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Nolin MC, Daspe MÈ, Bőthe B, Brassard A, Joyal C, Vaillancourt-Morel MP. Associations Between Contents of Pornography and Sexual Satisfaction and Function Among Young Adults. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2024:1-14. [PMID: 38319285 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2024.2311874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Pornography offers a wide variety of sexual contents and has documented potential positive (e.g., higher sexual satisfaction) and negative associations (e.g., lower sexual function) with sexuality. The aims of this study were to describe the proportion of use of five different contents of pornography (i.e. group sex, passion and romance, gender-bending, taboo transgression and forbidden sex, power, control, and rough sex pornography), to examine gender-based differences in the frequency of use of these contents, and to examine the associations between the frequency of use of these contents and sexual satisfaction and function, considering potential differences among genders and individuals with and without a romantic or sexual partner, and controlling for frequency of masturbation. A sample of 827 young adults (503 women; Mage = 23.44) completed online self-report questionnaires. Results of path analysis indicated that, controlling for frequency of masturbation, the use of passion and romance pornography was associated with higher sexual satisfaction, whereas the use of power, control, and rough sex pornography was associated with lower sexual satisfaction. Cisgender men's use of power, control, and rough sex pornography was also associated with lower sexual function. These findings suggest different associations between pornography use and sexual satisfaction and function depending on the pornographic contents used.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beáta Bőthe
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal
| | | | - Christian Joyal
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
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Jahnen M, Zeng L, Kron M, Meissner VH, Korte A, Schiele S, Schulwitz H, Dinkel A, Gschwend JE, Herkommer K. The role of pornography in the sex life of young adults-a cross-sectional cohort study on female and male German medical students. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1287. [PMID: 35787262 PMCID: PMC9252028 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13699-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to easy online accessibility of pornography its consumption is popular among adolescents and young adults. Considering recently developed frameworks on the effects of sexual media, we assessed how increased consumption of pornography is associated with the experience of certain aspects of offline and online sexual activity in German medical students. METHODS Between April 2018 and March 2020 medical students from the Technical University of Munich in Germany were anonymously surveyed with regards to their sexual behavior, consumption of pornography, and use of social media. 468 students (female: n = 293; male: n = 175) were included in the current analysis. Data was analyzed using simple and multiple Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS Only 7.3% of female students but the majority of male students (79.1%) consumed pornography more than 4 times in the last 4 weeks. Female and male students who reported to be inspired by pornography (female: 52.0%, male: 74.6%) and who have enjoyed the experience of anal intercourse in their life (female: 17.1%, male: 32.2%) consumed pornography more frequently. Female students who have experienced a "threesome" (9.0%), have sent erotic pictures of themselves (33.5%), or use social media in their dating life (27.6%) consumed pornography more frequently. Male students who did not experience a sexual transmitted disease (82.9%) and did not cheat on their partner (68.0%) consumed pornography more frequently (results of multiple Poisson regression analysis; all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Many students consider pornography as inspiration for their sex life and frequent consumption of pornography seems to be associated with gender specific characteristics congruent with short-term sexual quality. The desire of adolescents and young adults for practical information about sexual intercourse should be addressed openly and a proper understanding of the sexuality shown in pornography should be taught.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Jahnen
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany.
