Watching porn has been debated plenty of times in not only the media but also by health experts. Now a new study reveals that men who consume too much porn content may have increased chances of developing erectile dysfunction when having sex themselves.
Adult films are becoming unhealthy addictions for men that end up desensitizing them, rendering them incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse with a partner themselves.
The study evaluated the porn habits of men in Belgium and Denmark and then proceeded to compare them with their sexual habits in real life.
More than one-third of men (35%) observe more stimulation watching other people indulge in intercourse on a screen than they do when they engage in such activities themselves.
3,267 males over 16 in Belgium and Denmark were asked by researchers to answer 118 questions regarding sexual activity, masturbation, and frequency of watching adult films.
Professor Gunter de Win who is the lead author says they found a significant correlation with erectile dysfunction and porn watching. He says that the more men watch porn the more likely they are to experience a lack of erectile function with a partner.
The questionnaire also revealed that 90 percent of men fast-forward through erotic sections of an adult movie when watching them alone. They found however that frequency of periods of self-love is increasing.
Among those quizzed, the average time of weekly porn consumption was about as long as 70 minutes. The most engaging periods for an individual lasted between just 5 or 15 minutes.
Professor de Win did point out the fact that not all people consume the same amount of porn. He says some watch a lot less while others watch way more than others. 1 in 45 respondents (2.2%) spent more than seven hours a week watching porn for instance.
He added that there should be no doubt that consuming pornographic content alters our view of sex and conditions us to see and accept it only in a certain way. He says only 65 percent of men say they found intercourse with a partner to be a much more exciting prospect than watching it on a screen.
In addition to this, they found that 20 percent of men felt that to reach the same level of arousal as they did before they would need to watch more intense pornographic content.
The study was presented at a European Association of Urology virtual congress. It concluded that almost 1 in 4 (23%) of under 35-year-olds experienced some level of problem with erectile function.
The researchers said they found the number to be higher than what they had expected to see. Another study from 2016 found that around 14 percent of men under 40’s struggle with erectile dysfunction.
Professor de Win of the University of Antwerp in Belgium, therefore, said that this figure was way higher than their expectations.
Professor Maarten Albersen of the University of Leuven, Belgium was not involved in the study. Albersen says porn may lead to impaired erectile function and sexual satisfaction. People may also not feel confident during partner intercourse.
This study is helpful in the ongoing debate on this topic but conclusive evidence on the effects of pornographic content on people is yet to be given. There is still a lot of researchers who need to learn before giving the final word.
