Compulsive Pornography Use Research Articles

Labels Are For Soup Cans: How Self-Labeling as "Addicted" to Pornography Is Associated with Negative Outcomes.

Pornography viewers often report being addicted to pornography even if their behavior does not indicate such addiction. In this study with 1099 participants (52% male), we explored how the specific belief in being addicted to pornography could predict both individual and relational outcomes beyond actual pornography use and reported compulsive pornography use (i.e., considering one's use to be out of control). Using a structural equation model, our results showed that higher agreement with the pornography addiction label, without accounting for compulsivity, was associated with higher depression, suicide ideation, communication discomfort about pornography, and higher odds of having a relationship end solely because of pornography. After accounting for compulsivity, higher agreement with the pornography addiction label was only associated with higher communication discomfort about pornography and higher odds of having a relationship end solely because of pornography. This study highlights that identifying as addicted to pornography may include a stigma that is particularly detrimental to relationship outcomes.

“My Sex Ed Teacher Was Extremely Averse to Talking About Sex”: Massachusetts Students’ Experiences With and Recommendations for Sex Education

This qualitative interview study investigated the opinions of 28 high school–attending youth in Massachusetts related to the content of their sexuality education, what they wished they could learn from a sex education class, and whether and how pornography was addressed. Participants felt that the sex education they received was not in-depth and did not provide them with the information they needed. Further, participants indicated that their instructors were not engaging, approachable, or credible sources of sex-related information. There was strong support for including healthy relationships education as part of sex education as well as including multiple subtopics related to pornography (e.g., body image and pornography, compulsive pornography use, misogyny and pornography). Although there was no clear consensus on whether the ideal modality for delivering sex education is in-person or self-delivered, there was enthusiasm for the “gamification” of sex education content.

The Potential Cutaneous Effects of Pornography Addiction: A Narrative Review.

Pornography addiction is an area of increasing concern, particularly due to the ubiquitous nature of pornographic material on the Internet. Even so, there is no formal Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) inclusion of compulsive pornography use as a behavioral addiction. Although the psychosocial impacts of pornography addiction have been studied,the risk of direct skin injuries and behavioral changes brought about by excessive pornography usage remain to be seen. Adult males constitute the majority of cases of engaging in risky and violent sexual behaviors with an unclear association with pornography consumption. Adult females may be likely to copy pubic hair trimming patterns analogous to those seen in pornographic content, even though attitudes towards labiaplasty are unclear. Finally, adolescents regularly exposed to pornography have been found to replicate sexual activity seen in pornographic material and have earlier sexual activity. In the literature evaluated, an association between pornographic material and direct cutaneous disease remains a major area of further research.

Consumption of sexually explicit internet material and its effects on minors' health: latest evidence from the literature.

Nowadays adolescents and children are more and more exposed to sexually explicit internet material (SEIM), but most parents and healthcare professionals neglect this issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of online pornography on minors' health with a specific focus on the effects produced on their behavioural, psychophysical and social development. A literature search was performed on PubMed and ScienceDirect in March 2018 with the query "(pornography OR sexually explicit internet material) AND (adolescent OR child OR young) AND (impact OR behaviour OR health)." Results published between 2013 and 2018 were analysed and compared with previous evidence. According to selected studies (N.=19), an association between consumption of online pornography and several behavioral, psychophysical and social outcomes - earlier sexual debut, engaging with multiple and/or occasional partners, emulating risky sexual behaviors, assimilating distorted gender roles, dysfunctional body perception, aggressiveness, anxious or depressive symptoms, compulsive pornography use - is confirmed. The impact of online pornography on minors' health appears to be relevant. The issue can no longer be neglected and must be targeted by global and multidisciplinary interventions. Empowering parents, teachers and healthcare professionals by means of educational programs targeting this issue will allow them to assist minors in developing critical thinking skills about pornography, decreasing its use and obtaining an affective and sex education that is more suitable for their developmental needs.

No evidence for decreased D2/3 receptor availability and frontal hypoperfusion in subjects with compulsive pornography use

Pornographic addiction refers to an addiction model associated with compulsive and repeated use of pornographic material. Whether the use of pornography may indeed become addictive remains a matter of debate. The current study investigated whether compulsive pornography use (CPU) is accompanied by reduced D2/3 receptor availability in the striatum and frontal hypofunctionality. Male subjects between 18 and 50 years of age with and without CPU were recruited using online and newspaper advertisements. Questionnaires were used to the assess the severity of compulsive pornography use (CIUS) and symptoms of depression, impulsivity and sensation seeking. Dopaminergic imaging was performed using [11C]-raclopride PET. Striatal binding potentials (BPND) and regional frontal cerebral influx values (R1) of [11C]-raclopride were calculated. Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) MRI was performed to assess regional cerebral blood flow. No group differences between striatal BPND's of [11C]-raclopride in subjects with (n = 15) and without (n = 10) CPU were detected. In CPU subjects, no correlation was found between the CIUS score and striatal BPND's. Cerebral R1 values in frontal brain regions and cerebral blood flow measurements did not differ between groups. The current study fails to provide imaging support for sharing similar neurobiological alterations as previously has been reported in other addictive modalities.

Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students in the United States.

BackgroundThe sustained rise in negative mental health reports among university students is a source of continued global concern, and investigation continues into potential contributors to this rise. This includes the increased prevalence of risky sexual behaviors. Related is the increased prevalence of pornography use. Our study sought to explore the potential relationship between compulsive use of pornography and mental health in university students.MethodsOur sample consisted of university students (N = 1031; 34% male, 66% female) from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Steubenville, Ohio. An anonymous survey was sent to all students at the university over the age of 18. The survey was comprised of the following: (1) demographic questions, (2) questions on pornography use and perception, (3) a modified version of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (mCIUS) assessing various factors associated with compulsive internet pornography use, (4) questions assessing emotional and sexual states relative to pornography use (EmSS), and (5) the 21-question version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21).ResultsOur results indicate that 56.6% of those surveyed reported lifetime pornography use, with a significantly higher proportion of males than females reporting such use. The majority of students reported accessing pornography through internet-related technologies. Additionally, 17.0, 20.4, and 13.5% of students reported severe or extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress, respectively, with compulsive pornography use significantly affecting all three mental health parameters in both sexes. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified three factors suggesting emotional coping, dependence and preoccupation for the mCIUS items and three factors reflecting interoceptive, impotent, and extrinsic characteristics for the EmSS items. Regression analysis indicated that various demographics, items pertaining to reduced control and social impairment, and other variables pertaining to pornography use predicted mental health outcomes. Faith, morals and personal motivation were the primary variables reported to help reduce pornography use.ConclusionOur analyses indicate a significant relationship between mental health and pornography use, including behaviors reflecting behavioral addictions, highlighting the necessity for a better understanding and consideration of the potential contribution of internet pornography to negative mental health among university students.

Problematic and Non-Problematic Pornography Use Among LGBTQ Adolescents: a Systematic Literature Review

Pornography use is highly prevalent among adolescents, yet lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents remain an understudied population and knowledge about their pornography use is limited. Therefore, we aimed to provide an overview of LGBTQ adolescents’ pornography use patterns and compare them with those of heterosexual adolescents. Despite the fact that there is limited data to draw conclusions, pornography may be viewed at a younger age for LGBTQ girls, be more prevalent, and be more frequent among LGBTQ adolescents than among their heterosexual counterparts. Despite this higher use pattern, LGBTQ adolescents may not be more prone to developing problematic pornography use based on their reported primary motivations for use. LGBTQ adolescents may not only use pornography to experience sexual pleasure, but they can also use it to learn about sexuality and develop their sexual identity. However, LGBTQ adolescents’ pornography use does not appear to be related to more negative outcomes compared with heterosexual adolescents; thus, LGBTQ adolescents do not seem more vulnerable to pornographic materials than heterosexual adolescents. Although problematic or compulsive pornography use may seem an obvious explanation, LGBTQ adolescents’ more frequent pornography use may derive from their unmet needs regarding information on LGBTQ sexual activities and may be considered a part of their sexual identity development process.

What Is the Relationship Among Religiosity, Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Use, and Depression Over Time?

Previous studies suggest that religious people are more likely than nonreligious people to perceive their pornography use as problematic. For our 6-month longitudinal study, we recruited a sample of adults from TurkPrime.com to examine whether the interaction of religiosity and pornography consumption prospectively predicts more depressive symptoms 6 months later and whether this effect was mediated via perceptions that their pornography use was problematic (measured 3 months postbaseline). We constructed and validated our own measure of self-perceived problematic pornography use that included two factors: excessive pornography use and compulsive pornography use. Contrary to our hypothesis, religiosity was not related to self-perceived problematic pornography use. For men, religiosity at baseline was associated with increased pornography use at 6 months. For both men and women, excessive pornography use at 3 months was associated with increased depression at 6 months. For men, depression at baseline was associated with self-perceived problematic pornography use at 3 months. For women, higher self-perceived problematic pornography use at 3 months predicted lower frequency of pornography use and higher depression at 6 months. Our findings are discussed in light of theories of depression, religious incongruence, and sexual scripts.

