Pornography consumption and sexual behaviors in spanish adolescents and young adults: findings from a sample of girls and boys aged 15 to 29 years

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increase in the consumption of pornography, particularly among young people and adolescents, with implications that are beginning to be more thoroughly examined in Spain. Therefore, the objective of this research is to understand the relationship between the consumption of pornography in Spanish adolescents and young men and women and its repercussions on their sexual behaviors. The sample was drawn from the study published in 2020 by the Youth Institute of the Spanish Government, comprising a total of 4,562 individuals aged between 15 and 29. The results indicate that, in most cases, when they started having sex, men had already consumed pornography several times a week, while women did not or had done so only once in their lifetime. Both women and men who had done things they did not want to do in their sexual relationships consumed more pornography than those who had not done things they did not want to do. Men and women who consume more pornography tend to refrain from using condoms because they feel the sexual encounter more, although the trend is not very clear. The study concludes on the significance of pornography as a socializing and educational element among young men and women.