Watching Pornography and Our Wellbeing

Pornography is a form of art that depicts the lives of prostitutes. It has existed throughout recorded history. We can see hundreds of sexually graphic murals and sculptures in Pompeii's Mount Vesuvius ruins. It has several consequences on the people who use it and the actors and actresses involved in it. The content of porn videos can have a significant impact on an individual's behavior. Each second, almost 30,000 people watch pornography on the internet. It is a fact that the data collected by various agencies can quickly identify the several issues that people are facing due to pornography.

Exposure to high levels of sexual content on television was associated with a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy within three years. It can also change their perception of sex. They may become more open to having sex after watching porn. It could lead to teenage pregnancy. While viewing porn, a married viewer might experience various health issues and relationship problems. Aside from physical issues, pornography can also have psychological effects.

Men are more likely than women to watch Internet porn. According to recent polls, up to 76 percent of males and 41 percent of women in industrialized nations with unfettered internet access, such as the United States and Australia, are accessing porn. In the United Kingdom, about 77% of males acknowledged having to access pornographic materials compared to 49% of women. A significant 55% of males claimed porn was their primary source of sex education, compared to 34 percent of women. Some 15% of male respondents said they viewed too much porn, and 31% claimed they are hook to it.

Italian researchers reported that 78% of internet users saw porn, with 8 % watching it daily. About 59% perceiving it as always exciting, and 22% classifying it as a habitual activity. They found out 10% stating it reduced sexual desire in potential real-life partners and 9% reporting addiction. We can connect male gender, non-heterosexual identification, more education, younger age, ever having anal intercourse, and recent mental health difficulties to more frequent viewing of pornography.

A man looks through the viewer of an 1890-1909 vintage 'clamshell' mutoscope motion picture viewer which plays the erotic film 'French Swing,' United States, 1940s.
Photo Credit: James Joel

Behind the Porn

Pornography alludes people to have superficial sexual expectations. Exposure to pornography for a long time leads to diminished trust in an intimate couple, researchers said. The porn industry is known to use illegal drugs like cocaine and ecstasy while filming. According to some of the actors, the use of these drugs makes the whole set high. People who are in this industry are very motivated and have a definite desire to make more money. It can also sustain their daily needs. After joining the porn industry, they gradually developed their confidence and then realized that they were making a mistake. One of the best examples is Mia Khalifa, a famous former pornstar who shared her experiences being in the porn industry. She started to be conscious of her body image. She gets plastic surgery to enhance her breasts due to insecurity. She lost weight and started to improve her body.

Jessica, a former Pornstar, also shared her experiences of being in the porn industry. She started to appreciate her career when someone in the gasoline station called her by her screen name, which makes her overwhelmed and the reason why she continues filming. However, time flies, and her happiness changed into regrets when she began to face sexual assault and condemnation from others, causing her to leave pornography. Furthermore, some actors and actresses have sexually transmitted diseases and other disorders due to unprotected intercourse with other co-actors or actresses.

Jan Meza is a former porn actress who left the pornography industry in October 2007 and discovered that she has herpes, an infection caused by HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus). In addition, other parts of the body are affected by this virus, including the external genitalia, anal region, mucosa surfaces, and skin. It is a long-term condition caused by having unprotected vaginal or anal sex and having genital contact with an infected person.

Furthermore, pornstars enter the porn industry is for the benefits they receive, particularly the money that sustains their needs. Luna Bright describes it as a legitimate comfortable income that is why she gets into porn to have, and one of the reasons that influence people to get into porn is for the money. Pornography is a multibillion-dollar industry with tens of thousands of websites, publications, films, and conferences. Women may make a lot of money in the porn industry since the earning potential is so high, which way above a job in fast food. Besides, the money in porn demands far less effort. Some people consider it as a profession. Others make it a stepping stone to get other things in life.

Consuming pornography has health risk

In 2016, the researcher found a significant increase in the incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED), delayed ejaculation, lower sexual pleasure, and lowered libido among males under the age of 40 when having sex with a partner, with the conventional characteristics that historically explained these challenges now appearing insufficient contributors. We have evidence that indicates that we can link the rise in sexual dysfunction rates with the growing usage of internet porn. We can link delayed ejaculation to porn consumption, probably as a result of repeated masturbation.

According to one study, young guys who have poor self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and extreme sexual curiosity are more likely to engage in compulsive use of sexually explicit internet information. Researchers found that online porn consumption links to early sexual engagement with occasional and many partners, replicating unsafe sexual. Cross-sectional research indicates that pornography consumption is associated with decreased mental well-being among teenagers.

Although it is unclear if these changes connect to the dynamics of pornography usage within this demographic. Recreational users shared they have better sexual satisfaction and lower sexual compulsivity, avoidance, and dysfunction. Compulsive users have lower sexual satisfaction and dysfunction and greater sexual compulsivity. A more agitated and less active user has lesser sexual satisfactions., Besides, they have reduced sexual compulsivity but have higher sexual dysfunction and avoidance.

Women and couples were more likely to use recreationally. In contrast, males were more likely to use compulsively, and solitary users were more likely to be in the highly disturbed, less active profile. Few pieces of research have sought to determine if pornography may have good benefits and pornography causes it. Women who watch pornography depicting clitoral stimulation are more likely to stimulate their clitoris, which is a significant predictor of better orgasm consistency. Women report watching porn to improve their libido, which is lower on average than the sex drive of male partners. Viewing porn helps to minimize the desired disparity with a higher-desire spouse.

According to recent findings from India and elsewhere, male migrants are at a higher risk of HIV infection. HIV risk behaviors among migrants, such as intercourse with female sex workers and inconsistent condom usage with these partners at destination locations, have been recognized with their high HIV positive rate. Researchers found out that there is a relation between migrants' exposure to pornography and its linkage with high HIV risk behavior. A 40% of the migrants had seen pornographic movies surveyed in the study. Migrants who watched pornographic films were more likely to participate in paid and unpaid sex. They would likely forgo condom usage in paid sex and eventually will have STI-like symptoms.

More research is required to provide a broader insight into the potential effects of porn use on sexual function and mental health in men of all ages. We have to inquire about porn consumption to their sexual function with and without it when males under the age of 40 have problems with sexual dysfunction. We can limit children's porn exposure to porn where possible via parental controls and restricted access to porn. We should also try to help them develop critical thinking skills about pornography by talking to them about what they see online.

Nude recumbent woman | Photo Credit: Jean-Christophe Destailleur

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Reference

1. Why Women Go Into Porn
2. How porn helps women’s sexual health
3. Pornography and its impact on the sexual health of men
4. Is pornography use a risk for adolescent well-being? An examination of temporal relationships in two independent panel samples
5. Exposure to Pornographic Videos and Its Effect on HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviours among Male Migrant Workers in Southern India
6. Pornography Can Be Good for Consumers
7. Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
8. Internet Pornography by the Numbers; A Significant Threat to Society
9. 13 People In The Porn Industry Get Real About The Worst (And Weirdest) Things That Ever Happened On Set
10. Watching pornography rewires the brain to a more juvenile state