Women watch porn too - so why can’t we talk about it?
Feb 8, 2024
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Dr. Fiona Vera-Gray, deputy director at the Child and Women’s Abuse Studies Unit, discusses women's porn habits and the misconceptions surrounding it. Topics include the prevalence of porn consumption among women, the impact of pornography on young girls' perception of sex, and women's preferences and fantasies when it comes to porn.
Women's preferences in porn often differ from mainstream expectations, prioritizing their pleasure over male-centric narratives.
The lack of open and judgment-free conversations about women's porn consumption perpetuates stigma and inhibits understanding of diverse desires.
Deep dives
The prevalence of porn: Women are watching it too
Despite the prevalent assumption that porn is primarily consumed by men, statistics reveal that a significant number of women also watch it. According to Off-Com, one in five of the nearly 14 million people who watch porn online in the UK are doing so during work hours. The UK ranks second in the world for the number of searches for porn, just behind the US. Surprisingly, a quarter of adult viewers are women, and schoolgirls are also watching porn almost as much as boys. This raises concerns about the impact of porn on women's expectations of sex, especially when it is not centered around their desires or pleasure. A new book sheds light on 100 women's experiences with porn and what genuinely arouses them, challenging the binary perception of loving or hating porn.
Exploring women's preferences in porn
The book reveals that lesbian pornography is the most popular category among women, including both heterosexual and lesbian viewers. For heterosexual women, lesbian porn offers an alternative to mainstream pornography, which often fails to depict the type of sex they desire, where their pleasure is prioritized. Some women also turn to porn featuring women's masturbation or massages to avoid encountering violent or non-consensual content. However, the portrayal of violent acts or non-consensualness in some porn videos can create conflicts for women, who express arousal while also feeling discomfort or recognizing potential harm.
Breaking the taboo: The need for open conversations
Pornography remains a topic that is rarely discussed openly and honestly, especially in the context of women's desires and consumption habits. Many women do not talk to their partners about their porn usage, fearing judgment or being labeled as frigid or uncool. Similarly, women often keep their preferences a secret, even from their partners. This lack of dialogue perpetuates the stigma surrounding women's porn consumption. Increasing the space for open conversations without judgment is crucial to address the conflicts and concerns raised by women's engagement with porn. It is essential to create a safe platform for discussion and a better understanding of the diversity of women's desires and experiences.
A quarter of people watching pornography are women, but why do we find it hard to comprehend? We speak to the author of a new book who has interviewed one hundred women about their porn habits - what can we learn about women’s pleasure?
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