Pornography Use and Sexual Health: Investigating Its Relationship with Sexual Function and Satisfaction in Iran

This study examined the association between pornography consumption and sexual function and satisfaction, and the moderating role of gender, among 500 Iranian adults. We hypothesized that higher levels of pornography consumption would be associated with greater sexual desire and arousal but lower sexual satisfaction and erectile function, and that gender would moderate these associations.

Data were collected via a snowball model method through social media. The questionnaires used included the Consumption of Pornography Scale - General (COPS-G), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and hierarchical regression.

In women, total pornography consumption was positively correlated with sexual desire (r = .421, p < .001) and arousal (r = .199, p = .041). In men, it was associated with increased desire and orgasm, but negatively with erectile function and overall sexual satisfaction. Across the full sample, pornography use frequency was negatively correlated with satisfaction with sexual partner (r = -.144, p = .001), with no significant overall association between pornography use and sexual satisfaction. Hierarchical regression showed no significant moderation by gender (ΔR ² = .000, p = .656).

These findings highlight varied associations between pornography consumption and multiple dimensions of sexual functioning and satisfaction.