SALT LAKE CITY — Every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video hits the Internet, and in the time it takes you to read this sentence, American pornographers will make another $23,000 for selling such material, according to a 2006 Internet Filter Review.
But as modern science begins to discover the havoc the once-considered harmless pastime is inflicting on relationships today, more and more anti-pornography Web sites are making their way to the surface where users and their loved ones are searching for answers.
On Wednesday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped fill part of that growing vacuum of demand by launching its own dedicated anti-pornography Web site through its nonprofit social counseling arm, LDS Family Services.
"We've been working on getting this done for four years," said Dr. Michael D. Gardner, a therapist at LDS Family Services and one of the site's lead creators. Gardner and others at LDS Family Services weren't immediately available for more comment.
Unlike commercialized sites speckled with flashy ads and purchase-begging banners, CombatingPornography.org is straightforward and obviously aimed at Latter-day Saints.
Perhaps most appealing, a first-time visitor can navigate effortlessly for advice about his or her specific concerns through five main tabs: Individuals, Spouses, Parents, Youth and Leaders.
Each of those main categories includes four subcategories: Prevent, Recognize, Overcome and Support. Thus, each group gets individualized attention.
Experts like Dr. Donald L. Hilton, a Texas neurosurgeon and author of the book "He Restoreth My Soul," explain how viewing pornography overuses pleasure centers in the thalamus and brain stem, which physically alters the brain.
Geoff Steurer, a licensed marriage and family counselor who lectures about sexual addictions, outlines ways for individuals to know if they're addicted. He recently told a packed room at the Utah Coalition Against Pornography Conference that a man's craving for a pornography isn't necessarily triggered by sexual stimuli, or a need for it. Instead deeper longings of attachment often activate such behavior.
He also says many husbands are silently calling out for such attachment — just not verbally.
"(Husbands) will come home early, share in duties around the house, offer to watch the kids and start talking about how they feel," Steurer said. "Sometimes those aren't obvious to the partner, but they're all signs he's looking for that attachment."
Besides research from mental heath clinical experts, the site interweaves videos of Mormon prophets and apostles, who tackle the issue from a spiritual side.
e-mail: jhancock@desnews.com