With pornography becoming a growing trend, several problems are incurred with the addiction.

Ian Kerner, a sexuality counselor and New York Times best-selling author, notes the convenience of having porn available at home can present a problem for many.

“It’s easy, it’s lazy, it’s fun, and, oh yeah, it’s there. It’s always right there-even when we don’t want it to be,” Kerner said in a recent article in CNN health.

The Internet could also contribute to the problem because of accessibility and privacy.

By Kerner’s estimate, men are masturbating 50 to 500 percent more than they would normally without internet porn. So if a guy normally masturbated once a day, he might now be doing it two or three times a day.

“If you’re 17 and single, this might not be a problem. But if you’re 40 and toting a gut, it’s an issue-a real issue,” said Kerner. “Some guys may still feel mentally like they’re 17 years old, but they can’t have sex that way. Their bodies have changed and so have their refractory periods–the natural interval between erections.”

An increasing number of men are suffering from a syndrome Kerner has dubbed Sexual Attention Deficit Disorder.

Just as people with ADD tend to be easily distracted, guys with SADD have become so accustomed to the high levels of visual novelty and stimulation that internet porn provides that they’re unable to focus on real sex with a real woman.

Men with SADD tend to find themselves getting bored or impatient during sex, and suffering from mechanical “male-functions”: They may be physiologically aroused and even have an erection, but they’re not at peak mental arousal.

Guys with SADD may also simply lack the mojo for real sex because they’re depleted from masturbation. They’re not running on a full tank, physically, mentally and certainly not sexually.

Dr. Janet McMullen, a professor in the communications department, thinks that Kerner has some good points.

“One thing you want to be sure to discuss is the pharmacological connection between porn and addiction. Users actually get addicted to the chemicals their brains release because of shock arousal,” McMullen said.

Kerner says that in a healthy relationship, there’s nothing wrong with porn, and when couples share porn together, it can make them even more excited about sex with each other and can be a strong bonding experience.

“Porn can also be a healthy way of exploring forbidden taboos,” said Kerner. “Porn provides a venue to explore things that you normally don’t get to explore.”

Some women view porn as an impediment to their sexual satisfation.

“Viewing porn is unhealthy in any relationship or situation,” said Christina Caufield, a UNA sophomore.

Caufield believes that indulging in porn is like playing with fire.

“It breaks trust and makes women feel vulnerable and used by letting them feel like they are not enough to satisfy a man physically,” she said. “If a couple is engaging in sexual activity, then porn can impact their sex life. And if they’re not, then it can put pressure on the woman to engage or make her feel like she’s not worth the wait.”

A recent article in Psychology Today reports that the more that a person watches porn, the stronger the benefits are for both sexes.

Once couples start discussing porn, Kerner says it’s a stimulus to their relationship to share fantasies, talk about likes and dislikes and more.

“Porn viewing to me is like cheating,” said Morgan Sandoval, a UNA child development major.

Sandoval says she would only compare herself to the women on the screen.

“It would kill me to know that my boyfriend is lusting after other random women,” said Sandoval.