Is porn bad for you? It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. It’s like asking if food is bad for you. For the most part, no. I mean, we need food to live. But do people struggle with their food consumption? Of course. We eat too much or too little. We sometimes purge after eating. We feel guilty after eating something unhealthy. Food, for millions of people, isn’t as simple as we eat when we’re hungry, and stop when we're full.

The same is true for porn. For the most part, it's not going to hurt you, according to Dr. Justin Lehmiller , research fellow at the Kinsey Institute and author Tell Me What You Want . In fact, it can even make your sex life better.

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“Many of the claims about the ill effects of porn are not backed up by the data,” he says. “For example, the concept of ‘ porn-induced erectile dysfunction ’ is not something that has any real scientific basis."

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that men who watch more porn report being more aroused and have an even stronger desire to have sex with a partner. Additionally, they saw no link between porn use and ED.

"Even if ED [or a lack of arousal] were increasing in young men, we wouldn’t be able to say porn itself is the problem, given that lots of things have changed in recent decades, from rising rates of antidepressants to changes in condom use habits,” Lehmiller adds.

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There are certain cases when too much porn could be a bad thing, says Gary Katz , LCSW, CSAT, and Director of the Center for Intimacy Recovery —specifically, when guys use it as a Band-Aid solution to a deeper intimacy issue.

Porn is easy to access and offers immediate (sexual) gratification, whereas a flesh and blood relationship is complex, emotional, and doesn’t always lead to sex. “Your wife might be yelling at you for not wanting to visit her parents for the weekend, and 20 minutes later you may start having sex,” Katz says. “You have to learn how to navigate those emotions and have a sexual relationship within all of that complexity—but with porn, you don't.”

Sex also means getting vulnerable, which for many, isn’t an easy feat. “All our body shame comes up and stuff like that," Katz says. "That doesn't happen with porn.” Simply put, porn is safer: There’s no emotional entanglement; no risk of rejection or pain.

But science says porn isn't on a warpath to destroy men's romantic relationships. Yes, there was that 1989 study that warned watching porn may cause you to lose interest in sex with real people, but when it was replicated in 2017 with 10 times the number of participants, researchers didn’t see any relationship between porn consumption and a lack of interest in sexual partners.

According to Lehmiller, porn consumption isn't the root of any sexual or relationship problems. Rather, it's often a symptom of another underlying issue, such as relationship conflict, sexual desire discrepancies, and anxiety. “To understand the effects of porn, then, we really need to consider both the personal and societal context in which it is being used,” he says, adding: “For example, when porn becomes a total substitute for sex education, it can lead people to develop incorrect ideas about sex and the human body.”

Lehmiller also points out: "When people use porn but feel morally conflicted about their usage of it, this can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety.” The solution to these issues isn't necessarily cutting out porn. You might just need therapy! (And hey, who among us doesn't?)

Zachary Zane Zachary Zane is a Brooklyn-based writer, speaker, and activist whose work focuses on lifestyle, sexuality, culture, and entertainment.

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