Parent-Child Sex Communication Prompts, Approaches, Reactions, and Functions According to Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Sons

Minimal research on parent-child sex communication between parents and gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adolescent sons prevents the formulation of interventions that would buffer or brake this youth population’s risks for HIV/STI. We sought to describe the perspectives of GBQ adolescent males on this process and the potential ways they think parents can address their sons’ informational needs, including countering youth access of sexually explicit media. We conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with GBQ male youth aged 15–20 years. Thematic and content analysis revealed four central themes: prompts and triggers, parents’ approaches, sons’ reactions, and the functions assigned to sex communication. Parents can be sources of reliable sexual health information and may be leveraged for future HIV/STI risk reduction work.

Examining the Relationship between Gender Contentedness and Sex-Related Experiences among Taiwanese Youth

Little is known about how gender contentedness is related to sex-related experiences among Taiwanese adolescents. Secondary analysis of data (n = 2624, Mage = 13.3 ± 0.47 years and 51% males) on a longitudinal youth cohort was used to track the evolving development of sex-related experiences such as exposure to sexually explicit media, romantic experiences, and sexual behaviors. Hierarchical multinomial logistic regression analyses were applied to study the effects of gender contentedness on sex-related outcome variables. The results showed that nearly 10% of the subjects were not contented with their gender. As compared to peers, gender-discontented adolescents had a higher likelihood of exposures to sexually explicit media (odds ratio [OR]. = 1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]. = 1.18–2.46) and risky sex behaviors (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.03–4.81). These results shed light on the impact of self-perceived gender contentedness on sex-related experiences in Taiwanese adolescents. Our findings are helpful for the development of practical guidance on sexual health issues, particularly for those who are discontented with their gender.

Women's Age of First Exposure to Internet Pornography Predicts Sexual Victimization

Increases in the availability and accessibility of Internet pornography have led growing numbers of children to become consumers of sexually explicit media. Research has identified negative behavioral and attitudinal outcomes associated with Internet pornography use in childhood and adolescence, but few studies have examined sexual victimization as a correlate. The current study aimed to examine the association between age of first Internet pornography exposure and sexual victimization. Data from 154 undergraduate women yielded several important findings. Women who viewed Internet pornography unintentionally at a younger age reported more sexual victimization. Specifically, compared to women who were first unintentionally exposed to Internet pornography at age 14 or older, women with unintentional first Internet pornography exposure before the age of 14 reported more childhood sexual abuse, sexual abuse in adulthood, and more instances of sexual coercion and aggression. Women with younger age of unintentional Internet pornography exposure also reported more interpersonal sexual objectification than women who had never viewed Internet pornography at all. Age of first intentional exposure to Internet pornography was not related to women’s self-reported experiences of objectification, although this may be because women’s intentional exposure tended to happen at older ages. Overall, the results of this study suggest that women’s unintentional Internet pornography exposure at a young age may contribute to a potentially harmful sexual socialization. Early Internet pornography exposure in childhood should be considered a potential risk factor for women’s sexual victimization.

Defining Pornography

The concept of pornography is a relatively modern intervention. This chapter reviews the historical roots of the idea that certain sexually explicit materials should be put off limits. Anthony Comstock’s moral crusade against pornography and its implications for access to sexual and reproductive health information are highlighted. The chapter reviews landmark Supreme Court and other US legal cases that had ramifications for how we define obscenity and pornography and provides an overview of the feminist sex wars of the 1960s to 1990s. The chapter presents a social science definition of pornography and argues that the diversity of sexually explicit media complicates research on its impacts.

Pornography and Body Image

There is a concern that the bodies that are shown to us in sexually explicit media are changing what we think is beautiful, are making us anxious and depressed, and even are pushing us to engage in self-harmful behavior. This chapter provides theoretical explanations for why pornography images could impair health and reviews studies that have investigated this question. The chapter covers findings related to pubic hair removal, labiaplasty, vulva acceptance, men’s genital dissatisfaction, satisfaction with body shape and size, self-esteem and self-confidence, and expectations of partners’ bodies. The chapter concludes that pornography likely harms some people’s self-image, and for a minority of those who are harmed, it drives them to extreme behaviors and has mental health consequences. For the majority, pornography either has no effect, improves how they feel about their bodies, or underscores the body-related attitudes that they have already acquired from non-sexually-explicit media.

Pornography Content

There are now more than 90 categories of pornography on offer on mainstream Internet sites. This chapter argues that pornography is far from monolithic, which makes studying its impact complicated. Further, the chapter suggests that the sheer volume and variety of pornography are not inherently harmful to public health, although there is some potential that the variety of sexually explicit media available could be marketing strategy to lure or secure consumers. Four specific types of pornography—magna/anime, incest, barely legal, and kink/BDSM—are discussed. The chapter reviews findings from content analyses of porn, including so-called feminist pornography. The need for more research on race and racism in mainstream, Internet pornography is highlighted.

Factors associated with unprotected sex in people who consume sexually explicit media

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the factors associated with sex without the use of condoms in consumers of sexually explicit media (SEM). Methods: Cross-sectional study, with a sample of 172 participants selected and collected through social media. To assess the predictors of unprotected sexual practices, the Poisson regression model was used. Values were expressed as a robust prevalence ratio (PR) with their respective confidence intervals. Results: There was a statistically significant association between, the use of condoms and the type of scenes that the participants prefer (p = 0.03), the preference for films with scenes involving unprotected sex or even those that do not care about protection (p = 0.02), the type of pornography watched influencing sexual relations (p = 0.017), and the number of scenes seen per week (p = 0.05). Conclusions: The lack of condom use was associated with the access to erotic scenes.

Social Anxiety as a Consequence of Non-consensually Disseminated Sexually Explicit Media Victimization

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore consequences of the non-consensual dissemination of sexually explicit media (NCDSEM) for survivors, with an emphasis on how NCDSEM may impact social relationships and social anxiety. One-on-one telephone interviews with ( N = 17) self-identified survivors of NCDSEM were conducted between May and December 2019. Interviews were analyzed using a flexible coding methodology. There were five main ways in which participants described consequences of NCDSEM: (a) fear of going out in public, (b) fear of engaging in relationships, (c) fear of applying to jobs, (d) fear of seeking help, and (e) influencing depression and feelings of anxiety. These findings suggest that, for some people, NCDSEM victimization may influence whether and how they subsequently socialize with other people.