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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Porn culture has led to women suffering injuries during sex

890 replies

Doyoumind · 12/08/2022 10:01

Apart from all the violence etc porn portrays as normal, anal sex is definitely treated as an everyday thing that women enjoy. I don't personally. I know some women claim they do but I've certainly known men who pressure for it and I'm guessing it's only got worse in the years since I was dating.

This article suggests women are unknowingly entering into something that can cause serious injuries.

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/11/rise-in-popularity-of-anal-sex-has-led-to-health-problems-for-women

OP posts:
LivesinLondon2000 · 12/08/2022 15:02

@Thatswhyimacat
I agree with your post in that that type of superior attitude is annoying. But what I think some posters are trying to get at is that women often have a tendency to be people-pleasing and, in particular, man-pleasing. They do things they don’t enjoy or that are bad for their physical or mental health in order to please men.
For example, I know women who do everything around the house, all the housework, childcare etc despite having fulltime jobs - in some cases leading to breakdowns/exhaustion just because it pleases their OH who likes to boast about how great his wife/partner is and how he never has to help at home.
You sound like an empowered women who doesn’t agree to things you don’t want to do and that’s great but unfortunately not all women are like you. Some women - and especially younger women who are finding their path in life - may need help and support to put in the appropriate boundaries that work for them.

Discrimination1234 · 12/08/2022 15:03

There’s been a huge agenda of telling this generation that anal sex is exciting and fun and describing how to do it- with no mention of the consequences. I think this generation is going be look back and be furious at a lot of the things they were told that it was “fun” to do.

SammyScrounge · 12/08/2022 15:03

Miffee · 12/08/2022 14:23

I think it's wrong to talk about liking it.

Truly I do. I have utterly no doubt some women like it. And being whipped and choked and all types of other harmful things. Why wouldn't women have a wife range of fetishes and kinks? Men do.

The issue isn't the liking it. The issue is normalising it. Women don't need widespread education on anal sex anymore than we need it on being whipped or choked. What we need is a widespread understanding that those things are potentially very dangerous and should only be done with somebody who cares about you and who can be trusted.

The problem is that someone who cares for you wouldn't want to whip, choke or try anal with you.Not enough study of the mindset of men who think such violence is part of sex.

msssm · 12/08/2022 15:04

ladymaiasaura · 12/08/2022 14:45

So many people commenting who clearly haven’t bothered reading the article. Anal sex is more dangerous for women than it is for men. The article explains why. I’m not sure why people are getting offended at the suggestion that education is required to ensure it is practiced as safely as possible.

That's not what I'm seeing here. What I'm seeing is judgement of women by women. No one is saying that the article is not true nor that education is not all important to safe sexual practices.

OneTC · 12/08/2022 15:05

Polimolly · 12/08/2022 14:55

"Just wondered if any other older women on here have had the same experience of not being asked for anal sex"

I'm 52 and the first time I was asked, I was 19, so maybe it's more common now, but certainly nothing new.

I started having sex before the internet was a thing and it was fairly prevalent then I thought.

It's not something that I've ever been into, a few partners have expressed interest, the last one to do so was a woman in her 50s

picklemewalnuts · 12/08/2022 15:06

"“Increased rates of faecal incontinence and anal sphincter injury have been reported in women who have anal intercourse,” the report said."

The thing is, that's not an insignificant potential side effect. I mean, that's a horrible thing to be putting up with.

I'd have to really love it to risk that!!

CounsellorTroi · 12/08/2022 15:07

You need lots of lube, you need to start small to relax the muscles, and you need to ensure that you're empty, so to speak.

How do you do this? The bowel doesn’t stop working during sex. You might be empty at the start but you might fill up during the deed.

BigFatLiar · 12/08/2022 15:07

I often wonder about the men mumsnetters get involved with. OH is another who thinks anal is weird, he even thinks oral is a bit off (at least as far as women are concerned) why would anyone want to put someone's dick in their mouth.

I don't think it's only men there are lots of women who seem to enjoy sex in lots of ways, good luck to them if thats their thing.

gnilliwdog · 12/08/2022 15:07

@Namechange10002 that is such a terrible level of abuse. I hope you can escape and heal. 24 hour violent porn is conditioning men's sexual response, I do believe.

msssm · 12/08/2022 15:09

gnilliwdog · 12/08/2022 14:49

@msssm I think it's more that it's so common in porn and porn is so available. Men get the message that it's a normal part of sex and all women love it. It's also combined with other sadistic behaviour in porn, so men can get conditioned to needing a repertoire of abusive behaviour to enjoy sex at all.

