Pornography Pornography: Myths and Facts The Aurora Center University of Minnesota

Pornography Myth: Pornography images do not affect us. Professional counselors working with men who sexually abuse and batter women report that pornography figures importantly in the abuser’s behavior. Pornography encourages people to view women only as sex objects.

Pornography Myth: Women freely choose to be in pornography. Sex slaves are forced to participate in pornography. Women in pornography were first recruited as vulnerable children and teenagers. Women who escape abuse at home often end up on the street being abused in pornography and prostitution. Childhood abuse provides conditioning for continued abuse in pornography/prostitution. 75% of women in pornography are incest survivors.

Pornography Myth: Women earn a lot of money in pornography. Some women do earn a lot of money in pornography; most do not. The profits in pornography are accumulated by organized crime, not by the women in it. Many women are forced into pornography with little or no pay.

Pornography Myth: Pornography promotes healthy sexuality. Much of the text in pornography depicts women only as sex objects who enjoy being abused. Women in pornography often say “no” when they mean “yes.” Male power dominance often is celebrated in pornography. Pornography can depict scenes of child exploitation, slavery, and physical abuse.