Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction

Source: Shutterstock, Willequet Manuel

For many healthy adolescent and adult males, an unexpected consequence of heavy porn use is sexual dysfunction. Most often, this manifests as erectile dysfunction (ED), but porn-using males also sometimes struggle with delayed ejaculation (DE) and anorgasmia (the inability to reach orgasm). Depending on the research, anywhere from 17% to 58% of men who self-identify as heavy/compulsive/addicted users of porn struggle with some form of sexual dysfunction. Basically, research tells us that the more porn one uses, the more likely sexual dysfunction is.

Simply stated, growing numbers of physically healthy male porn users, including adolescents and men in their sexual prime, are struggling with various forms of sexual dysfunction—especially if/when they attempt to be sexual with a real-world partner. Numerous studies back this up, including a large-scale (more than 2,000 participants) study published in 2020.[i] This study found:

• 90% of men fast-forward to watch the most arousing pornographic scenes—i.e., the scenes most likely to be neurochemically rewarded with an intense dopamine and adrenaline rush.
• Heavy porn users take significantly longer than other men to reach orgasm with a real-world partner.
• 23% of the men under age 35 (i.e., in their sexual prime) reported some level of ED when having sex with a real-world partner.
• The amount of porn a man watches is linked to ED. More porn equals more ED.
• Heavy porn use is also linked to dissatisfaction with real-world sex.
• 20% of male porn users find that over time they need to watch more extreme porn to achieve their desired level of arousal.

Based on this and other studies, it appears that for many porn-using males, sexual dysfunction is neither physical in nature nor related to the frequency of masturbation and orgasm (i.e., the need for a sexual refractory period in which males reload, so to speak). Instead, problems with ED, DE, and anorgasmia are increasingly related to the fact that when a male spends 80, 90, or even 100% of his sexual energy viewing and masturbating to pornography—endless images of sexy, exciting, constantly changing partners and experiences—he is, over time, likely to find a lone real-world partner less stimulating than the endless variety and intensity he experiences online.

Stated another way, the infinite variety and ever-increasing intensity offered by online pornography create, especially in heavy porn users, a dopamine/adrenaline baseline that a single real-world partner, no matter how attractive, simply cannot match. Even worse from a relationship standpoint, the constant fantasy/satisfaction cycle that occurs with heavy porn use leads to an emotional and psychological disconnection with even the most loving and valued of partners. In combination, these neurochemical and psychological issues seem to manifest physically in many males as sexual dysfunction with their in-the-flesh partners.

The most common signs of porn-induced male sexual dysfunction include:

• A man is able to achieve erections and orgasms with pornography, but he struggles with one or both when he’s with a real-world partner.
• A man is able to have sex and achieve orgasm with real-world partners, but reaching orgasm takes a long time and his partners complain that he seems disengaged.
• A man is able to maintain an erection with real-world partners, but he can only achieve orgasm by replaying porn clips in his mind.
• A man increasingly prefers pornography to real-world sex, finding it more intense and more engaging.

Thanks to heavy porn use, growing numbers of men are suffering from sexual dysfunction, be it ED, DE, or anorgasmia. Even worse, male sexual dysfunction affects not just men but their romantic partners. After all, if a guy can’t get it up, keep it up, and reach orgasm, then his partner’s sexual pleasure is also likely to be diminished.