This could all very well be true @gnilliwdog. I'm a bit too old and been single a bit too long to know for sure. But I see this as a different conversation. Even education aside what I'm seeing here is women attacking other women for their sexual choices.

DobbyHasASock · 12/08/2022 15:09

@Namechange10002 I'm sorry porn and your husband have had such a horrible effect on your life. No one should have to put up with that and I hope you are able.to build a new life for you and your children away from him.
Flowers

Fifteentoes · 12/08/2022 15:10

Miffee · 12/08/2022 13:17

I wonder if they like it in the same way I used to like a one night stand. The thrill of a subversive act.

It's possible. Or it's possible they just like it. But whatever it is, you'll "never convince" ChickenChop that some people actually like something that she doesn't. So that's that, then.

I'm wondering if this goes for all other sexual preferences as well. Sex education would certainly be a lot easier if we just had one person who could TELL the whole of the next generation what they like and what they don't!

picklemewalnuts · 12/08/2022 15:11

Rooroobear · 12/08/2022 14:55

I think women are allowed to enjoy what they want knowing the consequences. It looks like I’m the odd one out because I really enjoy it. Im not ashamed to say it…..it’s what I’m into and have to say that it really turns me on. You like what you like.

I was wondering- and perhaps you and others who enjoy it might know- is it to do with loss of control and responsibility? Or with thrill seeking?

Some people love being flung about on rollercoasters, they like being upside down on a bungee jump.

Is there a similar thrill that feels good? Or is it simply a pleasant physical sensation?

RestingMurderousFace · 12/08/2022 15:11

PeppaPigIsAnnoying · 12/08/2022 12:32

Their body, their choice

How trite.

OneDay2022 · 12/08/2022 15:11

What do you do when there are men out there making millions from showing other men how to be violent towards women?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11103313/British-millionaire-TikTok-influencer-sparks-family-feud-rape-culture-videos.html

Is it any wonder we are where we are?

It's all very well to bin religion - but in that moral vacuum, what have we allowed ourselves to sleep-walk into?

ANewNameANewDay · 12/08/2022 15:14

There's some blatantly ignorant and foolish comments here, from anal-ers and anal haters alike.

My thoughts:

Porn is without a doubt a contributing factor in male violence towards women.

Women are very capable of enjoying anal without attributing that to men. It's banal (excuse the pun) to keep frothing that they don't.

It's not wrong to enjoy choking/anal/BDSM. If it's not for you stick to vanilla and move on.

Women are never going to be able to have a nuanced discussion on the risks/impacts/safety measures of our sexual wellbeing whilst we argue amongst ourselves over each other's arseholes.

Namenic · 12/08/2022 15:14

@Namechange10002 - I’m so sorry about your experience. He sounds incredibly selfish and co-ercive. I think you will be better off without him. Sending you good wishes

TeaStory · 12/08/2022 15:15

ImWell · 12/08/2022 14:30

Was heterosexual anal sex illegal in England? I never knew that; when was the law changed?

CrazyBatLady has it right - 1994. I was an avid reader of Just17 back then, probably a better source of sex advice and knowledge of the law than young people get these days on the internet…

msssm · 12/08/2022 15:17

Namechange10002 · 12/08/2022 15:01

Just want to put my two pen'orth in and say I believe porn has ultimately ruined my marriage and yes has left me injured, physically and emotionally. Although I know this is a conscious decision of my dh's to watch it and no one is forcing him so ultimately it's on him.

And also: this is not something that is exclusive to the young. My dh is 50 years old and due to his (what I believe is probably) a porn addiction and the problems this has led to in our relationship, I am now seriously considering divorce.

As long as 20 years ago when we first started dating I found a huge stash of porn magazines in his spare room. I questioned him about it then but he said he'd only used them when he was single (a lie of course but I was in love and thought "ok, I can get over this"). We went on to marry and have dc's and when my youngest was a baby I found out he had been on dating websites talking to various women (all sex talk) Again when challenged he minimised/denied and said it was just about the "titillation" aspect of it when he was bored at work (!!).

Over the years have caught him several times watching porn, seen gross things in his search history.

