Discrimination
Young Women’s Attitudes and Concerns Regarding Pornography and Their Sexual Experiences: A Qualitative Approach.
Open Access: Yes.
Abstract
This study explores female university students’ attitudes toward and concerns about pornography, based on their experience watching it and on sexual encounters with men. It used a qualitative descriptive design. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 participants between March and April 2020. Thematic data analysis was performed using COREQ reporting guidelines. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) the sexual learning process, (2) the role of pornography in women’s sexuality, and (3) sexual experiences. Participants reported how they learned about sexuality and how pornography influenced sexual experiences. Self-esteem issues and societal norms regarding hair removal and difficulty saying “no” to unwanted or humiliating sexual practices were found. The young women were not comfortable with women’s representations in mainstream pornography. They blamed pornography for negative sexual experiences and claimed it influenced them and young men. Participants usually assumed submissive roles during sex and permitted aggressive sexual behaviors. The study reveals valuable information on how young women learn about sex and their difficulty in refusing unwanted sexual activities and even aggressive practices. Sexual education programs should include assertiveness training to improve sexual health, consent, and well-being.
Relevance
“Our participants, without a doubt, conceptualized pornography as undermining a healthy sexual relationship. Furthermore, their most intimate experiences and feelings referred to insecurities about their bodies and problems being assertive with men and refusing practices they disliked.”
“Our participants suggested that those who consume pornography demonstrate an approach to women during sexual encounters that attempts to imitate what they see in pornographic videos, which the women dislike…this has resulted in unsatisfactory sexual encounters.”
They “expressed concern about the sexual education of children and adolescents, believing that access to pornography occurs at younger ages and being aware of the long-term harm it may cause.”
“they had a clear opinion about certain visual elements that exist on most free pornography websites: the videos that violate human rights and people’s sexual rights should be removed.”
“In their testimonies, two important aspects appeared: (1) the difficulty in refusing to perform sexual practices that they dislike or stopping an unwanted action toward them and (2) fear of rejection, which paralyzes them and prevents them from respecting their own wishes” which was likely due to “the fact that women assume and internalize the submissive role played by women in pornography.”
The women, too, traced the social practice of pubic hair removal to pornography, which some of their partners considered an “indispensable requirement.”
“Young Spanish women are not comfortable with the role women represent in mainstream pornography. They reject sexual violence against women and the submissive role they play. Nevertheless, they subconsciously adopt socially expected/pornographically normalized behaviors, such as hair removal or submission to the male partner’s sexual desires, due to the fear of rejection and judgment.”
Citation
