Here Are the Benefits of Watching Porn With Your Partner
By: Emma London
Tags: Relationships, Sexuality, Sex, Advice, Porn

Here Are the Benefits of Watching Porn With Your Partner

The sexual and relationship benefits that come with watching porn as a couple

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Porn might have as many fans as it has enemies.

The effects that porn has on your mental health; if it triggers aggressive behaviours; if it’s addictive or not, and how it affects your relationship have all been topics to scientific research.

Like with other matters, the results are varied. Depending on the approach researchers make to the matter (what questions need to be answered) and the sample (age, culture, time into the relationship, etc.), the results vary.

My research — that compiled scientific articles, blog posts written by sex educators and my personal inquiring — showed that if porn is used properly, it will improve your sex life and have a positive impact on your relationship.

When I say “used properly”, I’m referring to consume porn as an addition to your sex life instead of a replacement. And that you shouldn’t use it to compare the actors/actresses to your partner (bodies and sexual performance), and never lose the sense of its purpose.

Porn is fiction and a complement to your sex life. As long as you see it that way, no harm will come from it.

If you watch porn with your partner in a non-judgemental way, free from expectations (besides having fun and mutual pleasure) and have it as a complement to your sex life, porn is beneficial.

Watching porn as a couple is a very erotic and enriching experience.

The benefits of watching porn as a couple

There are several benefits that come from watching porn with your partner, not only for your sexual life — solo and partnered — but also for your relationship.

Porn contributes to improving your sexual communication

Talking about sex with your partner is not always the easiest thing to do.

Despite them being the person you share your most intimate thoughts, when it comes to personal sexual desires, curiosities or fantasies, often people won’t talk, which leads to a frustrating sexual life.

But as much as talking about sex with your partner can be daunting, it’s also transformative.

By sharing your sexual desires, fantasies, likes and dislikes, you are creating and strengthen a healthy, fulfilled and happy sexual life.

This 2019 study evaluated the correlation between sexual communication and sexual function. The results showed that couples who had good sexual communication were positively associated with sexual desire, sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, erectile function, less pain, and overall sexual function.

Porn can have a relevant role in how your sexual communication grows.

Regarding sex, it might be easier to show things than finding the right words to describe it — porn can be used as a mean for you to externalise your sexual desires and curiosities.

You will feel more at ease to say “I’d like to try that” or “I love when you do that to me” and “I’m curious about how that might feel” while it's passing on the screen than to say it when it crosses your mind.

And the best part is that your comment will be the trigger for a sexual conversation. Your partner for sure will be interested in knowing more about what you’re commenting.

The same way, your partner will also share with you their preferences and curiosities.

Sexual communication will flow between you two!

Porn deepens intimacy

By sharing porn, you and your partner will show each other what you like the most, what you’d like to try, and what you're not into.

While watching it, you might want to replicate some of the positions or tricks the actors are engaging. You will have fun, you will share pleasure and fantasies.

Porn allows you to understand your partner on a deeper level, the same way they will feel it with you.

Porn is educational

By now, you and your partner should have enough information about each other; what are their sexual preferences, their erogenous spots, how they like to be touched. But there’s always something more.

Sexuality is fluid. What you like today might not feel the same in two years. The same way, you can start liking something new — even things you never thought you’d like.

That’s why is so important to continue to explore your sexuality throughout time. And porn has a relevant role in this matter.

Through porn, you and your partner will share sexual visual cues, and you will talk about what you’re watching. The communication is open between you, you can explore your turn-ons and turn-offs.

This exploration can even happen without verbal communication: you can simply reproduce what you saw in porn or invite your partner with a naughty “shall we?”

Porn will help you step away from your comfort zone and try things that you never thought you would.

Strengths the relationship

Couple activities are very important to maintain a healthy relationship. Activities that lead to sex or that contribute to improving your sex life have a deeper effect.

In this recent study (2020), the researchers explored the relationship between watching porn and intimacy. Their conclusions were:

People who reported watching more pornography with their partner reported more relationship intimacy and increases in watching together over time were associated with increases in sexual intimacy.

Watching porn as a couple has long-terms effects on the relationship; it strengths the bound and the levels of intimacy.