Just how full of…it are these commonly held beliefs? Read on, find out.

The pornography industry is no stranger to critics. Having endured their fair share since its inception. But, here in 2020, you’d expect a bit of a more realistic approach to sex and it’s many nuanced fields, however that may not actually be the case. We’ve explored five of the most pervasive and enduring myths about the porn community. It might just surprise you what we’ve found out.

Free Porn Videos Exist

Partially True

“Of course free porn videos exist.” Say on purveyor of free online porn. The masterminds behind PornDoe go on to explain, “but making porn is not free. The actors, production team, writers, editors… everyone gets paid. Free videos sites are mostly just there to entice people to buy products, or upgrade to memberships that can offer better quality pornography.” The company explains that most sites offering “free porn videos” still have to pay for the porn they provide. While the sites do make money, off of advertising and through various other means- the reality is that free porn doesn’t actually exist.

“Think of it kind of like google maps,” PornDoe says. “Just by using the service, you’re actively supporting its functionality. Google makes money, but you don’t pay anything out of your pocket for a GPS service.”

Porn Promotes Human Trafficking

False

This is a myth that the porn industry has been seemingly dealing with for ages. When in fact, the relationship between porn and sexual abuse is actually conversely related: meaning “More porn, Less rape” according to psychologists. Though few anti-porn activists seem to want to look at the evidence, it’s definitely there. In that vein, it’s exceptionally rare for any well-known pornographic production company to need to indulge in human trafficking to fill their quota, as porn actors are compensated for their work.

Moreover, the scrutiny exerted on the porn industry is pretty much everywhere. Companies that specialize in adult videos and titles have many hoops to jump through in order to prove their legitimacy. Many more than mainstream Hollywood. Requiring contracts, express content forms, and verbal debriefs from all angles.

Porn Doesn’t Ask for Consent

False

Perhaps one of the most frustrating myths of many performers is the idea that porn doesn’t require consent. Or that women (in particular, but also men) are being marginalized or coerced into performing these roles. This really just serves to reduce the legitimacy of sex work. Continuing to push it into a realm with little legislation and black market performance standards. Which doesn’t help anyone.

As mentioned above, pornography actually requires consent. Actors know ahead of time what sort of scene they will be participating in, made well aware of whatever sex acts will take place, to ensure that they are comfortable and fully consenting before they engage in any project.

Porn Videos Show What Sex is Really Like

Partially True

While porn does indeed depict real-life sex- as in, that is genuine P-in-V (or A, or M, or…) action you’re watching, but it’s still designed to be fantasy. Actual, real-life sex is much more nuanced and porn actors are doing just that- they’re acting. While pornographic videos can offer novices an idea of what certain types of sex might look like, it’s totally unrealistic to believe that it’s what that sex will be like. Porn has an affinity for skipping over a lot of the nitty-gritty context that makes actual sex so incredible in the first place.

Instead of focusing more on “the money shot”, condensing sensual encounters into five-minute clips that do very little to give an idea of what foreplay, sexuality, or satisfaction look like.

It’s Impossible to Have a Healthy Relationship With Porn

False

Just like we spent decades believing that masturbation would make you go blind and that we’re absolutely convinced that having sex automatically gives you an STD (thanks Sex Ed), we’ve also been taught that any peek at porn will immediately lead to some full-fledged porn addiction. This one is patently untrue. It’s not only possible to engender a healthy relationship with porn, but it may also help make your personal relationship stronger.

Pornography can help to normalize sex and to a degree, sexuality. It can also help to aid people in self-exploration and provide an outlet for the kinky curious, a safe space to get an idea of what their personal predilections might be. As long as it’s not an all-day, everyday use that is actively intervening with real-life experiences, you’re good to go.