It’s a tale as old as the pornography industry itself: According to legend, men that tend to watch and, ahem, “enjoy” porn more are putting themselves on the fast track to developing issues in bed. The old wives’ tale purports that the consistent viewing of porn causes the development of premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and, eventually, the loss of use of the erection entirely. But this legend can’t possibly be true, right? After all, a rumor this ridiculous has to be entirely fictional, right?
Well, you’d be 2/3 right. While watching pornography of course can’t cause erectile dysfunction or the complete loss of erectile control, it can in fact put men at a higher risk of developing issues with premature ejaculation.
But it isn’t the porn itself that causes the PE; rather, it’s how your body interprets porn and your enjoyment of it.
When a man masturbates to porn, it is typically not a sensuous, drawn-out affair; rather, it’s all about quick pleasure. Men treat masturbation as a race to the finish line, and your brain will pick up on this and translate this feeling into the bedroom.
As men rush to reach orgasm while masturbating to porn, the brain will begin to sense this habit and will bring it into intercourse. Thanks to the brain, men that regularly masturbate to porn will find it harder to last in bed. The brain will no longer interpret sex as a loving, time consuming activity; instead, thanks to constant masturbation, it will see the act as a means to reach orgasm quickly.
So, yes, constant exposure to porn and masturbation really can put your sex life at risk. It won’t cause your erection to up and stop working, but it will cause you to struggle to last between the sheets.
There is nothing wrong with the viewing of pornography or the act of masturbation, but like all things in life, it’s all about moderation. Enjoy these activities once in a while (experts suggest that once or twice every week or two is healthy), and your bodies ability to last in intercourse should come roaring back.