(859) Online Pornography Use Among Medical Students

Abstract Introduction Online pornography consumption is a widespread phenomenon across the world, particularly among young adults. Frequent use of pornography can have negative effects on individuals and their social lives. Objective This study aimed to assess online pornography use among medical students Methods This is a monocentric cross-sectional study conducted among medical students between December 2024 and January 2025 through an online questionnaire distributed by email. Online pornography use was evaluated using the Pornography Use Motivation Scale (PUMS-24) in its validated translated version. Results Out of 1,282 emails sent, 38 students agreed to participate in the survey. The mean age of participants was 21 years (range: 18–26 years). More than half of the study population was female, with a sex ratio of 0.8. The mean age at the onset of autoerotic activity was 13.65 years. The mean and median age of first exposure to pornography was 13 years, with extremes ranging from 8 to 18 years. According to the Pornography Use Motivation Scale (PUMS-24), 10.5% of participants reported high to very high use of online pornography, 63.2% showed low motivation for use, 18.4% had low to moderate use, and 7.9% reported moderate use. Conclusions Pornography remains a taboo and sensitive topic among medical students. Online pornography use appears relatively high, with varying degrees of intensity of consumption. Further studies with larger samples are needed to better understand the underlying motivations and psychosocial impacts of pornography use in this population. Disclosure No