In a study involving college students, Australian researchers have linked porn addiction with increased sexual risk such as unsafe practices and more sexual partners.
In an article titled "Association Between Pornography Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors in Adult Consumers: A Systematic Review," the team from University of Sydney and Curtin University discussed the potential value of including "porn literacy" information in sexual health education and prevention strategies.
Sexual risk behaviours such as casual sex, lack of condom use and a high number of sexual partners have been linked to poor health outcomes, including an increased incidence of sexually transmitted infections.
"This review has uncovered a need for methodological improvements in this area of research," said Brenda K Wiederhold, from Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California.
"However, some findings in the studies may not be generalised for all since they are done on college students," she noted.
The systematic review of published studies was detailed in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
