Viewing sexually explicit material through media such as the internet, videos, and magazines may be directly linked with the sexual behaviour of adolescents and young adults, but only to a very small extent.
That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, which suggest that the practice is just one of many factors that may influence their sexual behaviour.
It has been long considered that viewing sexually-explicit material may negatively affect sexual behaviours, particularly in young people. Because previous studies on the topic have been narrowly focused or limited in other ways, Gert Martin Hald, of the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, led an online survey of 4,600 young people aged 15 to 25 years who lived in The Netherlands.
The survey revealed that 88% of males and 45% of females had watched sexually explicit material (through the internet, magazines, videos, television, and/or other media) in the previous 12 months.
There was a direct link between watching sexually explicit media and a variety of sexual behaviours—in particular, adventurous sex and sex that involves the exchange of money—even when a number of other factors were taken into account.
But the association was modest, accounting for between 0.3% and 4% of behaviour differences. This indicates that watching sexually explicit media is one of a number of factors that may shape behaviours, but it may not be as directly linked as previously thought.
“Our data suggest that other factors such as personal dispositions—specifically sexual sensation seeking—rather than consumption of sexually explicit material may play a more important role in a range of sexual behaviours of adolescents and young adults, and that the effects of sexually explicit media on sexual behaviours in reality need to be considered in conjunction with such factors,” Dr Hald said.
“It has been 65 years since Kinsey first published on sexual behaviours, yet researchers continue to avoid this area of science,” explained Journal of Sexual Medicine editor-in-chief Dr Irwin Goldstein. “It is important to have factual information in order to make educated decisions.”
The study’s findings are thought to be of particular use to policy makers and educators concerned with the effects of sexually explicit media consumption by young people.