There’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to porn and the impact it can have on you. This is partly due to the strong moral aspects to the debate around its use, which often get in the way of the scientific facts. And there’s no denying that porn is a tricky subject to talk about openly, meaning that there are lots of people out there looking for answers but afraid to ask the questions.
One question that comes up a lot is whether using porn impacts your sexual performance. Depending where you look online you’ll find people telling you with absolute conviction that pornography leads to erectile dysfunction, loss of sex drive, and all kinds of other issues. You’ll usually find others saying that porn use is absolutely fine and has no links to any of those things.
Research into the subject is definitely ongoing, but what we know so far is that the reality appears to lie somewhere between these two perspectives. Let’s take a look.
Does Porn Lead to Sexual Performance Issues?
On a purely mechanical level, there’s no evidence to suggest that watching porn has any link to erectile dysfunction. Several studies have investigated the supposed link, and found nothing to suggest that watching porn makes sex more difficult.
So is it as simple as that? Unfortunately, no.
Porn Use and Shame
The same studies found that, for a subset of the individuals they examined, porn use was indeed interfering with their sexual functioning. These individuals belonged to one of two groups:
- People with conservate moral or religious views
- People in relationships
So why did porn lead to sex problems for guys with strong moral convictions or those in relationships? The answer is shame.
Porn is a topic loaded with shame for many, especially those with strong religious or moral views on sexuality. For individuals with these beliefs, the shame they feel around their porn use impacted their ability to perform sexually.
Equally, those in relationships and not telling their partners about their porn use for fear of judgement would likewise feel high levels of shame and embarrassment, leading to difficulties in the bedroom.
Porn Can Create Unrealistic Expectations
Finally, it’s also true that porn can serve as an inadvertent substitute to actual sexual contact. If you’re getting all your sexual satisfaction from porn, that leaves nothing left for sex in the real world.
Add to this the fact that, as described above, porn depicts an unrealistically idealised version of sex, and regular porn use can end up making it hard to enjoy sex since you’re expecting your partner to look and behave like the actors you see on screen.
This can be especially problematic when porn becomes a compulsive habit. If you’re using porn frequently, you’re very unlikely to have much sex drive left over for your partner.
What Do You Believe?
The evidence so far suggests that how porn aeffects your sexual functioning depends largely on your own views and aittudes to it. If you have no moral objections to porn, if your partner likewise feels ok with it (or if you’re single), and if you understand that porn is entertainment rather than sex ed, you might be ok.
You still need to make sure that porn doesn’t become too strong a habit, or it can rob you of your sex drive even if you have no moral objections to it.
Remember: whatever the research says, the only person who ultimately gets to decide how porn impacts them is you. If you’re at all concerned that your porn use is making sex or any other aspect of your life more difficult, take charge of the problem and get in touch with us today.