Associations Between Pornography Use Frequency, Pornography Use Motivations, and Sexual Wellbeing in Couples

Pornography use is prevalent, even among partnered individuals. Although pornography use motivations represent key predictors of sexual behaviors, prior studies only assessed the associations between pornography use frequency and sexual wellbeing, with mixed results. This cross-sectional dyadic study examined the associations between partners' individual and partnered pornography use frequency, motivations, and sexual wellbeing. Self-report data from 265 couples (M= 31.49 years, SD = 8.26; M= 29.36 years, SD = 6.74) were analyzed using an actor-partner interdependence model. Men's greater emotional avoidance motivation was related to their own lower sexual function (β = -.24, p = .004) and greater sexual distress (β = .19, p = .012), while their higher sexual curiosity motivation was related to higher partnered sexual frequency (β = .15, p = .031), their own greater sexual satisfaction (β = .13, p = .022), sexual function (β = .16, p = .009), and lower sexual distress (β = -.13, p = .043). Women's higher partnered pornography use frequency was associated with their own greater sexual function (β = .15, p = .034) and lower sexual distress (β = -.14, p = .012). Additionally, women's higher individual pornography use frequency (β = .33, p < .001) and lower sexual pleasure motivation (β = -.35, p = .002) were associated with higher partnered sexual frequency. No partner effects were observed. Findings highlight that women's pornography use frequency and each partner's motivations might play crucial roles in couples' sexual wellbeing.