Does watching porn cause erectile dysfunction in young men? Research gives a short answer: frequency of viewing alone is not a reliable predictor of erectile problems. What is consistently linked to erectile difficulty is problematic use — when a man feels his viewing has spun out of control, feels shame and inner conflict afterwards, and his relationship with his partner suffers. In a study of 3,586 men, frequency of porn viewing was unrelated to the severity of erectile dysfunction, while anxiety, depression and relationship dissatisfaction clearly were.
Has erectile dysfunction in young men really become more common?
For decades erectile dysfunction was seen as a problem of older men. The review by Nguyen and colleagues in Sexual Medicine Reviews (2017) reports that large multinational studies estimate its prevalence in men under 40 at up to 30%, a figure that shifts with the definition and measurement tool used. In young men, the same review notes, psychological causes such as depression, anxiety and relationship problems account for a large share.
An international online survey (Jacobs et al., 2021) analyzed data from 3,419 men aged 18 to 35. On the standard IIEF-5 questionnaire, of 2,067 men who had attempted intercourse in the previous four weeks, 444 (21.48%) had some degree of erectile dysfunction — from mild to severe. The sample was self-selected and online, so the percentage cannot be generalized to the whole population.
In the Jacobs study, roughly one in five sexually active young men had some degree of erectile dysfunction, so the problem is not rare in young men. This is in line with the prevalence estimates reported in the Nguyen review.
When the screen is set aside, real touch and attention return to the relationship — Image: AI-generated / Gemini 3.1 Flash via OpenRouter
Is porn the culprit, or our relationship with porn?
Grubbs and Gola in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2019) examined three samples: 147 university students, 297 men matched to US national norms, and 433 men followed over one year at four points. In all three, viewing porn in itself showed no consistent link to erectile dysfunction; but men who considered their own use problematic also reported weaker erections. Over the one-year follow-up, no porn-related variable predicted change in erectile function — no evidence of a causal relationship emerged. All data were self-reported and physical illness was not controlled for.
Rowland and colleagues (2023) found in 3,586 men (mean age 40.8) that porn-viewing frequency was unrelated to erectile function or erectile dysfunction severity, even in men aged 30 and younger. Age, anxiety or depression, chronic disease, low sexual desire and low relationship satisfaction were the strongest predictors. The authors still suggest that heavy reliance on porn plus very frequent masturbation may be risky for vulnerable young, inexperienced men [needs further review: this hypothesis has not yet been tested].
The quality of a man’s relationship with porn matters more than how often he watches; losing control and feeling shame after viewing are more telling signs than the viewing itself. This is consistent with both large studies above.
What role do the partner and the couple’s relationship play?
Kazan Kizilkurt and colleagues (2024) studied 66 married young men with erectile dysfunction of psychological origin, in whom physical causes had been ruled out. The more they watched porn, the lower their erectile function score (a strong negative correlation, r = -0.535). Part of this link ran through “dyadic adjustment”: more viewing went with less harmony and satisfaction in the marriage, which in turn was associated with weaker erections. The sample is small, cross-sectional and drawn from patients only, so no cause-and-effect conclusion can be drawn.
In clinicians’ experience a common pattern emerges: a man who has repeatedly struggled with erections with his partner increasingly takes refuge in watching alone, where failure is not possible. The safer that refuge becomes, the more frightening the real relationship becomes. The partner often reads it as “I am no longer attractive,” and the distance grows. In this cycle, porn is more a sign of anxiety and distance than its root cause.
When viewing alone becomes a refuge from the fear of failing in the relationship, both erection and couple intimacy suffer. This is in keeping with the role of relationship satisfaction in Rowland’s study.
What does psychoanalysis say about this cycle, and when should help be sought?
From a psychoanalytic perspective, fantasy is a safe place where no one judges, rejects or expects anything. A real relationship, by contrast, involves another person’s gaze, desires and vulnerability. A man whose erection falters in the relationship yet is fine in solitude is often struggling with the anxiety of being seen and the fear of being inadequate, not with a defective body. Talking about shame, expectation and desire therefore tends to help more than an abrupt halt to viewing.
If the erection problem has lasted more than a few months, if you feel that your viewing is beyond your control, or if the issue has reached arguments and silence at home, seeing a sexual health specialist and a couples therapist can help; a medical evaluation to rule out physical causes is part of that path.
Shame, fear of judgment and emotional distance are the three factors that keep the cycle of porn and declining erections alive — and all three can change through conversation. This view is consistent with the findings above on anxiety and relationship satisfaction.
Current evidence does not confirm a causal relationship. In Rowland and colleagues’ study (2023) of 3,586 men, frequency of viewing was unrelated to the severity of erectile dysfunction. But use that a man himself considers problematic and beyond his control has been observed alongside weaker erections in several studies.
If I have erections during masturbation but not with my partner, what does that mean?
According to the review by Nguyen and colleagues (2017), intact spontaneous erections or erections during masturbation usually point to a psychological cause such as anxiety, depression or relationship difficulties. Even so, a medical evaluation to rule out physical causes remains necessary.
Does quitting porn completely resolve erectile dysfunction?
There is not enough research to support this claim [needs further review]. For a man who feels he has lost control, cutting back on viewing may help; but if anxiety, shame and emotional distance are not addressed, abrupt cessation alone is usually not enough.
How common is erectile dysfunction in young men?
Reviews have estimated its prevalence in men under 40 at up to 30%. In the survey by Jacobs and colleagues (2021), 444 of 2,067 sexually active men aged 18 to 35 — about 21% — had some degree of erectile dysfunction.
In short: your erections are not hostage to a phone screen
Watching porn is not in itself the same as erectile dysfunction; what matters is the role viewing plays in your life — occasional entertainment, or a refuge from the fear of failing in a relationship. The good news is that anxiety, shame and couple distance are all changeable, and honest conversation with a partner and professional help can address all three.
Looking for professional support with your relationship or mental health?
Jacobs T, Geysemans B, Van Hal G, et al. Associations Between Online Pornography Consumption and Sexual Dysfunction in Young Men: Multivariate Analysis Based on an International Web-Based Survey. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2021;7(10):e32542. PMID: 34534092. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34534092/
Grubbs JB, Gola M. Is Pornography Use Related to Erectile Functioning? Results From Cross-Sectional and Latent Growth Curve Analyses. J Sex Med. 2019;16(1):111-125. PMID: 30621919. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30621919/
Rowland DL, Castleman JM, Bacys KR, et al. Do pornography use and masturbation play a role in erectile dysfunction and relationship satisfaction in men? Int J Impot Res. 2023;35(6):548-557. PMID: 35840678. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35840678/
Kazan Kizilkurt O, Kazan O, Efiloglu O, et al. Effect of internet pornography use frequency on psychogenic erectile dysfunction severity in young Turkish men: the mediating role of dyadic adjustment. Int J Impot Res. 2024;36(6):621-626. PMID: 38052977. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38052977/
Nguyen HMT, Gabrielson AT, Hellstrom WJG. Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men—A Review of the Prevalence and Risk Factors. Sex Med Rev. 2017;5(4):508-520. PMID: 28642047. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28642047/
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Featured and in-text images: AI-generated / Gemini 3.1 Flash via OpenRouter. AI-generated images. No real person is depicted.
