Porn is a controversial and polarizing topic. Even after the increasingly positive attitude shift over the last decade, there is still some degree of taboo on porn consumption. Religions consistently condemn it. Socially, it is not the most comfortable topic of conversation (to put it mildly).
Science is wary about the negative effects of porn on mental health and relationships. Research has now even linked excessive porn consumption with erectile dysfunction. Porn-induced ED and low sexual desire have been observed in men under 40.
At the same time, we often observe a dismissive attitude about porn consumption. We see people dismissing it as “a normal part of growing up” or “it’s harmless .”And many people tend to neglect porn-induced erectile dysfunction as a ‘passing phase’ or ‘it’s just stress.”
But porn is not as harmless as we like to believe. Neither is ED something we should push under the carpet. If you are still unsure and stuck on the question – can porn cause ED? You should read this blog to understand the link between porn and erectile dysfunction.
What Is Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction?
Before we dig into the hows and whys of ‘can porn cause ED,’ let us learn a bit of the background about erectile dysfunction and porn-induced ED.
- Erectile dysfunction was traditionally seen as an age-induced condition – 40% of men under 40 admit to having ED. As men get older, the numbers go up – 70% of men suffer from ED at the age of 70.
- ED can be the result of medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular diseases. But, for the majority of men under 40, erectile dysfunction is more of a psychological issue than a physical one.
- Porn-induced ED refers to the condition where excessive porn consumption affects men’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection during sexual activity.
Does Porn Cause ED (Erectile Dysfunction)?
Now to answer the key question – can porn cause ED?
Yes. Porn-induced ED is a real thing, but it is a complex psychological issue rather than a physical condition.
Hardcore pornography has a desensitizing effect on the libido of young men. Among people who masturbated for seven or more hours in a week, with very frequent pornography use – 71% had sexual dysfunctions, with 33% reported difficulty orgasming
Porn consumption often causes negative emotions such as shame and guilt. Compulsive porn consumption is also linked to mental health issues in men, like anxiety, stress, and depression. These factors might become a psychological block that prevents you from achieving and maintaining an erection during sexual activity.
So, while pornography is not the only factor causing erectile dysfunction, it is definitely a strong cause.
The Internet and Porn-ED Connection
Until a decade ago, the question of ‘does porn cause ED’ was not a troubling one. Mostly because porn and explicit content were not conveniently available, and it was not as engaging or catering to a wide range of fantasies.
But, with the internet, that fact has changed. The internet is notorious for influencing and facilitating compulsive sexual behaviours. 4 million, i.e. 12% of all the websites on the World Wide Web, have pornographic content. Platforms such as Onlyfans report adding 500,000 new users daily and 15 million new users monthly.
This ease of access to porn combined with the exhaustive variety of pornographic content is resulting in lowered sexual libido and erectile function in real life. Clinical Research has particularly noted that the rise of erectile dysfunction among young men has coincided with the rise of porn websites.
How Is Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction Treated?
If your erectile dysfunction is caused by porn consumption, then its treatments have to address the root cause. So long as you do not get rid of the compulsive porn habit, any relief achieved through medication or other means is bound to be temporary.
A porn fast is the most obvious treatment for porn-induced ED – Abstaining from watching porn removes the root cause of your porn-induced ED. Setting up a timeframe and doing porn fast helps to reset your brain to its normal sexual function.
During this period of abstinence, you can use a porn blocker to avoid accidental or intentional exposure to pornography. Also, find other hobbies to manage your triggers and reset the porn-related reward path in your brain.
Other treatment options for porn-induced erectile dysfunction can include –
1. Therapy:
Therapy and counselling can be valuable in addressing mental health issues associated with compulsive porn consumption. A non-judgemental professional can help you address the shame and guilt associated with porn use. When these issues are resolved, the psychological block of stress and anxiety about sexual activity is resolved. So, the process helps you overcome porn-induced erectile dysfunction.
2. Support groups
Many times, shame and fear of judgement stop people from seeking help with their porn addiction. As long as the compulsive porn-watching behaviour continues, you will still have to face erectile dysfunction challenges. Offline and Online porn addiction support groups can help you seek help anonymously. So, you can find comfort and support to overcome porn addiction and resulting issues such as ED.
3. Cognitive behaviour strategies
Activities such as exercise, meditation, and journaling can help you manage your cognitive responses. So, you will be able to not only refrain from porn consumption but also have a better emotional state. As a result, your stress and anxiety about sexual performance can be resolved with cognitive-behavioural strategies.
4. Medical Treatments
Medications such as Cialis, Viagra, Levitra, and Strendra may also be prescribed for addressing erectile dysfunction. However, these traditional methods of ED treatments might not be very effective if you do not address the underlying porn consumption issue.
Recovery times for porn-induced erectile dysfunction vary from person to person. So, do not fall into the comparison trap and aggravate your performance anxiety.
Can porn Affect Your Sexual Appetite?
Porn consumption has a significant impact on your sexual appetite.
For instance, Research has correlated porn use with a preference for masturbation over partnered sex. Studies have found that men with high exposure to pornographic videos need more kinky or extreme content to get aroused.