Compulsive Pornography Use in Late Life: A Case Report

Compulsive pornography use is on the rise and is a common compulsive sexual behavior being seen in the younger age groups between 18 and 30 years of age. The treatment of the same involves a combination of medical and behavioral management. We present herewith a case of a 69-year-old male who developed compulsive pornography usage for the first time and that responded well to psychotherapy and medication.

Consumption of sexually explicit internet material and its effects on minors' health: latest evidence from the literature

Nowadays adolescents and children are more and more exposed to sexually explicit internet material (SEIM), but most parents and healthcare professionals neglect this issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of online pornography on minors' health with a specific focus on the effects produced on their behavioural, psychophysical and social development. A literature search was performed on PubMed and ScienceDirect in March 2018 with the query "(pornography OR sexually explicit internet material) AND (adolescent OR child OR young) AND (impact OR behaviour OR health)." Results published between 2013 and 2018 were analysed and compared with previous evidence. According to selected studies (N.=19), an association between consumption of online pornography and several behavioral, psychophysical and social outcomes - earlier sexual debut, engaging with multiple and/or occasional partners, emulating risky sexual behaviors, assimilating distorted gender roles, dysfunctional body perception, aggressiveness, anxious or depressive symptoms, compulsive pornography use - is confirmed. The impact of online pornography on minors' health appears to be relevant. The issue can no longer be neglected and must be targeted by global and multidisciplinary interventions. Empowering parents, teachers and healthcare professionals by means of educational programs targeting this issue will allow them to assist minors in developing critical thinking skills about pornography, decreasing its use and obtaining an affective and sex education that is more suitable for their developmental needs.

The Role of Religiosity in Adolescents' Compulsive Pornography Use: A Longitudinal Assessment

ABSTRACTDespite increasing concerns that adolescent men are vulnerable to developing compulsive pornography use, little research has been done in this area. Given recent theorizing and research concerning moral incongruence, we hypothesized that symptoms of compulsive pornography use should generally be associated with higher levels of pornography use and increased growth in male adolescent pornography use over time, but that this pattern would be attenuated among very religious participants. These hypotheses were tested with mixed effects growth models using two independent panel samples of male Croatian adolescents. As expected, adolescent men who reported features of compulsive pornography use tended to exhibited higher levels of pornography use. However, contrary to expectations, increased growth in pornography use was limited to more religious compulsive users. Compared to nonreligious compulsive users, these adolescents started with lower initial levels of pornography use and their use increased over time at a greater rate of change. This study's results are the first to suggest that some adolescent men who report high levels of pornography use tend to exhibit symptoms of compulsive use, which highlights a need for counseling and therapeutic attention. Our findings also have implications for the emerging theory of moral incongruence.

Compulsive Pornography Use to Relieve Constipation: Double Whammy of Shame

Compulsive Pornography Use to Relieve Constipation: Double Whammy of Shame

Perceptions of relationship satisfaction and addictive behavior: Comparing pornography and marijuana use.

Background and aims Research indicates that excessive pornography use can negatively impact romantic relationships. However, it is unclear whether these negative outcomes are different than negative outcomes produced by other compulsive or addictive behaviors, such as drug use. This study compared perceptions of relationship outcomes from either a romantic partner's excessive marijuana or pornography use. Furthermore, this study experimentally manipulated four factors potentially related to perceptions of relationship satisfaction and addictive behavior. Methods A total of 186 college-aged women read 16 scenarios describing heterosexual romantic relationships in which one partner used either pornography or marijuana. Each scenario varied on four variables: relationship commitment, secrecy of partner's behavior, frequency of partner's behavior, and context of partner's behavior. Results Results suggest that partner pornography and marijuana use are perceived to impact romantic relationships similarly and are influenced by similar factors, such as greater frequency, higher secrecy, and partner's availability for interaction. Conclusions Such findings are consistent with recommendations by professionals that compulsive pornography use be considered worthy of treatment intervention.

The Roles of Shame and Guilt in Hypersexual Behavior

Although clinical accounts and studies of persons with compulsive/ addictive behavior often address shame, and sometimes guilt, no study examines the interplay of shame and guilt in maintenance of hypersexual behavior. Persons seeking treatment for compulsive pornography use (n = 177) reported shame, guilt, hypersexuality, and motivations to change through anonymous, online surveys. A path model demonstrated significant positive relationships between shame-proneness and hypersexuality, and between guilt-proneness with both motivation to change and preventive behaviors. Results suggest that shame and guilt have contrasting, complementary relationships related to the maintenance of hypersexual behavior and the motivation to change unwanted practices.