HSC 425: Human Sexuality And Sex Education

“It can snatch any kid out of the home…It snatched me out of mine 20 years ago.” (Final Interview, 2:54-3:02 minutes). The addiction to pornography is often likened to that of a drug, “One should become addicted to it, and I look at this as kind of like an addiction. Like other kinds of addictions…you keep…I would keep looking for more potent, explicit, more graphic kinds of material. Like an addiction, you keep craving something that’s harder…something…which gives you a greater sense of excitement.” (Final Interview,

It today’s society, pornography is a fast-growing epidemic that is evident in families, marriages, and teenage lifestyles. Supporters of pornography claim that it can be used as a tool to teach students about sex education. However, critics claim that pornography is unjust, influential, and dehumanizing. Pornography is unjust because it has the potential to break down intimate relationships and marriages. It can also have negative effects on children in particular young boys. More and more young boy’s minds are being influenced by pornography which is leading to misinterpretations about how to have a healthy sexual relationship. Most importantly, pornography dehumanizes women and it exploits children. Women and children are being victimized for the sheer pleasure of someone viewing pornography.

As the sex symbol Marilyn Monroe once said; “Sex is a part of nature. I just go along with nature.” The word sex itself is most definitely a catalyst; once you mention anything and everything involving sex, it tends to get people riled up about the issue. Sex is a very complex labyrinth according to certain religious standards; it is something that should be guarded until marriage and should only be done to procreate not so much for the pleasure. Those in the pornography industry face harsh comments of being judged because they do loveless sex for money. On top of that, they are faced with unequal treatment within the business all due to details that distinguish them from what makes him man and

Working within the porn industry can go both ways, there is a positive and a negative to all this. Not all women who work within the sex industry are victims; some women actually enjoy it and do not see an issue in being exploited whatsoever. According to a study that was done, “Sixty-nine percent of porn actresses ranked their enjoyment of sex as 10 out of 10… Porn actresses were also more likely to report higher self-esteem than average women”, including that the results of the research showed an insignificance against the stereotypes anti-porn feminists have argued about these women being sexually abused as children, “The results of the research failed to support many common stereotypes. Most notably, the porn actresses were no more likely to report having been sexually abused as children than national averages or than a sample of demographically matched women” (Pappas, 2013). The studies that have been done about the porn industry have mostly shown the negatives rather than focusing on what the people think and feel about working in it. Stephanie Pappas also mentions how there is not enough research to conclude nor fully support the stereotypes or “issues” that activists have argued about, “This lack of research is notable given the number of stereotypes about porn actresses… it's hard to know for sure without more extensive studies, early explorations have found these stereotypes fail to hold up” (Pappas, 2013). In spite of this, for those who have or are working in

Back then watching pornography was looked down upon so those who did it would keep it a secret. It was also difficult to find this content since it was a taboo subject. Today, pornography is able to be found in a matter of seconds and no one really cares if people watch it. It is just another thing that some people watch just to pass time. In fact, many of those who do pornography are praised and given awards.

Pornography shows people as sex objects. For people who fear they aren't sexually adequate, this is scary. “The social myth covering this personal fear is that consumers of pornography will begin to see all men or women that way. This naive, inaccurate assumption also denies the healthy dynamic of lovers agreeing to objectify each other during their sexual (M K)." Pornography shows people experimenting via sex. This is a scary concept for those who fear that their experimenting can lead to trouble. Pornography invites viewers to stimulate their inner sexual feelings. Pornography also encourages acting on natural lustful instincts. It also depicts many of their fantasies are deemed as taboo in the standards set forth by society. By censoring pornography, such people feel they are keeping others out of danger, but in fact they are really suppressing others though of sexual fantasies and query. So in a culture where people learn to fear their own sexuality, sex appears to require censorship if it is sex for pleasure, healing, or

