Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
People who use porn as a self-soothing technique tend to have some of the lowest reports of emotional and mental wellbeing according to a 2017 study.
Porn consumption is associated with lower self-esteem.
Desensitization, or a numbed pleasure response, has been shown to happen in cases of pornography consumption.
Porn is considered a supernormal stimulus.
Of the adolescents who had been exposed to porn, 28% were first exposed by accident, 19% were unexpectedly shown pornography by someone else, and only 19% searched for it intentionally, according to research by the NSPCC.
Because of desensitization, many porn consumers find themselves consuming more porn, consuming more often, or consuming more extreme forms of pornography.
A 2017 poll found that the more porn a man consumes, the more likely he is to be dissatisfied with his penis size. And the same goes for women with male partners— the more porn they consume, the less satisfied they are with their partner’s penis size.
The majority of young people are exposed to porn by the time they’re 13, according to research involving young people in the UK.
Research has found that therapy is an effective way to treat problematic pornography consumption.
Research routinely shows that consuming porn is connected to poorer mental health.
Even quitting porn for a short time can lessen its negative effects and have positive effects on consumers' lives and relationships.
Research shows that while feeling guilt can motivate healthy change, feeling shame actually fuels problematic porn habits.
Fight the New Drug, PO Box 57126, Salt Lake City, UT 84157 | Fight the New Drug is a part of the PHASE Alliance™.
© 2026 All rights Reserved. Fight the New Drug is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. EIN: 26-3550143
