Men Who Use Pornography at Young Age May Lose Interest Later, Experience Sexual Dysfunction
Over time, too much viewing of pornography can harbor surprising physical effects in younger men, says recent research. Many could be at risk of losing their physical response to sexual activity and could become impotent. Sexual dysfunction is one of the physical consequences researchers are studying alongside pornography addiction, a type of sexual compulsivity that is increasingly becoming the focus of sex addiction treatment programs. Researchers in Italy released study results that suggest when men become addicted to pornography, especially Internet pornography, they build up immunity to the pictures over time. Not only does abuse of pornography lead to a loss of interest in sex, it can make men unable to perform sexually and create a mindset where even the idea of sex exists in a different realm than reality. During the process, the viewer becomes addicted to pornography online, then needs more and more of the material to get the same effect; but their response to the images is reduced, until they cannot become aroused any longer. Pornography addiction, like other addictions, is linked to chemical changes in the body. The use of pornography causes the body to get high; on a mixture of chemicals including adrenaline, testosterone, epinephrine, and over time, more of the pornographic material is needed to get the same rush. A survey of 28,000 men in Italy, conducted by the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine, said that several began an addiction to pornography early in their teen years, by age 14. When they reached the middle of their 20s, the men showed signs of a condition called sexual anorexia, where they had actually experienced a damaged or non-existent desire for sex. The study showed that many men began using pornography at an early stage of their teen years, with nearly six percent starting when they were 14 to 18 years old. During the mid-twenties to mid-thirties time period, more than 22 percent had begun using pornography and this number rose to more than 25 percent for men in the next age group, 35 to 44 years. The usage rates began to decline among study participants in the 45 to 54 age bracket, and then dropped by almost 50 percent, down to 12 percent, for men older than 55. Other studies have shown similar negative effects on sex drive and interest when pornographic material was viewed by men who had started watching it early in life. Sexual compulsivity, including behaviors like pornography addiction, are always rooted in sexual pleasure. The rush from pornography addiction or other types of sexual compulsivity is the way some users counteract feelings of inadequacy or emotional torment they may have experienced as a child or young teen. This research, and other studies, suggests that while many men reach a sexual peak in their 20s, those who began an addiction to pornography early in their teen years may actually experience the opposite; a loss of drive, interest and physical performance ability, along with emotional side effects like feelings of shame associated with sex. Researchers hope that spreading the message to men about the physical effects of pornography may prevent further abuse and addictions toward it, in addition to helping prevent the emotional effects that can last a lifetime.
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