Dear Friend,

"I found pornography when I was 13 or 14 and I would use it to make me feel good. It was one of the only ways when I was young that I could feel good. I had really low self-worth.” ~

Theo Von, podcast host,

This Past Weekend

This is how Theo Von, a well-known podcast host and comedian, described his introduction to pornography. Being exposed to pornography as a young teenage boy with low self-esteem set the stage for a spiral into compulsive usage.

Sadly, stories like this are far too common. Research has found that the younger a person is when they are exposed to pornography, the more likely they are to become addicted.

The societal harms of the pornography industry are jarring and disturbing: porn sites monetize videos of rape, sex trafficking, and child sexual abuse,

often without any consequences.

But what about the quiet impacts of pornography on the individual user?

😕 Pornography use has a strong association with feelings of loneliness.

🧠 Mental health issues including, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other mood disorders are more commonly reported by pornography users than those who do not use pornography.

💔 Relationship satisfaction decreases. Pornography users are more likely to report low desire, low sexual satisfaction, and erectile dysfunction.

Von explains, “If you look at pornography, it skews the way you look at intimacy. You start to think of sexual activity in certain frames. You don’t really think of connection because you don’t really see a lot of connection in porn.” .

“I don’t want that stuff influencing my thoughts and feelings,”

he said

. And so, eventually, he decided to quit.

When Von was asked how

not

using pornography

made him feel, he replied,

“It makes me feel more empowered and it makes me feel proud.”

📄

Read NCOSE’s report “The Public Health Harms of Pornography” to learn more

One of the most effective ways to curb pornography addiction is to protect children from being exposed to it. We have laws and safeguards in place in the offline world to prevent kids from accessing pornography, but we’re lagging behind in the online world.

📣

ACTION: Ask Your Legislators to Protect Children from Online Pornography!

Sincerely,

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