Ask Dan & Jennifer

There is no scientific evidence that pornography is harmful. Actually, when Japan decriminalized most pornography, their rate of sex offenses actually dropped. Pornography becomes a problem when it becomes a substitute for a real sexual relationship with a real person. The use of pornography, like any behavior, can also become compulsive. Like alcohol, most people can use it responsibly. A small but significant percentage of people will have serious problems associated with pornography use. Again, as with alcohol. We can't say no one should use alcohol because some people have problems with it.

Pornography depicting sexual violence, animals, or children is inherently harmful because it trains your body to associate those things with sexual arousal. You don't want that. I didn't gather that any of this is an issue for you. You also have a responsibility to make sure that children are not exposed to the pornography.

A risk of pornography, especially video pornography, for young people is that they sometimes think that real-live women act like the women in the movies. It can give you a skewed perception of how real relationships work.

I've done my best to advise you on the risks. With the understanding that you're an adult, the decision of whether or not to use pornography is one you have to make for yourself.