Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction? What’s Going On? – Introduction
Prolonged exposure to pornography that causes erectile dysfunction is one of the most contentious issues in the news and medical literature today. PIED is defined as an interpretation of a perception that exposure to pornography causes a difficulty in gaining or sustaining an erection during co-sexual activity. It’s not everything white and silver; it’s something that has to be understood more clearly so that we can separate reality from fiction. The second page surveys the science surrounding the connection between pornography and erectile dysfunction.
Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction? What’s Going On?
Pornography’s circulation and consumption have seen unprecedented growth in the modern era. Where the distribution of most porn has been facilitated and more easily concealed by the internet than ever before, a recent study at the University of Montreal estimated that 88% of all pornographic consumption today takes place on the internet. This widespread diffusion of porn, in turn, has pushed consumption to a mind-boggling 40 million Americans who visit porn sites on a daily basis. This is not the United States alone, as other nations have witnessed a phenomenal rise in the consumption of pornography.
The Impact of Porn on the Brain
1. Brain Structure and Pornography Consumption
MRI studies have demonstrated that pornography consumption causes brain changes. Kühn and others (2013) found that subjects who admitted to consuming pornography had less gray matter in the striatum, the brain area that processes reward and motivation. This structural distinction is analogous to that seen in those with substance use disorders, which argues that pornography could be addictive.
Furthermore, Voon et al. (2014) studied the relationship between viewing pornography and changes in brain activity. The researchers found that, relative to healthy controls, CSB patients showed more activation of the ventral striatum, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala when exposed to pornography. These areas of the brain function in reward anticipation, cognition and emotion regulation respectively, further underscoring the possibility that consumption of pornography can result in neuroadaptations similar to those found in substance use disorders.
2. Functional and Behavioral Impact
Alongside structural shifts, pornography consumption has been associated with functional and behavioural outcomes. Brand et al. (2011) found that, in CSB subjects, the greater the consumption of pornography, the less the prefrontal cortex performed an inhibition task on sexual attraction. This lowered activity in the prefrontal cortex, the brain area that is central to executive function and impulse control, might also be responsible for difficulties with sexual regulation and increased risk-taking.
In addition, a follow-up from Hilton and Watts (2011) examined the effects of pornography use on sexual satisfaction. They discovered that, over the course of six months, the more porn they consumed, the lower their sexual satisfaction and relationship quality. Combined, these observations reveal that, in addition to neuroadaptations, pornography can negatively influence both mental health and social functioning.
Long-Term Consequences
Although we do not yet fully understand the consequences of long-term consumption of pornography, early research on the subject indicates tolerance and desensitisation through sustained exposure. In one study, Prause et al. (2015), self-reported sexual desire was compared between high- and low-pornography viewers. This kind of reduced sex craving might imply adaptation to tolerance – more stimuli or new stimuli, that is, in order to get as excited as you have been before.
Additionally, Kühn and Gallinat (2014) found that the longer the time spent viewing pornography, the less active the default mode network – a brain area involved in self-reflection and introspection. Lower connectivity within this network might make it difficult to maintain close relationships and/or control sexual behaviour.
The Link Between Porn and Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to form or sustain an erection large enough to have sex. Although ED is usually tied to physical causes, such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, there is now evidence for ED caused by overuse of pornography. According to the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, 28 per cent of men seeking treatment for ED attributed the condition to excessive porn use (Laumann et al., 2005). Another study found that men who smoked porn more than twice a week were more likely to suffer from ED than those who did not (Prause & Pfaus, 2015).
Although it remains unclear how exactly this correlation works, it is assumed that overeating porn will reset the brain’s reward circuitry, de-sensitising it and reducing dopamine receptors. This may mean that they have less pleasure, even sexual pleasure, which can result in a failure to produce or sustain an erection.
The Impact on Relationships
PIED is not just harmful to the individual’s sexual life but can also be damaging to their relationships. Pornography’s lurid expectations and perverted notions of sex contribute to a decline in sexual fulfillment with real-life partners. This, in turn, can cause issues in relationships such as infidelity, communication dysfunction, and ultimately separation or divorce.
What Can Be Done?
1. Recognizing PIED as a Problem
The first place to intervene in PIED is in its awareness and recognition of the sexual health consequences. Some studies have actually documented the correlation between ED and heavy porn. For men who grew up regularly bingeing on porn, the norms and fantasies of sex and sexual partners would inevitably become a red flag for actual sexual relations. If people find themselves being less satisfied with sex, getting or maintaining an erection or less interested in sex without some obvious physical reason, it is worth asking whether the way that they consume porn is making those problems worse.
2. Finding Help and Support
Once you identify PIED as a concern, support is needed. Therapy and counselling will enable users to fight their pornography addiction and restore their sexual health. Indeed, cognitive-behavioural interventions are great ways to find out precisely what makes someone drink so much porn and let them discover better ways to deal with those triggers. Other support groups, like SAA and NoFap, also offer a safe place for you to openly share your story, listen to other people, and receive support and accountability.
3. Promoting Healthy Attitudes and Prevention of PIED
The way to prevent PIEDs and encourage positive sexual behaviours is through education. Parents, teachers and healthcare providers need to be honest and open with their adolescents about pornography and potential risks, and about the need for proportion in how they look at sexuality. That is, we should note the false sex that pornography produces and stress the importance of good relationships and consent when it comes to choosing to have sex. Such interventions shield young adults from the harms of binge-consuming pornography.
Additionally, if schools encouraged full sex education it could also foster a healthy sense of sexual wellbeing and connections. Good communication with the partner, emotional intelligence and body image are all possible measures to combat PIED and sexual problems; some of them might come from a well-rounded sex education.
Conclusion: Porn Induced Erectile Dysfunction? What’s Going On?
Finally, this increasing concern is, in turn, a concern for those with porn-induced erectile dysfunction. Pornography is ubiquitous, accessible, and its influence on the brain’s reward system appears to have profound consequences. A great deal of further research is needed to validate the relationship between pornography and ED, but more broadly, there must be awareness, particularly about more healthy attitudes about sexuality, etc. Training and counselling could help individuals gain control over their pornography and avoid the condition arising.
