ABSTRACT
There is an increasing literature on women’s engagement with porn which demonstrates a growing awareness that women are aroused by porn. Drawing on qualitative small friendship group interview data with school-aged young people in New Zealand, this chapter will provide insights into young women’s perceptions and understanding of porn. The participants displayed various levels of comfort or awkwardness when talking about porn. Several of the young women categorised porn as “dirty” or “shameful”, some reported that they had not watched porn nor did they plan to, a number were curious, and others discussed watching porn for pleasure. The majority of participants, regardless of whether they engaged with porn, felt that it was shrouded in stigma.
