The rapidly increasing number of healthy, young men complaining of delayed ejaculation, difficulty achieving and maintaining an erection, motivated Italian urologist Dr. Carlo Foresta to look into this problem in detail. In the statistical study conducted by him and his team, a serious addiction is highlighted: over 70% of patients who are in excellent health but seek medical help for existing erectile dysfunction share that they actively benefit from pornographic materials on the Internet. Dr. Foresta also conducts his own research with volunteers suffering from sexual problems. Many of the young people are in their 20s and are undergoing full clinical tests – their health is excellent, with very rare exceptions. They are reassured by the fact that masturbation cannot cause erection problems. This is true, says Dr. Foresta, but masturbation with regular use of pornographic material not only can cause erectile dysfunction, but is the main psychological cause of the condition. The psychological reason for this is the anxiety that accumulates in the man that he cannot present himself as well in intimate contact as the actors in pornographic films and that what is presented in these films is a norm that he can hardly achieve. This worry builds up until it becomes a stressor that suppresses the ability to achieve a normal erection. The physiological reason is rooted in the fact that dopamine – the pleasure hormone – is released strongly and actively every time erotic material is observed. In real intimate contact, however, the visual stimulation is not strong enough to release a sufficient amount of dopamine. An insufficient amount of dopamine leads to decreased libido and decreased activity of nerve impulses in the genital area, which determines the inability to achieve and maintain an erection. NEWS_MORE_BOX As a respected urologist throughout Europe, Dr. Foresta recommends an individual method to determine if erectile dysfunction is caused by too long and regular viewing of porn. For this purpose, the man should try to masturbate (alone) without watching or listening to pornographic materials and without entering into fantasies from these films. If an erection cannot be achieved with just a touch that mimics the speed and touch of intimate contact – the reason is pornography. If a full erection is achieved, however, the problem is not the patient’s pornographic habits and requires urgent consultation with a doctor – it may be a symptom of an underlying cardiovascular, hormonal or neurological disease. Dr. Foresta also says that ceasing pornographic habits and, in general, ceasing to watch erotic material leads to the restoration of normal erectile function, but this takes time: from 10 to 18 weeks. During this time, masturbation is not prohibited, but sexual intercourse is. This is done in order to shake off the worry and stress of intimate contact.