Sex Drive - Does Porn Get You Going?

Porn continues to be a taboo topic in most relationships, with men and women employing different views. Neeti Jaychander delves into the pros and cons of watching it

- Neeti Jaychander

Professor Deirdre Barrett, author and psychologist who teaches at Harvard Business School, suggests that internet pornography is a version of what scientists call a “supernormal stimulus— that is, an artificial exaggeration of the environmental factors from which we have naturally evolved to become sexually aroused.” In other words, pornography allows for a heightened sense of arousal, which may not actually be possible when in bed with your partner. There's no denying that while almost everyone watches it, there are few who admit to it, particularly to their partners. So why is it that porn is a forbidden subject for couples? According to Gouri Srivastava, a counsellor at a women’s college in Chennai, “Men and women perceive and use porn differently, with men being six times more likely to consume it than women. While for men, porn seems like a harmless stimulus, most women view it as infidelity, since it involves gratification from an external source, not from the relationship itself.” But is the mere practice of watching porn wrong? We break down the facts.

MEN The pros:

It is a stress buster

It has been scientifically proven that engaging in any form of sexual activity, be it with a partner or oneself— increases the production of dopamine, or the brain chemical that is a mood enhancer. Men who consume porn in healthy quantities for sexual stimulus, find themselves relatively stress-free as the process of ejaculating lowers stress hormones. While porn might be a great way to de-stress, a 2013 Carnegie Mellon study concluded that even looking at photos of ‘sexy’ and beautiful women had the same impact.