British therapist: Porn is giving young men erectile dysfunction
Is porn to blame for an uptick in young men with erectile dysfunction?
A British therapist has posed an interesting theory: young men are increasingly suffering from erectile dysfunction because of their reliance on internet pornography.
Angela Gregory, a “top psychosexual therapist” with Britain’s National Health Service, has spoken with the BBC about an increase in young men coming to her and detailing problems with getting an erection. Problems doctors have ruled out as being due to any physical factors.
“What I’ve seen over the last 16 years, particularly the last five years, is an increase in the amount of younger men being referred,” she said.
“Our experience is that historically men that were referred to our clinic with problems with erectile dysfunction were older men whose issues were related to diabetes, MS, cardio vascular disease,” she continued. “These younger men do not have organic disease, they’ve already been tested by their GP and everything is fine.”
So what’s the problem? Pornography, according to Gregory. “One of the first assessment questions I’d always ask now is about pornography and masturbatory habit because that can be the cause of their issues about maintaining an erection with a partner,” she said.
Gregory cites no hard evidence or studies to back up her claims. However, others have linked porn with a decrease in libido among young men. In 2014, Psychology Today noted that two Japanese studies from 2008 and 2010 found that young men aged 16-24 were increasingly becoming partially or totally averse to sex with another person. It’s a trend that fits with the rise of internet pornography — particularly free pornography — around that time (Pornhub and xHamster, for instance, both launched in 2007, while Xtube launched in 2006).
We want to know what you think. Is internet porn having an impact on your sex life, or do you know someone who’s struggled to have sex because they’re addicted to getting off online? Take our poll below or let us know in the comments!
[polldaddy poll=9499828]
Related: Pornhub reveals each state’s favorite gay porn
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.