Numerous scientific studies have examined the health consequences of regular porn consumption in recent years. Here are five of the notable effects of porn on the brain.
- 23% of men under 35 who said they watch porn frequently tend to experience erectile dysfunction during sex, according to a 2020 study.
- The increasingly explicit nature of pornography can leave some men disappointed with real-life sex, leading to a lack of arousal.
- To have fun other than with pornographic videos, there are many alternatives, such as listening to erotic podcasts for example.
While we usually use it for pleasure, porn can sometimes be harmful to our health. Beyond the problems of addiction, that the writing of whydoctor recently brought to light in an interview, pornography, when consumed too regularly, has several effects on our brains. Let’s take stock, through five studies on this subject.
Porn changes the structure of our brain
According to one study published in 2018 in Intuitionregular porn consumption erodes the pre-frontal cortex, the structure of the brain that manages morality, willpower, and impulse control.
Moreover, according to a german study published in 2014 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, increased porn use correlates with reduced brain activity when exposed to a conventional pornographic image. This is why we would tend to move on to more and more “hard” forms of porn videos. The study shows that the brains of consumers of pornographic films react less to sexual stimuli and that their right lobe is smaller than that of others. The participants were only men between the ages of 21 and 45, who reported watching 4 hours of pornographic films per week.
Pornography would therefore cause changes in the plasticity of the brain because of the intense stimulation of the pleasure center it generates. This worries researchers, since the two areas of the brain that porn acts on are associated with areas of addiction when using drugs. On the other hand, nothing says that it is the consequence of an abuse of pornographic videos: it is perhaps the people whose volume of this part of the brain is smaller who need more external stimulation to feel pleasure, and who would therefore be more likely to abuse pornographic films.
Pornography: consuming a lot of content is associated with poorer mental health
People who use porn report greater depressive symptoms, poorer quality of life, and poorer mental and physical health than people who don’t, according to a study of 2011 published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Another study, dating from 2011, on the sexuality of teenagers had notably reported that the increasing consumption of pornography could have very negative consequences on their development and their mental health. It would thus promote anxiety attacks, sleep disorders, feelings of guilt or even a distorted representation of sexuality and romantic relationships. To respond to this situation, a consultation with a child psychiatrist, a sexologist or a psychologist is essential to help the adolescent build his sexuality and make the difference between the virtual and the real.
Porn makes you more violent
In meta-analysis of 2015 published in the Journal of Communication (a search which analyzes 22 previous international studies), we learn that there is indeed a link between porn consumption and a violent attitude. Porn consumption is associated with a greater risk of committing sexual assault in both men and women. The associations are stronger for verbal sexual assault than for physical one, but both are significant. The consumption of violent porn would be an aggravating factor.
Porn pushes us to take more risks in our sexual practices
A study American, published in 2016 in Plos One and focusing on the practice of anal sex between men, demonstrated a strong association between consumption of pornography and risk taking during sexual intercourse. Thus, a person who regularly views pornographic content would be less inclined to use a condom. She would also increase the number of partners and one-night stands, exposing herself to increased risks of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Actors who do not wear a condom could thus inspire consumers who, through mimicry, would end up altering their own perception of risk. However, the opposite effect is also possible: watching X films where the condom is used explicitly encourages more frequent practice of protected anal intercourse.
