Let’s talk about public health crises, shall we? So, about a year ago Utah’s governor declared Porn as a public health crisis.  Why is this a crisis? There are a dozen things that more effect on health than viewing porn and does that negatively impact health?

Well, I guess if you whack it or rub it too much you could cause skin breakdown…? From a medical standpoint, I guess I am failing to see the “crisis,” but then silly me I have trouble seeing a “crisis” that requires a wall. The best synopsis of this rolls out of Wikipedia

The effects of pornography on individuals or their sexual relationships differ from person to person and are often unclear. Pornography’s association with addiction, for example, has been studied, but pornography addiction is not an officially recognized condition. While some literature reviews suggest that pornographic images and films can be addictive, insufficient evidence exists to conclude. With regard to examinations of the possible effects on domestic violence, rape and child sexual abuse, several societal level correlation studies conclude the liberalization of pornography in society may be associated with decreased rape and other sexual violence rates, suggest no effect or are inconclusive. However, sexual assault rates remain high in many Western countries such as the U.S. and correlational studies alone do not prove an effect or lack of it, due to the myriad of factors impacting these often-high rates of sexual assault.

Kinda seems like that it is not a problem.  I once had a colleague joke that it provides an unreasonable expectation of performance levels, but it is fantasy.  Most folks know Batman isn’t real (he’s a series of actors because everyone knows that you can’t ever beat Adam West).

When doing a google search on the porn as a health issue, first off, the first ten entries (Wikipedia was like five down) were for a site from an organization called Fight the New Drug which is an anti-pornography non-profit which was founded by the Mormons.

This is why I hate people “googling it” (ok wow that kinda sounds like what I did my entire freshman year of high school, but I digest). Organizations like these, spend actual money to get their page to appear more frequently. Thus any real information you wanted to obtain (the evidence-based stuff) is buried under this sea of nonsense. But as your champion, I pummeled relentlessly on through references to “studies” (these have all been debunked). Talks about harm to relationships, etc. This organization even makes the outlandish claim “porn kills” and discusses it as an addiction.

Let’s start there. The DSM 5, the most current standard for psychiatric diagnosis in existence (and dammed expensive to own), says nothing about it as an addiction.   The APA puts it best:

The DSM-5 considered the diagnosis of hypersexuality-related behavioral disorders (to which porn addiction was a subset), but rejected it because “there is insufficient peer-reviewed evidence to establish the diagnostic criteria and course descriptions needed to identify these behaviors as mental disorders.” Instead, some psychologists suggest that any maladaptive sexual symptoms represent a manifestation of an underlying disorder, such as depression or anxiety which is simply manifesting itself sexually, or there is no underlying disorder, and the behavior simply is not maladaptive. These psychologists do not recognize the concept of addiction, only chemical dependence, and believe the concept and diagnosis to be stigmatizing and unhelpful.

Ok, so, basically porn is not a problem except maybe to peoples’ taboos about masturbation. Because we all know you just don’t “look” at the pictures.  So what do you do if your teen does this?  Well I suggest you leave them alone and when they are done you should have a frank discussion about sex with them as well as the parts about safer sex, etc. (yes if you don’t get the subtext I am saying it is ok for your teen or anyone inclined to, to masturbate. Obviously there are inappropriate places…) You should also make sure they are aware it is fantasy.  Best not to talk down at this point and have a face to face, honest, and active listening discussion.  Condescension is not the answer here.  If you have moral hang-ups about it, you probably didn’t even make it this far.  If you did, you could discuss your issues with it but don’t be surprised if they look at you like you are high. The funny thing is that parents who are like this probably have no trouble showing your guns and all the wrong way to use them.

Yeah, there is a much more real public health crisis.  Besides the air quality here, gun violence is a real crisis, no matter what the NRA would tell you.  You know why? One shot from porn (I’ll wait till you get it) will not kill you the same way that one shot from a gun will.  I had a good old boy say, that’s what those pointy-head researchers would find out, that guns kill, and it would be a waste of the money. Well, actually there is something more that could be done.

Research looking into violence would be a lot like what they did with cars when they were introduced, and folks started dying in them. We found out seat belts helped save lives: tires, suspension, and brakes in the stopping process. Airbags, later as technology developed.  In a sense, it greatly keeps the number of deaths in car accidents down.  Yeah, there are always outliers like there are with guns.

For being as “gun rights” as most people in these parts are; folks have no idea on actual gun safety.  That in and of itself would save hundreds of lives and injuries.  The unnatural fear stirred up by gun manufacturers through their lobbies, and the NRA are asinine. Keep your guns folks, hell use it in place of porn for all I care, just make sure the right one “goes off.”  However, let research happen. Good things can happen through better technology and improve safety.  It kinda sucks to tell a parent, spouse, or friend that their loved one died of their injuries. This is with no real threat, no war, not a cop, just a kid that found a gun in a closet…

I have guns, I also know safety and have them for specific reasons. Is it that much of a threat to your existence that some safety enters in to play?

Oh well, the Bats use different bats for their home defense. So far “bats” 10 intruders 0