Porn use is also linked to decreased enjoyment of sexual intimacy and relationship satisfaction.
Porn promotes unrealistic body types. So, compulsive porn consumption can make people objectify their partners and not work on building emotional connections. This inability to invest in real-life relationships causes dissatisfaction in romantic relationships. Compulsive porn habits can make you self-conscious about your own body. As a result, your pleasure in sexual activity will be impaired by performance anxiety.
Porn also normalizes high-risk-sexual behaviours such as instance – sexual activity without protection, violent and unnatural sex acts, and dubious consent.
Impressionable people might imitate these high-risk sexual behaviours in their real lives. Suppose teenagers are exposed to these unsafe sexual behaviours. In that case, it can shape their sexual appetite and romantic relationships later in life.
Get Help for Your Pornography Addiction by BlockP
With the internet, there has been an unfortunate development – a democratization of access to porn without any effective regulatory mechanism. Porn and sexual content is available freely for everyone, all the time.
In such a scenario, your willpower is simply not going to be enough to free yourself from pornography addiction. Because whether you seek it or not, pornographic content is going to invade your phone.
So, a powerful porn blocker such as BlockP can be your gatekeeper. BlockP not only protects you from pornographic websites but also lets you set up custom blocks for explicit content. You can feel safe online and save yourself from porn addiction.
Having BlockP on your phones and computers becomes even more important if you have children who use them.
Research has shown that 93% of teenage boys and 63% of teenage girls are exposed to internet porn. A study in 2021 found that 98% of pornography accessed by young adults was internet porn. Among young adults (18–19-year-olds), 80% saw porn online, and 26% reported that it was on purpose.
Early exposure to porn in adolescents can lead to high-risk sexual behaviour and substance use later in life.
BlockP protects your child from accidental exposure to porn and the risk of porn addiction. It lets you create the space to have age-appropriate discussions with your children about their sexuality. BlockP is also a great tool to teach your children self-regulation from pornographic content online.
FAQ on Can Porn Induce Erectile Dysfunction?
1. Does porn-induced erectile dysfunction have any long-term effects?
There have been no scientific studies determining the long-term effects of porn-induced erectile dysfunction. But ED can negatively affect the quality of your sexual relationships, romantic relationships, and overall life.
People with erectile dysfunction feel less sexual pleasure and satisfaction. Their inability to perform can affect the sexual pleasure of their partner. If the male partner is unable to achieve an erection and maintain it, then the couple can not get pregnant. As a result, their romantic relationship can become stressful and toxic.
People with erectile dysfunction may also find more interest in masturbating than having partner sex, as it protects them from performance anxiety. But, this choice also restricts their ability to build deep romantic relationships. So, they are likely to feel isolated and lonely.
Porn-induced erectile dysfunction can push people towards compulsive porn use. Suppose people get used to porn as an escape from the emotional burden of erectile dysfunction. In that case, they get into a vicious cycle. More porn consumption is likely to aggravate their erectile dysfunction issue. And to deal with it, people might keep going back to porn, getting sucked into the patterns of addiction.
2. Can pornography addiction lead to other types of addiction or mental health issues?
Porn consumption is linked to conflicting emotional experiences and identity problems. If unaddressed, pornography addiction can put people at risk of other addictions as a coping mechanism. It can also make you vulnerable to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
The shame and taboo associated with pornography often stop people from seeking help from family and friends. This isolation can add to the mental health challenges of pornography addiction.
3. Does porn cause impotence?
The answer to the question, can porn cause ED is – Yes. Porn consumption can create psychological challenges that result in impotence or erectile dysfunction.
Excessive consumption of porn can have a desensitizing effect on real-life stimuli. Porn can also lower libido and interfere with your ability to maintain an erection. The shame and guilt associated with porn consumption can create performance anxiety during sexual performance leading to impotence.
4. Can’t get erect when I watch porn?
Not being able to be aroused by porn is a common issue associated with excessive porn consumption.
When your brain is exposed to too many sexual stimuli of porn too frequently, it becomes desensitized. So, the explicit images and videos can no longer stimulate and arouse your brain. As a result, you can not get erect by watching porn.
This situation is similar to the state of a person with an addiction who develops tolerance to a certain amount of the addictive substance. So, just like the substance addict, porn addicts will need more and more extreme pornographic content to achieve erection. This strategy of escalation works until your brain eventually builds a tolerance to even extreme pornographic content.
This vicious cycle creates a situation where porn can no longer arouse you and give you an erection.
5. Can too much sex cause erectile dysfunction
No. There is no evidence to suggest a link between too much sexual activity and erectile dysfunction.
Physical and psychological factors usually cause erectile dysfunction. Medical conditions such as poor circulation, cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, diabetes, and spinal injuries can all cause erectile dysfunction. Certain medications can also cause erectile dysfunction.
Your lifestyle can be an influencing factor in erectile dysfunction. Habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, being sedentary and obese can all put you at risk of erectile dysfunction.
Similarly, psychological issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety can have a negative effect on your ability to achieve and maintain an erection. Porn consumption can also result in desensitization to sexual stimuli and mental health issues leading to erectile dysfunction.