible to ignore and easier to talk about,” notes Claire Gillis, CEO of VML Health NY. “Humor can be a powerful tool when it’s grounded in science.”
In addition to the film, the campaign extends to a website, an original song, the first mobile app (for tracking and encouragement), out-of-home media, social media, and brand partnerships.
We emphasize that any practice should always be based on consent, respect, and personal autonomy. The campaign’s message should not, under any circumstances, be interpreted as encouraging situations of pressure or discomfort, but rather as an invitation to care for one’s health in a conscious and responsible way.
