Little is known about how emerging adults respond emotionally to pornography use. Using a two-study approach, we first examined emerging adults' (N = 269) positive and negative emotional reactions to their own pornography use. Study 2 (N = 517) extended these findings by (a) examining how these emotional reactions are related to well-being and (b)…

This paper provides a narrative review of recent studies (2005-2020) into the content of contemporary, mainstream pornography. Sex acts, such as vaginal sex, fellatio, and external ejaculation are ubiquitous within mainstream pornography. Cunnilingus, solo masturbation, or masturbation of a partner are all also relatively common. Condom use is…

This qualitative interview study investigated the opinions of 28 high school-attending youth in Massachusetts related to the content of their sexuality education, what they wished they could learn from a sex education class, and whether and how pornography was addressed. Participants felt that the sex education they received was not in-depth and…

Men's negative attitudes toward women represent a known risk factor for sexual aggression perpetration. Sexual aggression is a widespread public health concern, especially among emerging adults, and is associated with a multitude of negative consequences. The current study evaluated whether pornography-related perceived peer norms, own approval,…

This review aims to provide information on the prevalence and frequency of adult males' pornography use. It appears, the majority (> 80%) of adult men have accessed pornography at some point, and in the past year (40-70%). Around half of younger men (25 or under) are weekly consumers. Pornography use tapers-off with age. Relatively few…

As middle and high school students consume and create their own pornography or use it as a form of violence perpetration known as image-based sexual abuse, school staff struggle to find appropriate responses to these issues. As pornography use becomes more prevalent, and discourse on sexual violence more public, pornography education could become…

This synthesis of 30 qualitative studies examined young people's views on pornography related to their sexual health. Synthesis revealed pornography use is considered normal by young people, reinforced by its usefulness as a tool for pleasure, information, and instruction in the absence of sufficient sexuality education. However, youth can become…

The role and functionality of injunctive norms is an understudied phenomenon within sexual communication processes. Using the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB), the present study examined emergent peer-oriented and authoritative injunctive norms as they relate to the context of parents discussing pornography with adolescent children.…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a media literacy curriculum focused on pornography among a sample of U.S-based, urban-residing youth. Participants were 24 youth between the ages of 15-24 years old, although 65% were 17-18 years old. The sample was 43% female, 43% male, 9% transgender, 52% Black, 22% Hispanic,…

There is growing community and policy interest in educational efforts among children and young people to address pornography. Education on pornography increasingly is seen as a necessary strategy in the context of young people's widespread exposure to pornography and the potential shifts in young people's sexual and gendered lives and relations…

Despite its widespread use, pornography has been vilified as a symptom of personal and cultural depravity and as a cause of rape, aggression, devaluation of women, and marital dissolution. Yet in some cases there may be personal, relational, and social value to the use of sexually explicit material. In this paper, we briefly review the literature,…

While virtually all sex education books for teenagers focus on sexual health, Jo Langford's "The Sex EDcyclopedia" offers comprehensive and empowering information specifically for teen males about their sexuality and how it may be positively experienced. This review examines the strengths of "The Sex EDcyclopedia" as a sex education resource and…