A new study about pornography has some welcome news. For those of you love watching porn, but still wonder about the effect porn has— especially toward views of women— there is some seriously good news. A recent study in The Journal Of Sexual Research has shown that not only does watching porn not have a negative effect on the way you view women, but that people who watch porn are actually more likely to view and treat women as equals, reports Cosmopolitan.
And it wasn't a little niche study. It was using data from over 28,000 respondents to the General Social Survey, a survey of American attitudes from 1975 to 2011. So, a massive survey. And not only did they ask them if the watched porn, to get an idea of their view of women they also looked at questions "on their attitudes toward women — like how they felt about women working outside the home, women holding political offices, and the legality of abortion. They were also asked if they thought of themselves as feminists."
Those who watched porn were more likely to be in favor of abortion rights and of women working outside the home. And people who identified as porn were just as likely to identify as feminist.
I would add two things. Firstly, there are obviously a lot of other ways porn can affect your views on women, that are either not listed or just more difficult to quantify than what appears in this survey. Secondly, only about 23 percent of respondents said they watched porn. LESS THAN A QUARTER OF PEOPLE... and I don't buy it. I just don't. Maybe it would be better to think of this in terms of people who admit to watching porn, but I don't know.
Either way, I do find it kind of reassuring. Here are some other interesting stats about people who watch porn:
1. Men Who Watch Porn Are Less Likely To Cheat
A study on IllicitEncounters.com found that 72 percent of men watched porn before they were having an affair and only 34 percent of men were still watching it after. So if your boyfriend or husband is still watching, it may actually be a good sign for your relationship.
2. 10 Percent Of Women Watch Porn Daily
Every. Damn. Day. Some women run every damn day. Some women do yoga every damn day. And some women watch porn every damn day, according to a survey by Marie Claire. And that number jumps to almost one third when we talk about women who watch porn weekly.
3. 51 Percent Of Women Who Watch Porn Felt It Taught Them About Sex
A lot of people use it as a learning tool. And according to the same survey, 29 percent said it made them feel sexy.
4. Porn Can Make You More Likely To Want To Get It On With Your Partner
Research out of UCLA in the Journal Of Sexual Medicine found a link between visual sexual stimuli and wanting to have sex with your partner. There is other research in more extreme cases of watching, like porn addiction, where it is shown to turn you off to your partner, but maybe in moderation it just keeps you feeling sexy.
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