ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews research into the contents and consumption of pornography to provide sex educators with a picture of the average porn consumer and the messages they would receive through their consumption. Such information has the potential to inform both programs designed to bolster porn literacy and the use of pornography to promote sexual learning. Research into the contents of pornography is varied and, at times, complicated to parse. For example, answering the question of whether pornography is degrading requires a nuanced consideration of ways in which agency and objectification may be expressed. Some aspects of pornography are more plainly problematic from a sexual education perspective (e.g., infrequent depictions of condom use, minimal overt discussion of consent). Pornography use is close to ubiquitous, especially among younger men. Around half of younger men are frequent porn users. Pornography is most frequently used for solitary masturbation, although use with a sexual partner is not uncommon (especially among female porn users).
