Watching pornography has an adverse affect on the health of a marriage and substantially increases the probability of divorce, especially for women, an American Sociological Association study reported this week.
"Our results suggest that viewing pornography, under certain social conditions, may have negative effects on marital stability," said Samuel Perry, the study's author and assistant professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma.
Perry reported beginning to watch porn during a marriage nearly doubled the likelihood of getting a divorce from 6 to 11 percent.
The effect of porn was far more pronounced with women — when they began to watch porn during marriage, they were nearly three times as likely to get divorced.
Age is a factor in divorce rates, too. The effect of porn leading to divorce gets weaker with age, according to the study, which concluded the younger a married adult begins to watch porn, the higher the probability they will get divorced.
"Younger Americans tend to view pornography more often than older Americans, and older Americans generally have more stable marriages since they tend to be more mature, financially established, and likely already have more time invested in the relationship," Perry said. "So, we thought it made perfect sense that the effect of pornography use on divorce would grow weaker with age."
The increased probability of divorce is not realized with the religious who begin to watch porn during marriage, however, according to the report. The study defined religious as those who attend service weekly.
"Our findings suggest that religion has a protective effect on marriage, even in the face of pornography use," Perry said. "Because religious groups stigmatize divorce and prioritize marital stability, it is likely that married Americans who are more religious will experience a greater combination of community pressure and internalized moral pressure to stay married, regardless of pornography's effect on their marital quality."
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has pledged to make enforcement of anti-pornography laws a priority if he is elected this November.
"We have no desire to push a 'ban pornography' agenda on the grounds that it can be harmful to marriages," Perry said. "We think information is helpful, and Americans should be aware of the potential consequences of pornography under certain circumstances."
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