Doctor describes impact porn can have on erectile dysfunction as he explains rarely considered link

A doctor has shared some of the reasons why men should avoid watching porn, as it could lead to some serious issues of their own in the bedroom.

If you're young, you might think that watching porn is like revising for an exam, with sex being the exam itself. But it would be the equivalent of revising German and turning up for a Chinese exam because frankly, the two things are nothing alike.

Fortunately, the UK is making progress on bringing in a ban on porn and OnlyFans, after Ofcom set a deadline for the websites to bring in far stricter regulations against users under the age of 18.

Pornhub, one of the biggest adult content sites in the world, has already banned 68 million people after pulling its sites out of France, and other European countries could soon follow suit.

French Gender Minister Aurore Bergé took to X to claim that it might result in less 'violent, degrading and humiliating content accessible to minors in France'.

Can porn lead to erectile dysfunction?

While porn still pollutes the internet, users are gaining an unrealistic expectation of what sex is actually like, and while we already knew about the terrible impact it can have on your brain, a doctor has now suggested that it could also lead to cock-ups in the bedroom.

Speaking on TikTok, Dr Karan Rajan said: "Porn can influence someone's sexual landscape and expectations. When someone watches porn, which is not a mirror of real life, they come to expect certain things, which give them a degree of arousal and pleasure.

"And so when they actually have sex in the real world, or some sort of sexual interaction, they're almost let down because it doesn't match what they are used to seeing.

"It's not giving that same dopamine reward cycle as porn gave them. That discord between what they saw and what they are experiencing is leading to premature ejaculation, sexual dysfunction and erectile dysfunction."

What is erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the persistent inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual intercourse.

While ladies recently revealed some of the things they expect from the bedroom, and a fair few weren't too bothered about having an orgasm, an erection is pretty much a necessity for lads to bring to the table - or the bed.

What are the known causes of erectile dysfunction?

While ED is fairly common among older men, especially as a one-off, it shouldn't be happening on a regular basis.

But if it is, the NHS says it could be down to everyday stress, tiredness, feelings of anxiousness or drinking too much alcohol, which can reduce blood flow, alter nerve signals and cause hormonal imbalance to the penis.

While the NHS notes 'it's usually nothing to worry about', it recommends seeing a GP 'if it keeps happening'.