When porn becomes a problem: What docs need to know about this emerging public health crisis
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“Pornography addiction is a stealthy process... there is a big price to pay for using too much porn.” — Aline Zoldbrod, PhD, psychologist and sex therapist
“At its most extreme, people lose time and get into trouble not doing important life tasks, not doing their jobs, and not going out of the house and meeting people. So at its worst, it can actually damage your life.” — Aline Zoldbrod, PhD
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
In an era of easy access to online content, pornography consumption has grown increasingly common. However, for many, what starts as a casual activity can spiral into a compulsive behavior that damages a person’s health, work life, and relationships.
While excessive pornography use is not classified as a formal addiction in the International Classification of Diseases, it is listed as one of the manifestations of compulsive sexual behavior disorder.[]
Aline Zoldbrod, PhD, a psychologist and sex therapist, tells MDLinx “there is nothing wrong with using pornography in a moderate way”—to relax, to fulfill sexual health needs, or to spice up a couple’s sex life, for example.
But it can become a problem for some. “Pornography addiction is a stealthy process,” Dr. Zolbrod says, “there is a big price to pay for using too much porn.”
Want more like this? Read all of our coverage on this growing epidemic:
Watch out for these red flags
For couples, one of the first signs that one of the partners has a problem with porn may be difficulty getting aroused during sex. Viewing too much porn creates a pattern of easy sexual stimulation that can’t be recreated with a partner in the bedroom. Most straight men, for example, “handle their penises with so much pressure that no vaginal penetration would be enough stimulation,” Dr. Zoldbrod says. This may lead to difficulty maintaining an erection.
There may be signs of a problem with porn evident outside the bedroom, too. “At its most extreme, people lose time and get into trouble not doing important life tasks, not doing their jobs, and not going out of the house and meeting people,” Dr. Zoldbrod says. “So at its worst, it can actually damage your life.”
Problematic porn use may manifest in a number of ways, she says, such as weight gain, depression, anxiety, or a general lack of self-care. Physicians can identify these signs during routine visits with their patients. It’s one of the reasons why establishing good doctor-patient communication is so important.
Identifying the problem and getting patients help
Dr. Zoldbrod says physicians should think about including a question about excessive porn use on the health questionnaires they give to their patients, to normalize discussion of the issue. Including relevant questions on a list of other potential health concerns may make patients feel more comfortable to discuss the issue.
Related: Let's talk about sex (it's what your patients want)“I think if you group it with a whole bunch of other questions that you would expect your MD to ask, it takes the shame away,” Dr. Zoldbrod says. “Then you’re opening an avenue to talking about it.”
Though primary care doctors aren’t going to provide treatment for troublesome porn use, they can make referrals to free support groups, like Sex Addicts Anonymous and others, or to therapists who specialize in it.[]
“I don’t want to make it sound like no one should use porn, because that’s really not the case,” Dr. Zoldbrod says. “It can have some beneficial aspects to it. But when someone’s willing to identify that they’re watching too much porn, that opens the door to what could be a really important intervention on the MD’s part.”
Read Next: Unraveling incel complex: Is your patient an 'involuntary celibate'?