Claims Database
Common statements about pornography use and recovery, each evaluated against the current evidence. A claim's status is about the evidence — not a judgment on the people who make it.
Statuses: Supported · Partially Supported · Mixed Evidence · Limited Evidence · Not Established · Contradicted · Unknown. "Not established" means evidence is insufficient — not that the claim is false.
| Claim | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| The brain requires 90 days of abstinence from pornography to recover. | Not Established | limited |
| Abstaining from pornography and masturbation increases testosterone levels. | Not Established | mixed |
| "Pornography addiction" is an officially recognized diagnosis. | Not Established | strong |
| Pornography use causes erectile dysfunction. | Not Established | limited |
| Pornography use permanently damages the brain. | Not Established | limited |
| All pornography use constitutes addiction. | Contradicted | strong |
| Withdrawal from pornography is an established clinical syndrome. | Not Established | limited |
| A relapse means recovery has failed. | Contradicted | strong |
| An urge to view pornography typically passes within a few minutes if not acted on. | Partially Supported | limited |
| Installing website blockers reliably prevents relapse. | Limited Evidence | limited |
| Quitting is simply a matter of willpower. | Not Established | moderate |