For years, an often-repeated claim has been that pornography use is damaging to intimate relationships.
This claim has remained largely untested until recently, with new research showing that pornography use doesn’t have a lot of impact on relationships. In fact, some studies suggest that pornography can have positive effects on relationships. In this article, we’ll explore the research that disproves the myth that porn use ruins intimate connections.
The Effects of Pornography Use on Relationships
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that pornography use was not associated with lower relationship satisfaction or less relationship intimacy.
The study surveyed over 400 couples, and the researchers found no negative effects of pornography use on relationship quality. In fact, the study found that couples that used pornography together had higher relationship satisfaction than couples that did not use pornography at all.
Another study in 2017, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, found that men who consume pornography were actually more likely to have positive attitudes towards women and gender equality compared to men who didn’t consume pornography.
The study argued that pornography may serve as a way to explore and normalize sexual fantasies that wouldn’t be acceptable in real life.
The Relationship Between Pornography Use and Sexual Satisfaction
One frequent criticism of pornography use is that it can lead to unrealistic expectations about sex. However, research suggests that in most cases, pornography use doesn’t have a significant effect on sexual function or satisfaction.
For example, a 2014 meta-analysis of 50 studies found that pornography use was only weakly correlated with decreased sexual satisfaction or sexual dysfunction. The authors of the study noted that other factors, such as age, relationship status, and mental health, had a much stronger impact on sexual function.
A 2017 study in the Journal of Sex Research found that people who used pornography regularly had higher sexual satisfaction than people who didn’t use pornography at all.
The study surveyed over 300 couples, and the researchers found that pornography use was associated with higher levels of sexual satisfaction and more positive attitudes toward sex.
The Role of Pornography in Relationships
Many people assume that pornography use is always a solitary activity, but this isn’t necessarily the case.
Some couples use pornography as part of their sexual repertoire, and some studies suggest that using pornography together can actually improve relationship satisfaction.
For example, a 2015 study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that women who watched pornography with their partners reported feeling more positively about their relationships and sexual experiences than women who didn’t watch pornography at all.
Other researchers have argued that pornography can serve as a way for couples to explore sexual fantasies that they might not otherwise be able to act out.
In a 2013 study published in the Journal of Sex Research, researchers surveyed over 1,000 individuals about their pornography use and sexual fantasies. They found that many of the respondents used pornography as a way to explore sexual fantasies that they wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing with their partners.
The authors of the study argued that pornography can be a “fantasy laboratory” for couples to explore their sexual interests.
The Bottom Line
The evidence suggests that pornography use doesn’t have a lot of negative effects on relationships. In fact, some studies suggest that pornography use can have positive effects on relationship satisfaction and sexual function.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that pornography use is always a good thing; some people may find that pornography use interferes with their relationships or leads to negative outcomes. However, the evidence suggests that pornography use is not inherently harmful to intimate connections, and couples who use pornography together may find that it enhances their sexual experiences.
