Effects of pornography

Pornography can be defined as any material, in any format, including texts, videos, photos, or audio, that is consumed for sexual satisfaction and arousal of an individual or partnership. The effects of pornography on individuals or their intimate relationships have been a subject of research. Scholars note that much of the research on the effects of pornography often confuses correlation with causation.

Pornography addiction is a purported behavioral addiction characterized by compulsive, repeated use of pornographic material which causes serious consequences to one's physical, mental, social, and/or financial well-being. There is no diagnosis of pornography addiction in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), though the DSM-5 considered the diagnosis of hypersexuality-related behavioral disorders (to which porn addiction was a subset), but rejected it because "there is insufficient peer-reviewed evidence to establish the diagnostic criteria and course descriptions needed to identify these behaviors as mental disorders." Instead, some psychologists suggest that any maladaptive sexual symptoms represent a manifestation of an underlying disorder, such as depression or anxiety which is simply manifesting itself sexually, or, alternatively, there is no underlying disorder and the behavior simply is not maladaptive. It is argued that psychologists do not recognize the concept of addiction, only chemical dependence, and some believe the concept and diagnosis to be stigmatizing and unhelpful.

A 2016 systemic review found that studies have linked self-perceived pornography addiction (SPPA) to increased isolation and relationship breakdowns for both users and their partners. The review noted that some methodological limitations in the primary studies, such as a lack of representative samples and inadequate measurement tools, could weaken the overall conclusions. The researchers concluded the review with a recommendation for further research.

A 2022 book by McKee, Litsou, Byron, and Ingham cast doubt on the model of "porn addiction", suggesting that sexual shame should be blamed, instead of pornography.

Fotinos et al. suggest there is a problem with excessive pornography consumption, but state that moderate pornography consumption can be healthy.

Neuropsychopharmacological and psychological researches on pornography addiction conducted between 2015 and 2021 have concluded that most studies have been focused entirely or almost exclusively on men in anonymous settings, and the findings are contradicting.

The International Classification of Diseases, 11th edition (ICD-11) added pornography to Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD). CSBD is not an addiction and should not be conflated with sex addiction.

DSM-5-TR, published in March 2022, does not recognize a diagnosis of porn addiction.