‘Porn’ makes men hopeless in bed: Dr Deepak Jumani, Sexologist Dhananjay Gambhire

‘Porn’ makes men hopeless in bed

Lisa Antao, TNN Sep 5, 2013,

It’s a known fact that most men watch porn. But are you one of those guys who regularly get their dose of viewing adult material on the internet?

And in doing so, have you become sort of a global citizen in the world of porn? If yes, then you could be heading for trouble, especially if you’re under the impression that viewing things people do in videos can actually make you better in the sack. According to a research study, watching online porn can affect men’s performance in the bedroom.

The findings of the study states that exposure to porn is desensitising young men to such an extent that they are unable to get excited by ordinary sexual activities. This is the result of over stimulation of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that activates the pleasure centre in the brain) on a continuous basis by watching pornography. In the process, a paradoxical effect gets generated whereby the brain loses its ability to respond to normal levels of dopamine when it gets used to a higher spike of dopamine. This means that individuals need experiences of an extreme nature to get sexually aroused.

Let’s cite the case of 31-year-old Abhinav Varma (name changed), an IT professional who’s totally hooked on to watching porn online and has been married since the past four years. “Like most regular guys, I too have been watching porn since I was a teenager. However, with the passage of time there’s such easy availability of a variety of porn on the internet to suit everybody’s tastes. In fact, I prefer watching porn than having sex with my wife,” he confesses. Varma and his wife are seeking marital counselling as a result of his addiction to viewing porn.

Sexologist Dr Deepak Jumani agrees with the study saying, “There is an increase in the number of such cases as online pornography is highly popular and exciting because its accessible, affordable and anonymous. In fact, today we live in a sexually saturated society and we are exposed to tons of information, much of which is distorted.” He opines that pornography reduces one’s sexual currency in terms of pleasure and romance.

Sexologist Dhananjay Gambhire, who has also encountered many such cases in his practice, says, “What is shown in porn is not natural sex. These are actions according to picturisation and titillation, and doing the same produces a lot of discomfort and failure. Especially in the initial days, this can be very devastating on sexual relationships.”

As for treatment, Dr Gambhire suggests desensitising the patient, i.e. staying away from porn. Counselling and sometimes medicines too are prescribed.