Socialization & Relationship Outcomes

Open Access: No.

Abstract

Coitus interruptus is an attempt at contraception wherein penile thrusts desist on the cusp of ejaculation, the penis is hastily withdrawn from the vagina, and semen is deposited externally. Pornography is extremely popular and multiple content analyses suggest that external ejaculation is the norm in pornographic depictions. Using campus-representative data collected from undergraduate and graduate students 18 and older at a large public U.S. university, the present study had three primary objectives: to provide the first estimate of the direction and magnitude of the association between pornography exposure frequency and coitus interruptus among men; to investigate whether the pornography exposure—coitus interruptus association is moderated by age, race, relationship status, binge drinking, or impulsivity; and to explore whether confounding and prediction models supported age, race, relationship status, binge drinking, and impulsivity as confounds or initiating predictors of the pornography exposure—coitus interruptus association. For every one-unit increase in pornography exposure frequency, the odds of coitus interruptus increased by 18%. This association was not moderated or confounded by age, race, relationship status, binge drinking, or impulsivity. Mediation models did suggest the importance of age, relationship status, and impulsivity as initiating predictors, however. Intervention and theoretical implications are discussed.

Relevance

Note: Although the article did not address this issue in depth, coitus interruptus in pornography today typically takes the form of the so-called ‘facial,’ whereby the male ejaculates on the face of his female partner, and often in her eyes and hair. In porn, this iconic action is a form of degradation to women.

The study found that “there was a positive and significant association between more frequent exposure to pornography showing condomless sex and the likelihood of coitus interruptus. For every one-unit increase in pornography exposure frequency the odds of coitus interruptus increased by 18%.” Furthermore, the “association between pornography exposure and coitus interruptus maintained after adjusting for differences in age, race, relationship status, binge drinking, and impulsivity and was not significantly moderated by these factors.”

Additionally, the study found that this association was “inconsistent with the libertarian theory of pornography and similar theoretical frameworks positing that associations between pornography consumption and sexual behavior are simply artifacts of preexisting individual differences.” In other words, the study found a direction causal relationship between viewing pornography and male sexual behavior.

Note: By implication, this articles provides evidence that the more pornography a young man watches, the more he is likely to see sexual activity as entailing derisive actions directed at his female partners.

Since coitus interruptus is not an effective method of contraception or protective against sexually transmitted infections, “there is an urgent need…to ensure that medically accurate, comprehensive sex education is provided in public schools to middle school and high school-age youth… Reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy is especially important given decreased access to legal abortion in many U.S. states.” Equally urgent is to ensure that sexuality education “includes information about pornography and the effect that using pornography may have on sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior.” Also, “health care providers, including pediatricians and adolescent medicine providers, need to be alerted about the elevated risk of engaging in coitus interruptus among young men who consume pornography. Health care providers can counsel their patients about the risks of relying on pornography for health information, including reproductive and sexual health-related information.”

Citation

Wright, P. J., Herbenick, D., Tokunaga, R. S., & Rothman, E. F. (2026). Pornography Exposure and Coitus Interruptus in a Campus-Representative Sample of Collegiate Men. Journal of Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2026.2704965