# Does Pornography Lead To Asexuality? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624 "2015-06-27T13:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/1 "2015-06-27T13:46:04Z")
I was reading that interest in sex (among young Japanese males) is at an all time low. The author thought that this was because of the availability of on-line pornography. Supposedly, these men become jaded, because the on-line stuff is always available, and it is more interesting than the real thing. Now, I can confirm about the availability-there are thousands of websites that offer every conceivable type of sexual activity. It also seems to me that one could become bored with it very quickly. I also think that everything becomes boring, given too much of it. So, is it true that on line porn leads to a loss of interest in sex? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/2 "2015-06-27T13:52:03Z")
Almost certainly not. The exception might be for those unfortunates who for one reason or another find getting close to a sexual partner difficult - looks, deformity or handicap, uncorrectable hygiene issues, etc. They might give up altogether on sex, preferring porn. You also have to take such articles about Japanese social/cultural trends with something of a grain of salt, because even when they are true they seem to exaggerate the issue or leave out critical context that makes the practice or choice sound more… strange and dire than it might actually be. And then there’s Erica Jong’s comment about porn: “After ten minutes, I want to go home and screw. After twenty minutes, I never want to screw again as long as I live.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/3 "2015-06-27T22:29:55Z")
If that were true, the birth rate would be zero. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/4 "2015-06-27T23:40:05Z")
No. (Note, I have read none of the thread). ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/5 "2015-06-27T23:46:38Z")
Eh, we have porn in the States, and people seem to still get it on with each other pretty regularly. So unless the Japanese have some sort of awesome super-porn they’re keep to themselves, I don’t see much evidence for this theory. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/6 "2015-06-28T00:24:32Z")
Porn helps de-mystify sex. In times gone by, much of the mystique regarding sex was bolstered by ignorance, myths, social fables, and the like. With the information age, we aren’t so easily duped, and facts are more easily accessible. The same is true for patriotism: to the degree that it depends on myths, legends, fables, and other damned lies, it is weaker today than it was in, say, the 1950’s. We’ve largely gotten over the flag fetish. It isn’t that we’re worse off. We’re better off. We’re throwing off the lies and discovering the truth. (Obviously, a hell of a lot of porn is also purely mythic. But it’s absurdly so. I doubt many people are deluded into thinking that external fertilization is a normal part of the conventional sex act, no matter how ubiquitous it is in porn.) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/7 "2015-06-28T01:53:42Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I doubt many people are deluded into thinking that external fertilization is a normal part of the conventional sex act, no matter how ubiquitous it is in porn.) Whut? I think mainstream porn turned me off of porn, all the women look the same. Same bleach blonde, fish lips, hard fake boobs, long painted nails, hairless, mechanical checklist of sex acts. It is hard to impossible to get aroused by it because it looks so fake. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/8 "2015-06-28T02:14:37Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I think mainstream porn turned me off of porn, all the women look the same. Same bleach blonde, fish lips, hard fake boobs, long painted nails, hairless, mechanical checklist of sex acts. Good news - porn has moved on since the 1990s. There’s much less of this than there used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/9 "2015-06-28T02:38:04Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > So, is it true that on line porn leads to a loss of interest in sex? No, it’s not. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > Good news - porn has moved on since the 1990s. There’s much less of this than there used to be. And even in the 90’s there was lots of lots of excellent pornography being produced, especially in Europe. When people complain about “plastic” pornography with fake tits and peroxide blondes going “oh yieah, oh yieah” in the fakest way possible, it’s a tell-tale sign they’ve had the great misfortune of being stuck with American porn. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2015, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/10 "2015-06-28T13:48:07Z")
> [@grude](#): > > It is hard to impossible to get aroused by it because it looks so fake. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/11 "2015-06-29T16:13:28Z")
Porn makes it a lot easier to bypass physical contact and satisfy physical needs yourself without the “hassle” of a relationship or hookup. Like most other things, it needs to be used in moderation. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/12 "2015-06-29T18:46:16Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Eh, we have porn in the States, and people seem to still get it on with each other pretty regularly. So unless the Japanese have some sort of awesome super-porn they’re keep to themselves, I don’t see much evidence for this theory. You know, I’ve watched Japanese porn, and I can understand how a young man growing up with those images in mind may find the idea of a real life girl crying incessantly, while you try to introduce all sorts of sexual paraphernalia inside her, off-putting. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/13 "2015-06-29T18:53:11Z")
