Rates, Age, & Impact of Exposure to Pornography

Open Access: Yes.

Abstract

Introduction
Exposure to sexual content in mainstream media during adolescence may influence the development of sexual behaviors, including pornography use in adulthood. This study examined whether such exposure predicts later pornography consumption.

Methods
A sample of 1,000 Spanish young adults (aged 18–25) completed an online survey. Exposure to sexual content was assessed using IMDb parental guide ratings for participants’ favorite movies and TV shows from adolescence. Generalized linear models estimated risk ratios (RRs) for pornography use in the past 12 months, adjusting for demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial factors were computed for the whole sample and the subsample of individuals who did not use pornography before age 18 (nweighted = 250.5).

Results
In the full sample, female sex, heterosexual orientation, and frequent internet-related educational messages were protective against adult pornography use. Prior pornography use during adolescence was the strongest predictor of continued use. In the restricted subsample of participants with no adolescent pornography exposure, viewing media with moderate or severe sexual content was significantly associated with adult use, while internet safety education remained a protective factor.

Conclusion
This study suggests an association between exposure to sexually explicit content in movies and TV shows during adolescence and use of pornography in early adulthood; it also demonstrates that freely available classification systems such as IMDb’s parental guides can be used effectively to operationalize exposure to sexual content and identify individuals at increased risk of later pornography use. These tools, widely and freely available, offer a practical and scalable approach to media research and prevention strategies.

Policy Implications
Governments and rating agencies should ensure that media classification systems clearly reflect sexual content levels and facilitate effective strategies for parental guidance. This would help parents, educators, and professionals guide adolescent media consumption and implement preventive strategies.

Relevance

The study found that “prior use of pornography during adolescence emerged as the dominant predictor” of the use of pornography during early adulthood. The study also found that “those who had not used pornography during adolescence but watched media with higher sexual content (moderate or severe according to IMDBs [Internet Movie Database] parental guide ratings) exhibited a higher likelihood of pornography use in adulthood.”

Citation