Abstract
Pornography addiction and sexual dysfunction are increasingly prevalent in young men. Previous studies suggest that prenatal androgen exposure plays a role in addiction and sexual functionality. Here, we tested whether lower second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) and later age at spermarche, both putative indicators of higher androgen levels in utero, correlate with online sexual compulsivity (OSC scale of ISST), erectile function (IIEF-5), and ejaculatory control (PEPA) in 4,370 young men (age IQR: 25–26 years) of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors. Statistical analyses revealed that lower 2D:4D correlated with higher scores on the OSC scale. Moreover, higher age at spermarche correlated with higher OSC scores and decreased erectile function. Interestingly, OSC severity, but not the frequency of pornography use, correlated negatively with erectile function and ejaculatory control. This is the first study to associate two independent proxies of prenatal testosterone level with OSC. These findings provide novel insight into intrauterine predisposition of sexual behavior and related sexual function in adulthood.
Highlights
A growing body of research supports that pornography addiction causes a great burden to young males [1, 2]
We describe the first evidence of the influence of prenatal androgen exposure on online sexual compulsivity (OSC) behavior in males during young adulthood
The male sexual response and associated natural reward are mediated via mesolimbic dopamine signaling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) [8]
Summary
A growing body of research supports that pornography addiction causes a great burden to young males [1, 2]. Excessive pornography use is considered to promote sexual dysfunctions [for review, see [3]]. Erectile dysfunction affects primarily men above 40 years of age with previously reported prevalence rates of 1–10% in younger men and 50–100% in males older than 70 years [4]. Psychogenic erectile dysfunction in men under 40 years has risen sharply in the last decade up to rates as high as 14–28% in Europeans aged 18–40 years [5,6,7]. The drastic worldwide increase of pornography use as sexual stimulation has been discussed to induce erectile dysfunction via alterations in the brain’s motivational system (mesolimbic dopamine pathway) [3]. Erections depend on dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dopamine receptors in
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
