Life

Can Watching Porn Be Good For You?

by Eliza Castile

March 19, 2015

Porn may be half the reason the Internet even exists, but that doesn't mean people aren't weird about watching it. Sex work is so stigmatized in our culture that it's almost as if some hope that porn has negative effects; unfortunately for them, that's not the case, judging from this study that found watching porn could be good for you. Well... it's not bad for you at least, and that's a pretty good place to start.According to the Daily Dot, UCLA researchers looked at the amount of time 280 male participants spent viewing naked ladies and gents, known as visual sexual stimuli (VSS) in the study, on average each week. They then compared participants' average weekly VSS with sexual responsiveness, which was measured by degree of arousal when shown a "standardized sexual film in the laboratory" (yikes) as well as standardized self-reported erectile dysfunction (ED) with partners. How these men managed to get aroused while surrounded by lab coats and probably lots of medical equipment is beyond me, but to each his own. The results were surprisingly favorable towards porn. Men who spent more time watching other people gettin' it on were, on average, more sexually responsive and reported a stronger desire to have sex with a partner.

<img class="article-body-image" src="http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyphewpl9w1qh0nwmo1_500.gif" alt=""/>The study also found that VSS was unrelated to ED as well, so it looks like watching porn isn't going to ruin your sex life after all. In fact, researchers concluded in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that "VSS use within the range of hours tested is unlikely to negatively impact sexual functioning, given that responses actually were stronger in those who viewed more." So don't feel ashamed of your spank bank; if anything, it might be a sign that your sex life is pretty stellar.It's important to note, however, that the study was conducted using "non-treatment-seeking" participants, meaning that their porn-viewing habits didn't affect their day-to-day lives. There's also the fact that there's still a raging debate (and probably always will be) on whether porn is degrading or liberating for women, although objectification is hardly confined to the adult entertainment industry

. But despite the larger societal implications of pornography, at least you don't have to worry about whether porn is ruining your sex life. Now go forth and have fun with Incognito Mode!

Images: love-jake-johnson/gifawesomeness/Tumblr