I could see porn usage leading to a decreased interest in sex with actual people, especially when porn is so much easier and faster to get access to. Most people would say that porn is a bad substitute for real sex, but I’m sure some people probably get certain key needs met well enough that way. However, I have a hard time saying that this is a reduced interest in sex entirely, or that it would make me see someone as asexual. It’s just sex by other means if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/14 "2015-06-30T02:24:31Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I was reading that interest in sex ( **among young Japanese males** ) is at an all time low. The author thought that this was because of the availability of on-line pornography. Supposedly, these men become jaded, because the on-line stuff is always available, and it is more interesting than the real thing. > Now, I can confirm about the availability-there are thousands of websites that offer every conceivable type of sexual activity. It also seems to me that one could become bored with it very quickly. > I also think that everything becomes boring, given too much of it. > So, is it true that on line porn leads to a loss of interest in sex? Bolding mine. There’s a term for these guys in Japan. “Herbivore men.” Mentioned in [this related thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757391) of mine last month, in which they’re having trouble finding enough guys in the porn industry. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/15 "2015-06-30T03:02:19Z")
I firmly believe that porn reduces or supplements the need for physical sexual contact and that can be a good thing overall. I think the term ‘asexual’ is misplaced here. There is nothing asexual about it. It is just that some people find it easier to have their sexual desires met in video form rather than going through the trouble of getting it the old fashioned way. In the case of deviant fetishes, that can be a very good thing. It is much better in my opinion for people that have Peeping Tom, kidnapping or other strong desires to have access to videos that satisfy their urges rather than acting it out in the real-world as long as the people involved in the videos are voluntary actors. There used to be, and sometimes still is, a political message that widespread availability of porn would lead to INCREASED real-world sex crimes among people that view it. I believe the opposite is the case and the sex crime statistics from the last decade or so seem to support that. That makes sense and the reason is simple. Most people are fairly lazy and just look for the easiest outlet for whatever their particular desire is. If they can get that or any other from the comfort of their home, that generally serves the purpose just fine. This idea applies to the old married guy that just wants to see a different naked woman for a change to people with really specific fetishes that are hard to satisfy in real life without taking some serious risks. Most of the rest of us just really like looking at lots of naked people with little fuss and widespread porn is a great way to save on bar tabs and frustration. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/16 "2015-06-30T03:38:53Z")
If people are born hetero or homosexual, why wouldn’t they be born asexual? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/17 "2015-06-30T03:56:10Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > If people are born hetero or homosexual, why wouldn’t they be born asexual? There are asexual people but this thread has been misusing the term. Asexual people wouldn’t be attracted to porn at all. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/18 "2015-06-30T05:49:58Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Porn makes it a lot easier to bypass physical contact and satisfy physical needs yourself without the “hassle” of a relationship or hookup. Like most other things, it needs to be used in moderation. Coming from a pre-internet age, I can assure that we had no problem doing this with only moderate amounts of relatively hard to find porn. Stuff you went to actual theaters to see. Don’t people have any imagination any more? But in my experience real sex is much, much better. So, porn making someone lose interest in real sex (which happens, true) is a symptom of something wrong somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/19 "2015-06-30T18:25:32Z")
I don’t have a link, but I seem to recall somewhere that excessive amounts of online porn actually does have a desensitizing effect that can inhibit their ability to perform for the real thing. IIRC it wasn’t a matter of being “jaded” or that it was “easier”. It had something to do with how staring at screens for long periods of time affects your brain. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624/20 "2015-06-30T23:33:51Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > You know, I’ve watched Japanese porn, and I can understand how a young man growing up with those images in mind may find the idea of a real life girl crying incessantly, while you try to introduce all sorts of sexual paraphernalia inside her, off-putting. Yeah. What’s up with that? J porn is some fucked up shit. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-pornography-lead-to-asexuality/723624.md?page=2)