Adult men who consume pornography report worse sexual function and lower overall satisfaction in their intimate lives when compared to women who view similar material. These findings, based on a broad synthesis of existing research, were recently published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. The data highlights a paradox perfectly, showing that higher engagement with explicit media among men is correlated with poorer sexual health outcomes.
Erotic depictions have existed since ancient times across various civilizations. The integration of technology into daily life, specifically smartphones and high-speed internet, has made explicit material more accessible than ever before. This rapid rise in accessibility has sparked ongoing public debates about the societal implications and potential harms of adult content.
Much of the current narrative frames pornography consumption as a public health issue. Critics often point to potential negative outcomes, such as the objectification of partners, damage to romantic intimacy, and the creation of unrealistic physical expectations. At the same time, some public health advocates argue there are positive aspects for certain users, such as improved communication between partners and increased sexual experimentation.
Past studies examining the health effects of explicit media have yielded highly inconsistent results. Some smaller investigations have suggested that women often report positive links between their media habits and their sexual functioning. Men, on the other hand, frequently exhibit vastly different and often contradictory outcomes in similar survey data.
To clarify these disparities, researchers Shahla Shafaati Laleh of Urmia Islamic Azad University and Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet of Biruni University conducted a massive review of the existing scientific literature. They wanted to evaluate specific gender differences in media use and its connection to sexual function, overall satisfaction, and psychological well-being during partnered sex.
The researchers utilized a statistical technique called a meta-analysis, which combines data from many independent studies to identify broader, underlying trends. They gathered data from 21 separate observational studies published up to January 2025. This combined effort resulted in a large sample size of 138,192 adult participants from countries across North America, Europe, and Asia.
To ensure the reliability of their analysis, the team only included research that utilized validated psychological questionnaires. These standardized surveys asked participants to rate their levels of desire, physical arousal, ability to reach orgasm, and general satisfaction. The team then computed the average differences between the male and female responses across the entire dataset.
The most prominent pattern to emerge involved the differing levels of media consumption and the resulting sexual health reports. The researchers found a robust gender gap regarding solitary sexual behavior. Men reported consuming explicit media and engaging in masturbation at much higher rates than women did.
Despite their higher consumption rates, men reported consistently lower sexual function scores than female users. Men also reported worse levels of general sexual satisfaction in their intimate relationships. The compiled scores indicated a higher prevalence of sexual dysfunction among male users compared to the female participants.
Conversely, the female participants reported better sexual health outcomes relating to their media habits. Women in the studies generally consumed less pornography overall. Yet, those who did view the material reported better sexual functioning and fewer sexual dysfunctions in their personal lives than the male users.
The research team suggests these results might relate to the concept of “sexual scripts,” which are internal cognitive frameworks that guide a person’s expectations of intimacy. Through their viewing habits, women might be expanding their sexual scripts and learning new behaviors to incorporate into their partnered sex lives. In contrast, men who frequently view explicit material might develop strict preferences for highly specific onscreen scenarios.
This heavy reliance on explicit media can alter a male user’s baseline for sexual excitement. The researchers noted that some men begin to rely on the material to spark arousal, leading to dissatisfaction when real-life encounters do not match their digital expectations. This divergence between expectation and reality often leads to friction within intimate relationships.
The specific themes of the consumed media also appear to play a heavy role in these outcomes. Data from one included study found that viewing passion and romance-themed material was linked to higher overall satisfaction. On the other hand, media focused on power, control, or rough behavior was linked to lower satisfaction and impaired sexual function, particularly among male viewers.
The researchers also evaluated psychological health metrics alongside the physical functioning data. They found a trend indicating that women experienced slightly higher levels of psychological distress related to their pornography consumption than men did. These emotional vulnerabilities could stem from societal stigma or personal shame.
Researchers often attribute this psychological strain to a concept known as moral incongruence. This terminology refers to the internal conflict a person experiences when their actual behavior does not align with their deeply held personal or religious values. When individuals experience high moral conflict regarding their viewing habits, they often report elevated levels of anxiety and distress entirely separate from their physical health.
While the meta-analysis provides a broad look at these dynamics, the authors acknowledged several methodological limitations. The reviewed studies relied almost entirely on self-reported questionnaires. Human participants are prone to memory errors and might not answer sensitive questions truthfully due to embarrassment.
Another limitation involves the cross-sectional design of the included research. A cross-sectional study captures a single snapshot in time rather than tracking a specific group of people over decades. Because of this, the researchers cannot state that pornography causes sexual dysfunction, as it is just as likely that individuals experiencing sexual difficulties simply are seeking out more explicit media as a coping mechanism.
The analysis also faced issues with study heterogeneity, meaning the 21 independent studies used vastly different standards to define what constitutes active usage. Some original authors measured daily viewing minutes, while others simply asked if participants had viewed any explicit material within the last year. These varying definitions make it difficult to establish a universal baseline for average consumption.
Future investigations will need to track participants over long periods to properly map the timeline of shifting sexual habits. The authors recommended that health professionals take a highly individualized approach when discussing media habits with patients. Standardized treatment plans might miss the nuanced reality of how these habits affect men and women in vastly different ways.
The study, “Gender differences in pornography use and sexual health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” was authored by Shahla Shafaati Laleh and Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet.