Rates, Age, & Impact of Exposure to Pornography

Open Access: No.

Abstract

Sexuality is a central aspect of human beings, and adolescence is a crucial period of transition from childhood to adulthood where sexual awakening occurs. As a critical aspect of life, adolescents should have quality sexual education to guide them through this transition. However, currently, educational institutions often lack structured and standardized sexual education programs that go beyond medicalized models focused on sexual and reproductive health and contraceptive use. A qualitative design using in-depth interviews with an ethnographic perspective to obtain detailed information considering the context. The Venegas model on sexual-affective education was referenced. This model identifies four significant areas: gender, sexuality, love/affection, and body. A qualitative design based on in-depth interviews was chosen to obtain detailed information about the issues mentioned. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with adolescents aged 13 to 20 in two groups: students of compulsory secondary education and vocational training. Results showed boys tend to prioritize physical aspects of sexuality, such as masturbation and intercourse, whereas girls tend to focus more on emotional connections and concern about contraception. Pornography, patriarchal cultural patterns, sexism, and traditional gender roles shaped these initial experiences. Meanings and practices were revealed to be conditioned by a sexist model of attraction, body dissatisfaction, and learning through pornography, which was related to experiences of normalized control and sexual violence in relationships. Some positive advancements resulting from feminist achievements were also discovered, such as understanding the value of consent, empathy, and the appreciation of alternative models of masculinity by some girls. These results highlight the importance of developing sexual education programs from a psychosocial and feminist perspective. Such programs should aim to transform cultural norms and attitudes surrounding sexuality, promoting agency and healthier and more equitable relationships among adolescents.

Relevance

In general, “girls reflect more critically on pornography, perceiving it as unreal, exaggerated, unequal, and lacking in affection and communication between the people involved…Another criticism voiced is that pornography presents a stereotypical image of sexuality, potentially confusing consumers and fostering unrealistic expectations” and that “many men ask their partners to imitate certain practices they see in pornography, which can often be painful or impossible for women to perform…The depiction of sexual encounters in pornography often emphasises exaggerated acts that disregard the physical comfort and consent of the women leading to a distorted view of sex. As a result, women may find themselves in situations where they are asked to engage in acts that cause physical discomfort or emotional distress. Moreover, some girls point out that boys believe what they see in pornography and have made it the centre of their lives.” Girls, too, emphasize the “violent nature” of pornography.

During adolescence, sexuality “is marked by patriarchal learning on sex-affective relationships, sexism, and gender inequalities, permeated by the influence of gender stereotypes, the mandate of physical appearance, pornography consumption as a source of learning and sexual socialisation, and experiences of gender violence.”

“In our study, girls used the following adjectives to describe pornography: unreal, idealised, exaggerated, unpleasant, non-egalitarian, lacking in affection, and generating unrealistic expectations.”

“The increased access to pornography among adolescents in recent years seems to have led to increased expectations and pressures regarding how sexuality and bodies should be.”

“Our results point out the need to carry out a radical transformation of the perspective of sexual education in adolescence, leaving behind medical models based mainly on learning about contraceptive methods and reproduction and moving towards psychosocial models that influence the transformation of norms, attitudes and beliefs to sexual agency” and “critical thinking” about pornography.

Citation

Navarro-Mantas, L., & Sáez-Lumbreras, A. (2025). Sexuality Construction, Pornography, and Gender Violence: A Qualitative Study with Spanish Adolescents. Sexuality & Culture, 29, 1339-1387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-025-10326-3