Take a quick look around online, and you’ll find no shortage of people shouting about all of the reasons why you need to ditch your porn habit. They’ll tell you it’s ruining our children, our relationships, the very fabric of our society. Look hard enough and you’ll probably find someone willing to blame porn for the La La Land Oscar debacle. And while porn won’t be curing cancer any time soon, the real truth is that those titillating video clips everyone indulges in really aren’t as bad as the anti-porn brigade would have you believe. In fact, there’s quite a bit of research out there to suggest that your raunchy home movie habit may actually be good for you in some pretty surprising ways.

It’s a Proven Stress Reliever

Life is hectic. And sometimes a squishy foam ball just doesn’t cut it. Sure, a bit of downward facing dog can go a long way, but sex–including porn and self love–is another way to dramatically decrease stress and find your center again.

Times of high stress release the hormone cortisol into the body. Cortisol, in turn, blocks the ability to think clearly clouds problem solving abilities. A study conducted at Carnegie Mellon University showed that men and women who flipped through pornographic images before taking a math test cut their cortisol levels in half and scored better than those who did not. And of the 85% of women surveyed who admitted to watching pornography, a quarter listed stress relief as one of their reasons why. Porn is easy, accessible, and mostly free–all in all it makes an excellent way to unwind after a stressful day.

Laughter is Sexy

Porn is hilarious. That’s not to belittle the hard working men and women of the adult entertainment industry. It’s not an effort to denigrate porn or the people who make it. Pornography is funny because sex in and of itself–laden with bodily fluids and unanticipated noises and muscle cramps and scrunched up O faces–is funny. Add to that a slick layer of artifice, and porn becomes even funnier than regular sex.

And that’s perfectly OK, because laughter is an aphrodisiac. So grab your SO and let yourselves giggle over the ever-present black casting couch in every video, or the bored tabby cat giving itself a bath in the corner while that cam girl goes to town on herself with a drilldo. Laugh it up every time a porn star’s voice squeaks up an octave, and roll your eyes at the 70’s style bushes on the MILF videos.

It’s Beneficial to a Relationship

While it’s true that too much porn can skew your realistic expectations for sex, watching pornography with your partner can actually increase your communication and confidence, resulting in not only better, more connected sex, but a closer, more intimate relationship overall.

Practical guidelines and realistic expectations are important here, as they will keep things grounded as you embark on a sexy adventure for two. Reports from a recent university of California study show that nearly 60% of women surveyed who said they watch porn with a significant other claim that it has a positive impact on their sex life, especially by helping to create a safe space to ask for what they want give them a way to introduce things they have been meaning or want to try.

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