Pornography

Not all porn is created equal - is there such a thing as a healthy pornography?

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 27, 2023

“Many of the discussions around … the putrid effects of porn on real-world sex … come back to teaching about sex and consent and starting that teaching young”.

Key Points: 
  • “Many of the discussions around … the putrid effects of porn on real-world sex … come back to teaching about sex and consent and starting that teaching young”.
  • Read more:
    Big W has withdrawn Welcome to Sex from its stores to protect staff – but teen sex education can keep young people safe

Modern pornography

    • That’s resulted in an explosion in the variety of pornography you can consume.
    • There still exists – although less – expensive glossy mainstream pornography.
    • To answer this question I worked with a team, including Welcome to Sex author Melissa Kang, to establish an expert panel of sexual health experts, adolescent health experts, sex educators, pornography researchers and pornography producers.

A different kind of pornography

    • The experts identified four explicit websites that potentially supported healthy sexual development, all of which feature a slightly different kind of pornography.
    • PinkLabel.TV favours queer indie materials which are often slightly punk in their orientation, with a range of different sexualities, genders and body types, presenting their sex in unashamed ways.
    • Both of these points match well with non-expert critiques of pornography.

Diversity and realism

    • This is an interesting finding because unlike the first two it doesn’t match up so well with non-expert critiques.
    • A lot of discussions about “porn literacy” at the moment critique pornography for being “unrealistic” – and when you dig down into the details often they mean pornography shows too much variety in sex – group sex, anal sex, kinky sex – rather than vanilla, monogamous loving sex.

Negotiation of consent

    • A fourth criterion on which the experts agreed was the value of showing the negotiation of consent on screen.
    • This is also an interesting one because most pornography doesn’t show the negotiation of consent.
    • However it doesn’t often show negotiation of consent – pornography is set in a world of fantasy where everybody enjoys everything they do sexually, all the time.

Navigating pornography

    • In this world where so many different kinds of people are producing different kinds of pornography, don’t assume it’s all the same.
    • If you want to find healthy pornography - or you want to advise young adults in your life about how to find healthy pornography - then here are some of the questions you should be asking.

Massachusetts is updating its sex education guidelines for the first time in 24 years

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 24, 2023

The last time Massachusetts issued guidelines that specify expectations for what Massachusetts students learn about sex in schools was 24 years ago, when most U.S. homes were not yet internet-connected.

Key Points: 
  • The last time Massachusetts issued guidelines that specify expectations for what Massachusetts students learn about sex in schools was 24 years ago, when most U.S. homes were not yet internet-connected.
  • The new guidelines are part of a larger framework that addresses many aspects of health, including physical education, nutrition and hygiene.
  • I’m a public health researcher who focuses on sex education and healthy relationships.
  • I’ll provide some more detail on the Massachusetts framework below, but first it is important to understand the state of sex education in the U.S.

Sex education and pornography

    • Many young people in the U.S are not getting the sex education that they need.
    • Currently, only 38 U.S. states and the District of Columbia mandate any kind of sex education.
    • So where do teenagers and young adults go to get information about sex, in the absence of comprehensive sex education at school?
    • Massachusetts is not one of the states that mandates sex education.
    • Importantly, the new Massachusetts framework recognizes the prevalence of pornography, and it addresses other critical sex education topics for the modern world.

A series of online games

    • As researchers, we endeavored to create an online sex education module that reflected the best available evidence and feedback that we got from young people.
    • Our teaching materials are in the form of short, online games that students engage with on their own time, and then come back to the classroom to discuss.
    • One of the games has students order the effectiveness of 11 different contraceptive methods.

Reading the framework

    • First, the framework is evidence-based.
    • If it does, the new framework will be well positioned to serve as a national model.

How to talk to boys about misogyny

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 17, 2023

The government’s Women and Equalities Committee

Key Points: 
  • The government’s Women and Equalities Committee
    recently emphasised the need to combat misogyny through work with young men and boys.
  • It is vitally important that we talk about misogyny with boys.
  • Boys may feel shut out of the conversation, leaving them feeling blamed but unable to contribute to solutions.
  • Here is some guidance on how to talk to boys about misogyny that may be helpful.

Approach the topic without judgment

    • Perhaps you feel anger or disgust at the way girls at school may be made to feel by their male peers.
    • But the first step in addressing this issue is to create dialogue – and this is unlikely to happen if boys feel judged.

Let boys say what they feel

    • You could start by asking your child’s opinion on a particular issue, such as online misogyny influencers or sexual harassment at school.
    • Let your son know that they are able to be honest and you will not judge them.
    • But to truly get to the heart of the matter, boys need to feel that they do not have to stick to a social script and are able to say what they are really feeling.

Listen to their ideas


    Young people are the experts in the world that they live in now. Your child may well know more than you do about how much pornography is shared between teens, what misogynistic influencers are saying, how sexual harassment happens online and what their peers’ views on gender are. They may also have good ideas about tackling misogyny. Make your conversation a discussion, not a lecture, and prepare to learn from them, too.

Masculinity and misogyny aren’t the same

    • There is nothing wrong with a young man or boy identifying with this type of masculinity.
    • We have to make this distinction and separate them when considering masculinity.
    • As parents, we should approach these topics with compassion and an awareness that we are all in this together.

One in Five Couples Report Conflict Related to Pornography, According to New Survey

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 9, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --A national poll on couples and pornography released today found that one in five couples report conflict in their relationship related to pornography.

Key Points: 
  • SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --A national poll on couples and pornography released today found that one in five couples report conflict in their relationship related to pornography.
  • The survey was comprised of two national datasets one with individuals in couple relationships and a second with matched partners for which both partners or spouses completed the survey.
  • About half of all non-married couples report using pornography together, at least sometimes.
  • While about half of all married men report watching pornography with their spouse, only about a third of married women report the same behavior.

CyberPurify makes the world's first online content filtering in realtime

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 21, 2021

More than 60% of 11 to 13-year-olds are unintentionally exposed to pornography online, most of which describe the feeling as "awful" and "confused", causing the most negative feelings, especially for children under 10.

Key Points: 
  • More than 60% of 11 to 13-year-olds are unintentionally exposed to pornography online, most of which describe the feeling as "awful" and "confused", causing the most negative feelings, especially for children under 10.
  • *\nThe period under 10 is when children interact and explore with the outside world, so they are easy to imitate and be influenced by negative factors.
  • Parents just install CyberPurify Kids in the store containing the browser extension/add-on.
  • Advanced features include sending statistical reports to parents for $9/ month, and $99/ year.\nView original content to download multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cyberpurify-makes-the-worlds-fir...\n'

Pandemic Has Created Greater Need for Positive Sexual Health Information for Young People

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 26, 2021

b'HINSDALE, Ill., April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a 2020 study , half of 11- to 13-year-olds have viewed pornography.

Key Points: 
  • b'HINSDALE, Ill., April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a 2020 study , half of 11- to 13-year-olds have viewed pornography.
  • With increased isolation and mental health setbacks, students of all ages have upped their use of online connectivity, including using the internet for intimate connections, sex information and sexual experiences.
  • One study showed 85% of parents said it should be taught in middle school.
  • Unfortunately, the pandemic created a situation in which kids had to seek other sources.

Washingtonian Magazine's "Menopause Whisperer" Receives Distinguished Service Award

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 8, 2021

BURNSVILLE, Minn., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --James A. Simon, MD, CCD, NCMP, IF, FACOG, Washingtonian Magazine's "Menopause Whisperer," has been awarded The International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) Distinguished Service Award.

Key Points: 
  • BURNSVILLE, Minn., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --James A. Simon, MD, CCD, NCMP, IF, FACOG, Washingtonian Magazine's "Menopause Whisperer," has been awarded The International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) Distinguished Service Award.
  • As Dr. Simon treated women in their mid-40s who were fatalistically accepting their declining libidos, he was determined to step forward.
  • Nicknamed the "Menopause Whisperer" by Washingtonian Magazine, Dr. Simon believes the availability of pornography has had both positive and negative effects on sexual relationships.
  • Dr. Simon will accept the ISSWSH Distinguished Service Award during a 10:45 AM telecast from the 2021 ISSWSH Annual Meeting on Friday, March 5th.

Susman Godfrey Files Proposed Class Action Against PornHub, MindGeek Alleging Underage Sex Trafficking, Child Pornography

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 22, 2021

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Susman Godfrey LLP filed a proposed class action against PornHub parent company MindGeek on February 19, 2021 alleging MindGeek has violated federal sex trafficking and child pornography laws by knowingly posting, enabling the posting of and profiting from thousands of pornographic videos featuring persons under the age of 18.

Key Points: 
  • LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Susman Godfrey LLP filed a proposed class action against PornHub parent company MindGeek on February 19, 2021 alleging MindGeek has violated federal sex trafficking and child pornography laws by knowingly posting, enabling the posting of and profiting from thousands of pornographic videos featuring persons under the age of 18.
  • While PornHub ultimately removed the videos, it warned her that it could not guarantee the videos would not be uploaded again.
  • These individuals are victims of sex trafficking and child pornography, they want to see an end to these harmful practices, and they deserve to be compensated for the damage MindGeek has caused."
  • The Susman Godfrey team is led by partners Arun Subramanian , Krysta Kauble Pachman and Davida Brook .

The Birds, Bees & Bots: Kids' internet use puts pressure on 70% of parents to have "the talk" sooner than planned

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

As part of a global research study, AVG found that an overwhelming 70% of parents agreed that the internet has accelerated conversations with children about sex.

Key Points: 
  • As part of a global research study, AVG found that an overwhelming 70% of parents agreed that the internet has accelerated conversations with children about sex.
  • It found that 88% of parents cite unintentional exposure to adult material as one of their biggest concerns about their child using the internet.
  • At the same time, only a third of parents (33%) said that they had planned to have this conversation with their child at this age.
  • 41% say that their main concern about their children using the internet is that they will be exposed to, or take part in, sexting.

The Birds, Bees & Bots: Kids' internet use puts pressure on 70% of parents to have "the talk" sooner than planned

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

As part of a global research study, AVG found that an overwhelming 70% of parents agreed that the internet has accelerated conversations with children about sex.

Key Points: 
  • As part of a global research study, AVG found that an overwhelming 70% of parents agreed that the internet has accelerated conversations with children about sex.
  • It found that 88% of parents cite unintentional exposure to adult material as one of their biggest concerns about their child using the internet.
  • At the same time, only a third of parents (33%) said that they had planned to have this conversation with their child at this age.
  • 41% say that their main concern about their children using the internet is that they will be exposed to, or take part in, sexting.