Exposure to Pornography and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Formative experiences in adolescence lay the foundation for healthy and pleasurable romantic and sexual relationships. Exposure to pornography may affect these experiences. Objective We aimed to synthesize evidence published in the past decade on the relationship between exposure to pornography and sexual behavior (earlier age of first sex [<16 years], condomless sex, past-year multiple partners [>1], lifetime multiple partners [>1], group sex, sexual aggression including forced sex, paid sex, teenage pregnancy, and history of sexually transmitted infection) in adolescents aged between 10 and 19 years. Methods We identified 19 eligible studies by searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science databases from January 2010 to November 2022. Results Out of 8 studies that assessed earlier age of first sex, 5 studies, including 1 longitudinal study, found a statistically significant association with exposure to pornography. Given that most studies were cross-sectional or had substantial limitations, causal inference could not be made. Also, exposure to pornography was not measured consistently. The evidence was conflicting or insufficient to draw any conclusions regarding other outcomes. Conclusions More quantitative research is needed to elucidate the association between pornography exposure and sexual behavior, and sex education should adopt evidence-based approaches to minimize the potential harms from pornography. Trial Registration PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021227390; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=227390

Sexual experiences among early adolescents aged 12-14 Years in four districts of Rwanda: a cross-sectional study

“…On this point, the literature indicates that early sexual experience among adolescents occurs in the context of sexual coercion and violence [1, 13, 67]. This study also revealed that a high frequency of watching pornographic films was associated with penetrative sexual experience, which is consistent with previous studies indicating that exposure to pornography may have harmful effects on sexual maturation and behaviours in adolescents [17, 68, 69] and that first sex was associated with exposure to pornography [70–72]. In addition, another study involving adolescents aged 10-19 years in rural eastern Uganda found that watching sexually explicit films was associated with ever having sexual intercourse [73].…”

Use of pornography by young adults in Ireland

“…In general, previous research focuses on the negaYve aspects of pornography use, but some research notes that, in certain circumstances, pornography can provide useful informaYon about sex (Litsou et al, 2021). For LGBTQ+ young people in parYcular, online pornography can allow for exploraYon without the social sYgma that can occur in offline selngs (Litsou et al, 2021;Luder et al, 2011;Pathmendra et al, 2023;Peterson et al, 2023). This hypothesis is supported by the findings of See also the roll-out of the Active* Consent Programme; see https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/1ed9f-activeconsent-programme See https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/for-parents this research, where young people from LGBTQ+ groups, especially women, were significantly more likely to use online pornography.…”

“…Pa]erns of behaviour that develop in adolescence and young adulthood shape outcomes throughout the life course (Viner et al, 2015). Curiosity and experimentaYon are common in the context of adolescent development, and adolescents who experience healthy relaYonships are more likely to have healthy relaYonships in their young adulthood (Pathmendra et al, 2023).…”

“…Discussion and policy implications | 61 Second, the GUI quesYonnaire did not define what consYtutes pornography, and survey respondents might interpret what consYtutes pornography differently.Indeed, it is noted that the diversity of research findings in the literature is likely partly due to the differing definiYons of pornography used in different studies(Pathmendra et al, 2023). The consultaYon for the next BriYsh NaYonal Survey of Sexual Altudes and Lifestyles (NATSAL) has highlighted the importance of a clear definiYon of pornography (incorporaYng all types, i.e.…”

Descartes’ error with love

“…All countries are concerned, and regulations in India have passed to protect teenagers, and porn sites have been banned [5]. However, few studies consider that pornography could be used for triggering sexual education of teenagers who could talk about sexual behaviors to parents or adults at home or at school [6,7]. Unfortunately, a future of love seems to be the development of robots [8].…”