Women & Porn Addiction

When it comes to women and porn addiction, we tend to have a lot of questions, and often a lot of doubts. With any form of addiction, stigma is a big hurdle to overcome. And despite existing and emerging science, compulsive sexual behavior disorder, which includes sex and porn addiction, seems to attract even more misunderstanding, especially in women. If you’re interested in overcoming porn addiction as a woman, know that information, understanding, and healing are always available.

Can Women Be Addicted to Porn?

When it comes to porn and sex, the World Health Organization (WHO) supports the reality of problematic porn use. In their International Classification of Diseases (ICD), they recognize compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) as an impulse control disorder. This disorder covers a variety of behaviors, including sexual interaction with others, masturbation, use of pornography, cybersex (internet sex), phone sex, and other forms of repetitive sexual behavior. If you’re wondering, Can women be addicted to porn? Let’s make it clear: Any behavior can become a serious issue when it becomes repetitive, ritualized, and disruptive to your life, health, or mental well-being. According to the Journal of Behavioral Addictions, CSBD can be found around the world and among all genders. Porn addiction is a legitimate and serious concern.

Is Porn Addiction in Women Common?

Porn addiction in women gets less attention, less understanding, and less research than it does in men, but this isn’t because women don’t get addicted to porn. Part of the reason for this discrepancy may be because porn use is less common for women. But let’s not confuse “less common” with “uncommon.” The Journal of Sex Research shares that 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women reported having consumed pornography in the past month. More than half of women consume porn, so the potential for porn addiction exists. But given this statistic, it makes sense that there are fewer women addicted to porn, or at least fewer speaking up and acknowledging a problematic relationship with it.

The Journal of Behavioral Addictions found that about 11% of men and 3% of women agreed to some degree with the statement, “I am addicted to pornography.” So even though men make up the majority, if you are worried about your or your loved one’s relationship with compulsive pornography use, you are not alone. There are women-focused, compassionate, professional resources available to you like those here at Willow House at The Meadows.

What Does Porn Addiction in Women Look Like?

The WHO defines compulsive sexual behavior disorder as, “a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behavior.” This means you begin prioritizing porn use over your health and personal care, or other interests, activities, and responsibilities. Porn consumes your time and your thoughts to the degree that it has noticeably harmful effects on your life.

Frontiers in Psychology suggests that viewing pornography can have negative effects in multiple areas such as relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and within heterosexual relationship intimacy. Moreover, pornography use has also been associated with binge drinking and drug use. Porn addiction impacts your relationships, your physical health, and your mental health. And it can contribute to the development of substance use and other addiction problems. When you’re addicted, despite experiencing these and other physical, emotional, or social consequences of porn use, you find you can’t cut back.

Additionally, women addicted to porn may experience specific symptoms and effects differently than men. Neuropsychiatric Disease Treatment found that when it comes to women and porn addiction, there is a connection to feelings of shame, PTSD symptoms, depression, drug use, and perhaps most commonly, a connection to experiential avoidance. This is the tendency to avoid, escape, or change your experience of aversive internal events (i.e., thoughts, feelings). Your mental health, your past, and your feelings about the past, including any child abuse you may have suffered can impact how and why you use porn. This is why our Willow House team focuses on healing emotional trauma as we help you overcome love and sex addiction, substance use, and any co-occurring mental health disorders.

When Do I Need to Get Help for Porn Addiction?

There is always a fine line between compulsive behaviors and regular, or even healthy, engagement with activities like sex and watching porn. So when is porn a positive, a neutral, or a negative in your life? If you are asking this question about your or your loved one’s porn use, you don’t have to unravel the answer alone. If you have any concerns or questions, reach out to us at Willow House at The Meadows for information or a confidential conversation or assessment. We offer a welcoming, understanding, and accepting community of peers and professionals. And all of us know overcoming porn addiction as a woman is more than possible, so we are here to help.