Couples CornerHow Porn Impacts Your Marriage: 8 Ways It Damages Intimacy
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How Porn Impacts Your Marriage: 8 Ways It Damages Intimacy

January 1, 2026
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How Porn Impacts your Marriage

How Porn Impacts Your Marriage

Sets Unrealistic Expectations

Sex will not be the same as what you see in pornography videos because pornography is manufactured for your viewing pleasure. These videos are performed by actors paid to make sounds and exclaim how they're feeling. They're not meant to mimic regular, organic sexual encounters. If you're having sex with your partner and they're not making the same sounds, have the same endowments, or performing with the same skills and prowesses as you see in videos, then you might be conditioned to feel disappointed.

Overexcitement for Men

When a man gets overexcited, he may not last long enough to make a worthwhile experience. If he watches porn, this could cause him to get overexcited and climax shortly after beginning the sexual act with his partner. This can mess with his confidence and cause him to worry about his performance.

Desensitization to Sex

Regular sex won't start to feel the same anymore once you start incorporating porn in the bedroom, and it can even desensitize men to the point that they struggle to get or hold an erection. It'll become difficult to get excited as easily as before. There are so many ways to get creative in the bedroom that don't involve pornography.

Comparing Porn Stars to Your Spouse

You run the risk of desensitizing the arousal you get from your spouse's attractiveness because you're so used to seeing pornstars with large breasts, skinny waists, muscles, large members, etc. Remember that pornography is their job, so they must upkeep their image to stay visually pleasing. Oftentimes, they also get aesthetic work done on their body to keep everything looking attractive.

It's Addictive

Whether you watch it late at night after your spouse goes to sleep, during lunch at work, or in the car on the way home, pornography can consume you. In fact, some prefer to watch porn instead of having sex because it's the only thing that arouses them. It's important to be careful with pornography and catch yourself if you think it's getting between you and your sex life. Remember: you can do everything in the bedroom that you see in those videos.

It's a Gateway to Adultery

There are pornography videos for anything you can think of, but especially those involving multiple people. It leads you to believe that it's all right to share your spouse with someone else. You will move in the direction of your most dominant thought, so if you're thinking about doing the things you see in porn videos like including or seeking other people, then you're manifesting those thoughts into reality. You must always think about the consequences of anything you do in your relationship and whether you're willing to pay that price.

It's a Poor Example of Lovemaking

How you and your spouse have sex is between you and your spouse, including what you agree upon and what you both like or don't like. Something you see in a video may not be something that your spouse likes, so it's important to communicate with each other about your bedroom interests, whether it's BDSM, toys, performing certain actions, etc.

Needing to Imagine Someone Else During Sex

If you reach this point, then you're no longer connected to your spouse in a way that arouses you. This is devastating because now you're closing your eyes and thinking about someone you saw in a video in order to orgasm instead of appreciating your spouse during such an intimate and vulnerable moment.

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Dr. Jomo & Dr. Charmaine offer personalized marriage counseling, premarital prep, and relationship coaching.

Dr. Jomo and Dr. Charmaine Cousins

About the Authors

Dr. Jomo and Dr. Charmaine Cousins are Senior Pastors at Love First Christian Center and have been married for 24+ years. They've counseled over 1,000 couples and are passionate about helping marriages thrive through faith-based relationship coaching.

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