While many will argue that pornography is not harmful and a “victimless crime”, are not of the real effects that pornography can have on a family, or a society as a whole. First of all pornography is detrimental, because it treats humans as objects. Pornography depicts people, especially women, in demeaning and degrading ways. Even if the only ones involved were adults who freely chose to be involved in the production of pornography and even if they were compensated well enough to feel good about what they are doing, pornography does not build the integrity of persons who are made in the image of God. Another effect of pornography is that it is linked to different forms of violence. Pornography can be linked to rape, abuse, murder, and other felonies. Pornography is also harmful to society in that the outlets for obscene material are often outlets for other material such as prostitution, pandering, drug dealing etc. Finally, pornography harms the family. Like other sins, pornography is addictive and progressive.

What starts out as accidental exposure to sexual media can become a full-blown addiction (Kistler & Lee, 2010; Ouytsel, Ponnet, & Walrave, 2014). Early use of pornography is correlated with higher compulsivity as an emerging adult (Giordano, & Cashwell, 2017; Stinson, 2010; Willoughby, Carroll, Nelson, & Padilla-Walker, 2014; Willoughby, Young-Petersen, & Leonhardt, 2018; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2005). Virtually every individual who lives in modern society will be exposed to sexual media; even those who say they abstain still have a 20% likelihood of seeing pornography and sexual media incidentally (Willoughby, et al.,

On August of 2011, Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced that all middle and high schools will be required to teach compulsory sexual health education as part of the core curriculum. Required Health classes focusing on human sexuality are provided as mandated at Edward R. Murrow high school. Some of the topics of this course include but are not limited to the following: HIV/AIDS, practicing of safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, description of both male and female anatomical differences, birth control etc. In October of 2012,

For many years there has been a lot of arguments about the ethical and morality of pornography. pornography is defined as the depiction of erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement. When it coms down to pornography, people have different opinions about it. Some people might find it moral because it gives them pleasure and it satisfies them physically. some individuals see it as a form of art that describes the figure of a human body in an artistic form. Others see it as immoral because it harms and degrades an individual. Personally I believe that it all depends how pornography is conducted and how we respond to it. It can be morally healthy that we like it because it makes us happy, such as it helps with your marriage relationship in intimacy, and it can be immoral when it is used in an unhealthy that we do not like it because hurts an innocent person.

Furthermore, pornography materials are available in many ways and methods. Debates have been made of the positive benefits of pornography for both men and women.

Pornography has many obvious as well as not-so-obvious consequences within society. Pornography has the power to ruin marriages, destroy trust, excite a person to the point of sexual crime, or create an unhealthy view of human sexuality and the opposite sex.” (WowEssays, Pornography)

Pornography is an ethical dilemma that affects men and women from all walks of life. In TJ’s case, porn is photographs or videos that depict of erotic subjects with the intension to titillate the audience (Pornography, 2017). Making an ethical decision is difficult for TJ because of his options: continue to practice his freedom rights to privately watch and giving up the pleasure he receives from watching porn. Continuing will put himself at risk but by quitting he will no longer be supporting the pornography business. If TJ is a Christian, he could look to the core beliefs to help him decide.

Pornography is viewed differently by everyone. Is pornography as bad as it is made out to be? What if it is that persons outlet from reality, just like smoking, drinking, snowboarding, skiing. Is it hurting anyone. Some say it is degrading to women. Do those women that do it think it is degrading. If they did they wouldn’t do it. There are several different types of pornography in the world. It started in art where we had sculptures of Aphrodite naked, we had many artists who painted pictures of nude women. But people look at that and say oh how pretty. But in the present day we have printing presses, we have internet, and people try to make their own art with their bodies and people criticize them. Why? How?

Society is increasingly sexualizing women bodies in advertising and porn is now a large industry. It is estimated that many young men watch or view porn in magazines or online, but there is little information on women’s use of porn although there is an small industry catering to women’s needs. So I want to find out what you think about porn and how you might use it and what it means to you.