Does Pornography Have the Potential to Perpetuate a Distorted Body Image in Women—And Men, Too?

Owing to a notable rise in aesthetic genital surgeries, researchers have found a compelling correlation between exposure to pornographic material and cosmetic manipulation of one’s body parts, such as pubic hair removal. While severely skewed societal benchmarks target women, in particular, heterosexual men, too, appear to be affected—finds another study, published in the Journal of Health Psychology. 

In fact, these initially ‘directed-to-self’ cognitive distortions have the potential to slip over into your romantic relationships—causing one to harbour unrealistic expectations about their partner’s body as well. “Consumption of pornographic content by adolescents can play a crucial role in generating unreal body and appearance perceptions, as those in this age bracket are particularly sensitive to developing issues,” Sanjoni Sethi, Clinical Psychologist, puts forth.

“Putting otherwise unseen, ‘desirable’ body parts under the spotlight can result in increased insecurities. And when one begins perceiving his or her own body as ‘undesirable’, it can stimulate severe anxiety—which turns out to be a leading contributor to gender dysphoria* and/or body dysmorphia**,” explains Aastha Vohra, CEO and Co-Founder, Manzuri, a sexual positivity startup that focuses on imparting pleasure-positive sex-education to the country's youth through content and commerce.

“Especially with the wealth of ‘third’ gender porn available online, consumers begin to deliberate the validity of their gender identity, which is vastly different from gender expression. What this plethora of imagery can do is create an ‘othering’ between oneself and their desired body image,” she adds. According to George, Maheshwari, Chandran and Rao (2019), pornographic viewing elicits alterations in the brain, similar to substance addiction. This identity crisis—and deep scrutiny of one’s body—can give way to a myriad of problems revolving around self-expression, identity, and overall contentment as a human being. That said, a 2016 research conducted by Monica Elizondo of Minnesota State University, titled ‘The Impact of Pornography on the Genital Body Image and Sexual Self-Efficacy of Female College Students’, found otherwise.

Contradicting Owens’ (2012) harm-based perspective of pornography—which largely explores the negative effects and associations of porn exposure—Elizondo’s study found that participants’ exposure to online pornography did not impact their genital body image or sexual self-efficacy. Further, Hald and

 Malamuth’s (2008) experiment on Dutch participants found that men

 experience significantly more negative and positive effects as compared to women. This finding may be unexpected but has been supported by prior research.

Although, Sanjoni Sethi argues that online pornographic content does distort perceptions of sexual behaviour, body image, and gender roles. In a research survey by Maurya, Kumar and Patel, canvassing online pornography consumption in North India during the pandemic, it was found that sexual curiosity, excitement, and emotional avoidance were amongst the primary reasons people viewed pornographic content. Shagun Sethi, Founder, Nunah—a female-led platform for women of colour to find support, empowerment, and a safe space—delved deeper into the root issue. “While porn does facilitate a certain amount of self-recognition, understanding and autonomy over your body, for less-privileged women in our society, it may be the only openly accessible medium for education and sexual exploration and expression. The fact that we haven’t been able to find other means is a problem worthy enough to prompt self-reflection.”

Acknowledging this catch-22, Aastha explains how one can consume pornographic content without feeling lesser about their appearance. “Viewers can consume porn that is ethical and more oriented towards the experience of pleasure, as compared to the objectification of bodies—avoiding harm to their mental health while engaging in a healthy exploration of sexual self. One must also be cognizant of the fact that pornographic acts, shown on screen, is not how sex and bodies function in real life.”

She goes on to add, “Inclusivity on screen, with respect to colour, age and size, can go a long way in undoing what we take at face value. Normalising the conversations in and around the stigmatised subject of sex can also aid in spreading awareness about sexual health. Start young—teach consent as early as possible. Teach children that masturbation is normal and healthy. Teach them the anatomically correct words for their body parts. Draw a clear distinction between fantasy and reality.” Clinical psychologist Sanjoni Sethi concludes that one must seek psychological intervention to overcome the challenges associated with addiction to pornographic material, mood-dependent use of porn, coping activities, and maladaptive thought patterns. 

 

*a sense of unease that a person may experience due to a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

**a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance.