The idea that watching porn can have a negative impact on a guy’s sex life is nothing new.
We’ve heard it all before, and it makes perfect sense that salivating and fantasizing over other women could possibly lead to a guy viewing his partner in a less favorable light. It turns out that a new study published by the Human Communications Research journal confirms that all too familiar notion, concluding that men who watch pornography are more likely to be unhappy with their sex lives than men who don’t.
But for the all the adult film enthusiasts out there (and according to Pornhub there are a ton, as the site reported a staggering 23 billion visits last year), many experts disagree with those findings, arguing that porn isn’t the cause of men being unhappy in their relationships but the effect.
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“Men might use porn as a coping mechanism in response to sexual or emotional issues within relationship,” says David Ley, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who specializes in sexuality issues. “Problematic male porn use is almost universally a sign that there are other problems to be addressed.”
New York City sex therapist Ian Kerner, Ph.D. agrees, suggesting that not only can men can watch porn and be sexually satisfied in their relationships, doing so could also encourage some to seek out more sex with their partners.
“It’s perfectly possible for a man to be able to enjoy masturbation while watching porn and fantasizing and still engage in healthy partnered sex,” he says. “Some studies show that watching porn puts you in a more aroused state and makes it more likely to initiate and be interested in partnered sex.”
So the next time your other half gives you flak about your porn habit, just cite those expert opinions.