While some psychologists argue whether or not porn could lead to serious addiction or prevent sex offenses, or if porn is linked to erectile dysfunction, Dr David Ley claims that there is no strong evidence to suggest that a person can be addicted to porn or have any problems getting hard.

Ley reviewed a long slew of recent studies into porn addiction and discovered that 37 percent of studies describe excessive porn viewing as an addiction, while 27 percent of articles had no data at all.

His findings published in the journal ‘Current Sexual Health Reports,’ also say that there are no negative side effects for a person who excessively uses porn, and that there are no links whatsoever to erectile dysfunction.

He concluded that the latest studies are carried out poorly and lack scientific merit. Based on this he says that the evidence suggesting porn is addictive is very weak.

“We need better methods to help people who struggle with the high frequency use of visual sexual stimuli, without pathologizing them or their use thereof,” Ley writes.

He also mentioned that the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, the trusted manual approved by the American Psychiatric Association, doesn’t list porn addiction as a disorder.

Instead, Ley writes that porn, contradictory to recent studies, can improve attitudes to sexuality, increase quality of life and pleasure in long-term relationships, because porn serves as an outlet for deviant sexual desires that could lead to sexual offenses.

Naturally, Ley’s rather controversial findings have been met by a healthy doze of skepticism from the scientific community. Paula Hall, a leading sexual and relationship therapist strongly disagrees with Ley and says that porn is not only addictive but it also ruins lives of those afflicted and those around them.

“The clients are very real, and comments like this dismiss and belittle the very real pain that people suffer,” Hall said. “We are inundated with requests for help from people who want to get back on with their lives.”

She went on to draw a parallel between excessive porn viewing and alcoholism: “People don’t drink because they’re thirsty, it’s because they have other psychological problems.”

“It impacts relationships, social lives, work, studies, after a while it can escalate to the person paying for sites and so there’s also a financial implication. When you work with these people it’s just ridiculous to say it (a problem) doesn’t exist.”