July 12, 2025, 6:12 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Whether just before falling asleep, during a lunch break, or out of boredom—pornography is just a few clicks away at any time. A researcher explains what happens in the brain when consuming porn. Additionally, a therapist discusses the significant physical and psychological disorders that porn addiction can trigger.
Just a few clicks for the thrill: Porn is available online for free at any time. But what happens in the brain when we regularly consume erotic clips? And when does one have PNS, a pornography use disorder that requires treatment? Rudolf Stark has been researching the neurobiological effects of pornography for years. He is a professor of psychotherapy and systems neuroscience. In several studies, he has examined how widespread consumption is–and how porn affects the brain.
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Overview
- So many men and women regularly watch porn
- Effects of porn on the brain
- In porn addiction, even a phone can trigger the urge
- Consequences of porn addiction: Delayed orgasm, lack of desire, erectile dysfunction
- Where affected individuals can turn
- Intense stimuli imprint on children before understanding of sexuality is present
- How high porn consumption can affect relationships
So many men and women regularly watch porn
In Rudolf Stark’s research, about 80 percent of the men surveyed said they regularly watch porn, while only five percent said they never do. Among women, the responses were roughly evenly split: one-third consume regularly, one-third occasionally, and one-third not at all.
Effects of porn on the brain
The effects of the films can be measured in the brain. “Pornographic material strongly activates the dopaminergic reward system,” Stark says. This refers to a part of the brain that reacts strongly to pleasurable stimuli–such as food, social recognition, or sexual arousal. Neurotransmitters are released, creating short-term feelings of happiness and positively reinforcing our behavior. Porn thus acts as a highly effective reward signal.
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In porn addiction, even a phone can trigger the urge
This is evident in a study: In a research project, Stark had test subjects learn the meaning of certain geometric symbols linked to different videos–a porn clip, a neutral massage video, or no content at all. Interestingly, just seeing the symbols alone triggered activity in the reward system. “Our brain quickly associates the symbols with the expected stimulus,” Stark explains.
While no clear connection between usage behavior and neural response was found in average consumers, it was different for people with diagnosed pornography use disorder (porn addiction): “The phone, with which one has watched porn a thousand times, can then be enough to trigger the urge.”
Consequences of porn addiction: Delayed orgasm, lack of desire, erectile dysfunction
Heike Melzer, a neurologist and psychotherapist, is also familiar with such cases. “I have patients who watch porn up to 40 hours a week,” she says. The consequences are severe: They suffer from delayed orgasm, lack of desire, erectile dysfunction–and find real sexuality increasingly alien. “And they say: I’m destroying everything.”
A study from 2020 also suggests a link between porn consumption and erectile dysfunction. The study with 3,267 men–most under 35 years old–showed: The more often a man watches porn, the more likely he is to experience erectile dysfunction during sex with a partner (FITBOOK reported).
Where affected individuals can turn
According to Rudolf Stark, it’s not the frequency of consumption that’s decisive, but the effects. “When porn increasingly dominates everyday life, displaces relationships, and professional duties are neglected–then we speak of a pornography use disorder.”
Many affected individuals only realize they need help late–often when nothing works anymore, Stark says. This is often associated with massive despair or depression. Counseling centers like Pro Familia can be initial points of contact. In some cases, professional therapy may also be necessary.
Intense stimuli imprint on children before understanding of sexuality is present
It is particularly concerning that many children come into contact with pornography before puberty. “This is a huge field experiment without an ethics committee,” says Heike Melzer. The intense stimuli imprint themselves before personal experiences or an understanding of sexuality are present.
Rudolf Stark also sees a societal change: Porn is often part of relationships today–not as a substitute, but as its own part of everyday life. At the same time, they change perceptions of what sex should be like. Many clips follow the same pattern. “Many men are disappointed when their partner doesn’t like oral sex–because it’s always part of porn,” Stark says. This puts real relationships under pressure.
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How high porn consumption can affect relationships
In excess, porn is a thief of imagination, according to Heike Melzer. “Unfortunately, pornography excludes emotions.” And this increasingly negatively impacts the quality of relationships, where emotions and meaning take place. And that is the true elixir of life.
*With material from dpa