| | - Leopold Zeng
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Kron
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, University of Ulm, Helmholtzstr. 22, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Valentin H Meissner
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Korte
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 5a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Schiele
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Helga Schulwitz
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Dinkel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Langerstr.3, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Jürgen E Gschwend
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Kathleen Herkommer
- Department of Urology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany
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Markert C, Klein S, Strahler J, Kruse O, Stark R. Sexual incentive delay in the scanner: Sexual cue and reward processing, and links to problematic porn consumption and sexual motivation. J Behav Addict 2021; 10:65-76. [PMID: 33822748 PMCID: PMC8969854 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2021.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The use of pornography, while unproblematic for the majority, can grow into addiction-like behavior which in its extreme form is labeled as compulsive sexual behavioral disorder in the ICD-11 (WHO, 2018). The aim of this study was to investigate the addiction-specific reactivity to cues in order to better understand underlying mechanisms in the development of this disorder. METHODS We have used an optimized Sexual Incentive Delay Task to study brain activity in reward associated brain areas during an anticipation phase (with cues predicting pornographic videos, control videos or no videos) and a corresponding delivery phase in healthy men. Correlations to indicators of problematic pornography use, the time spent on pornography use, and trait sexual motivation were analyzed. RESULTS The results of 74 men showed that reward-related brain areas (amygdala, dorsal cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, thalamus, putamen, caudate nucleus, and insula) were significantly more activated by both the pornographic videos and the pornographic cues than by control videos and control cues, respectively. However, we found no relationship between these activations and indicators of problematic pornography use, time spent on pornography use, or with trait sexual motivation. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The activity in reward-related brain areas to both visual sexual stimuli as well as cues indicates that optimization of the Sexual Incentive Delay Task was successful. Presumably, associations between reward-related brain activity and indicators for problematic or pathological pornography use might only occur in samples with increased levels and not in a rather healthy sample used in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Markert
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany,Corresponding author E-mail:
| | - Sanja Klein
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
| | - Jana Strahler
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), University of Giessen, Germany
| | - Onno Kruse
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), University of Giessen, Germany,Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Germany
| | - Rudolf Stark
- Department of Psychotherapy and Systems Neuroscience, University of Giessen, Germany,Bender Institute of Neuroimaging (BION), University of Giessen, Germany,Center of Mind, Brain and Behavior, Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
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Gender, sexual experiences and sexual behavioural differences in Turkish university students. J Biosoc Sci 2020; 53:471-480. [PMID: 32631460 DOI: 10.1017/s002193202000036x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine sexual experiences and gender differences in sexual behaviour in university students. In this cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted between 1st February and 12th November 2017. A total of 491 volunteer students were selected at a state university in the Mediterranean region of Turkey using a systematic sampling method. Questionnaires were distributed to the students in sealed envelopes and collected on completion. The data were collected using a socio-demographic form and a sexual experiences and sexual health behaviours form. A total of 414 students (78 males; 336 females) were included in this study. The prevalence of sexual intercourse among these was 4.3%, and total oral and anal sex experiences were 35% and 16.7%, respectively. A significantly higher number of female students of those who reported having sexual intercourse (n = 9; 50.0%), oral sex (n = 81; 55.9%) and anal sex (n = 60; 87.0%), also reported not telling anyone about his/her partner (77.2%), not talking about sex (82.4%) and not buying contraceptive products, even when necessary (78.3%). Hidden sexuality was seen to affect female students more often and this may lead to risky sexual behaviours, sexually transmitted diseases, an unhealthy sexual life with multiple partners and even unplanned, unwanted pregnancies.
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Davis AC, Temple-Smith MJ, Carrotte E, Hellard ME, Lim MSC. A descriptive analysis of young women's pornography use: a tale of exploration and harm. Sex Health 2020; 17:69-76. [PMID: 31837713 DOI: 10.1071/sh19131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Despite viewing less often than young men, young women view pornography. This study used an online survey to describe young women's pornography use and their reflections on the influence of this use. METHODS Young Australian women (15-29 years) were recruited via Facebook to complete an online survey in 2016. Respondents who had ever viewed pornography (n = 491) were asked 10 closed-ended questions related to their exposure to pornography and an open-ended question: 'How has pornography influenced your life?'. Quantitative responses were descriptively analysed. Qualitative responses were thematically analysed using a descriptive qualitative approach. RESULTS Most respondents (89%) watched pornography alone for sexual arousal and openly reflected on the influence of their own use. Two overarching themes were identified across qualitative data. The first, exploration, included positive sub-themes of safety, independence, normalisation of sexuality and diversity in body type. The second, harm, included negative sub-themes related to conditioning, comparison and dependency. Themes were identified separately among two discrete groups, but were also described concurrently among a third group of (mostly older) respondents who experienced pornography both as a place for exploration and as a potential source of harm. CONCLUSION Young women watch pornography and have positive, negative and mixed experiences that they link to their own viewing. Future research must provide a safe space for young women to be honest regarding their pornography use to ensure that their perspectives are heard and understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela C Davis
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and Corresponding author.
| | - Meredith J Temple-Smith
- Department of General Practice, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, 200 Berkeley Street, Carlton, Vic. 3010, Australia
| | - Elise Carrotte
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia
| | - Margaret E Hellard
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia
| | - Megan S C Lim
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia; and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Level 4, 207 Bouverie Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia
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