Porn and erectile dysfunction: delving into the world of P.I.E.D
The ubiquity of porn in today’s digital age can hardly be overstated. Twenty-four-seven, we are only ever one click or thumb-tap away from viewing hardcore pornography.
We all do it, a quick porn session before work starts or a late-night stroke to help bring the onset of sleep. Porn has become a part of our everyday lives, and we’re not here to pass judgement.
Today’s blog aims to illustrate the relationship between pornography and erectile dysfunction and to evaluate some healthier porn-viewing practices.
A cursory glance at porn-viewing statistics
Each individual’s relationship with the porn they view is personal and highly specific to them. Not all porn viewing leads to problems getting it up in the bedroom.
However, when taking a look at the scale of porn viewing statistics, the numbers are almost too high to fathom. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more staggering numbers:
When does porn consumption become “problematic”?
As we mentioned, viewing porn is not an automatic recipe for struggling with a hard on. One guy might be able to stay hard twice per day and masturbate to ejaculation, while someone else applies a limit of once-per-week that helps them.
Jerking off too much can be seen as an addiction. Just like a substance addiction, tolerance grows with each use. Consequentially, each time you view porn you might need to view increasingly extreme sexual acts to cum, or need to apply more pressure in order to climax.
This can inevitably lead to an impairment in physical performance and worsen your sexual relationships. Other research suggests a link between PPU and an increase in sexual violence.
Here we can understand the scientific groundwork for problematic porn use.
What is “porn-induced erectile dysfunction” (PIED)?
Leading on from problematic porn usage, a man can find that when it comes to masturbation, overdoing it can start to cause erectile issues. Researchers classify “problematic porn use” (PPU) as a type of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD). This may lead to porn-induced erectile dysfunction (PIED), which has also been called “porn induced impotence.”
PIED is a term used to link erection issues with porn overconsumption. Porn induced ED has not been proven scientifically, yet the research is growing (no pun intended…)
Men with PIED might be able to load porn up on their phones and get hard, but struggle to maintain a hard-on with their sexual partner, or while masturbating without porn. This might be because while viewing porn, there’s no pressure on you to be a good lover, or be able to deliver strong, sufficient and comfortable sex.
No judgement is passed on your performance, and a woman in a digital image never needs satisfying. Psychological anxieties toward sex melt away when all you need to do is load up a video on your phone and stroke at your leisure.
How do I know if porn induced erectile dysfunction is affecting me?
So does porn cause ED? To know if consuming too much porn is causing a problem for your erections, it’s hard to be exact. One guy’s “excessive porn” is another person’s Thursday night in, so quantifying what counts as “too much” is unclear.
Sex researchers are striving for the ultimate answer, but there are some signs and symptoms that might make things clearer for you. If you relate to several of the following statements, and you struggle to maintain erections, you might be consuming too much porn, or be going through problematic porn usage (PPU):
If you don’t relate to these, and watching porn feels pleasurable and well-balanced in your life, your relationship with porn is likely not affecting your ability to gain and maintain an erection.
How to treat porn-induced erectile dysfunction
Research that links porn with erectile dysfunction is limited and ongoing, with many academics holding conflicting views. It is better to use the term “resolve” rather than “cure” for many things that cause ED, as a lot of the time, multiple holistic practices work together to help alleviate ED.
It’s not clear-cut that viewing porn over the long term causes ED for sure, but there are habits you can use to begin to resolve some of the contributors of ED. Try out these practices and see where they lead:
Reduce consumption and view softer material!
Firstly, it’s important to look at just how frequently you’re masturbating, and putting it into context. There is no magic number for how often you should do it, and if you jerk off to de-stress, you might not want to remove porn from your life entirely.
But if you think that too much porn is negatively affecting your bedroom performance, take note of how often you’re doing it, and slowly reduce it. Actively search for more softcore material. Like removing any habit or addiction, you also need to find other activities to fill the time you’d normally spend consuming.
Rebalancing your relationship with porn
Porn is so far removed from reality that when you view it, you can paint an unrealistic picture of what sex really is. Muscular guys hung like a horse ceaselessly pleasure women with huge boobs and hourglass waists. So often, sex really doesn’t look like that.
The body image of both parties, duration of sex, use of condoms and consent, all of these things are often unrealistically depicted, so rethink and rebalance the way you view sex to become more realistic.
Join like-minded forums
It might sound counter-intuitive to use the internet to solve a problem caused by the internet, but there is support out there. Many men have recognised that problematic porn use impacts their erection, so search online for genuine conversations from people who have been in the same situation.
Mindful masturbation
This one may sound a little strange, but think about times from a bygone era before hardcore porn was just a click away. Men would of course still masturbate, but they’d only be able to use mental imagery. Why not see this as a challenge, see if you can do it once weekly with no digital stimulation. It feels strange at first, not looking at anything, just realise it takes a bit of practice!
Are you as interested as us in curing erectile dysfunction?
Porn usage continues to surge, and ultimately it’s up to you to establish healthier sex practices to alleviate ED. That being said, we’d like to reach out and let you know there is support out there. If and of today’s points have resonated with you, remember you’re not alone!
Here at Mr Stiff, the game we’re into is helping men stay hard. We like the idea of healthy sex that results in pleasure for men suffering from ED, as well as their partners. Both partners should finish sex feeling satisfied…
Here’s what we offer at Mr Stiff:
Consulting healthcare professionals is always advised before consumption. They’ll let you know whether erection supplements are the best option for you!
Things that are easily achieved are not always the best things for us. It’s easy to access porn, and it’s not easy to work your way out of porn related ED. Trust us, we know!
Visit our website and products here. You could find something that works for you, and your penis and partner will thank you for it!