Foolishly perhaps I ultimately tried to get over it as I had 2 young dc's and a tiny baby. I also was a sahm and didn't see how I could financially cope alone.

Then there's our sex life: what I used to think was good just isn't anymore. Being on MN especially has taught me a lot about consent, porn addiction and the affects of that and just feeling stronger in myself in general and what misogynistic twats a lot of men are.
Over the years dh has always tried to push my boundaries and get me to do stuff I may have been uncomfortable with. It honestly feels like it has just got worse and worse as he's got older. Not so much the frequency of sex anymore as that has wained a bit probably due to his age but the things he wants to do. I have occasionally done anal bc he wanted to (and a large part of me - stupidly - thought of him on those dating websites and felt like if I don't do this stuff he might look for someone who will behind my back) but then a while back after struggling and in pain for days afterwards told him "no more."
There are other things he always wants to do that I can't even bring myself to mention as well as strangling me/pulling my hair. Then it progressed to punching me in the ribs and back, leaving bruises. I would talk to him about it afterwards and how I didn't like it and ask him why he felt the need to do it and the answer seems to always be variations of "you enjoy it, don't pretend you don't". He would then stop for a bit but then do it again, or move on to something else. I've also had the spitting thing. The most recent one and strangely the one that has made me think "enough now" is the last time we had sex he started calling me a "fat bitch". He said it several times and I was really shocked. I'm not fat at all btw, but that's not the point! It really upset me bc I realised it's about him getting off on humiliating me. I've realised that ultimately this is about him and his problems, whatever they are, with not being able to have normal, "vanilla" sex and be able to come. I believe this is probably due to him watching lots of porn and probably wanking to increasingly extreme things and now being unable to enjoy "normal" sex with his wife.

I am so angry and resentful of him now that ive told him I'd like him to leave (there are other issues too as if this wasn't enough!)

He's currently staying elsewhere and I'm home with the dc's whilst I think about my future.I don't really want him to come home. In some ways I love him, and we could've had a good future together but this has just blighted everything for me and I'm sick of it. I know in my heart he can't really love me.

And I believe it's all tied up in porn culture and the way it normalises these extreme sexual practices and makes women feel they are inferior or prudish if they don't wish to engage in these things or see them as normal.

Sorry, I know I'm rambling and I don't really know what I want from this post except maybe seeing it written down will make me take it seriously and say to some of those who don't think it's a big deal "this is what porn has done to my marriage and to me". I'm feeling very sad atm. It breaks my heart to think of my dd ever going through any of this - I can only hope she finds a better man than her father.

I'm so sorry for your experiences. Please stay strong and don't let him back 💐

UrslaB · 12/08/2022 15:18

I find the tone of this thread very disappointing. Blanket addresses of "Men now" and "it's horrendous." Very sweeping statements.

Yes there are women here who find the very concept of anal repulsive and there are those who have unfortunately had terrible experiences with men. But by the same token there are women and men who find anal pleasurable because if done correctly...well the anus has a lot of nerve endings so it can be very pleasant for some people.

However, like any sexual act, anal sex is only as good as the communication and trust that exists between the people involved. More so for anal since it requires a frank conversation before hand, ample preperation by both parties and if you are a beginner a long period of 'building up' to it. I refer to the anal snails mantra of "slow, lubed and communicating!"

My issue with pornography is not the acts which are shown but with the normalisation of them without the required communication and preperation beforehand. So many perople, BOTH men and women, see what happens in porn and think they have an automatic need or right to replicate what they have seen. I really think all porn should require disclaimers by the professionals involved where they verbalise to the camera beforehand what they have consented to do in the scene people are about to see and what preperations were taken for it.

Any individual who tries to engage in a sexual act, be that oral, anal, penetration of any kind, tying you up, using toys etc, without discussing it first with you is an inconsiderate and possibly abusive idiot who should be thrown to the curb with all due haste. Communication and consent are key.

This I feel is doubly true where the normalisation of 'spanking' or 'hitting' comes into play. 1/3 of women now say they have been choked or slapped during sex without their consent...This I think is a massive result of porn, young men and women see professionals in porn being slapped and assume that is okay in the real world. More over, some even think it is necessary for good sex. It is not.

To my university boyfriend who slapped me on the bum during sex out of the blue one night becaue he thought it would spice things up and to an ex girlfried who twisted my nipples painfully for some random reason cause she thought it would exciting...I am looking at you. They deserved the long and vicious lectures about consent, safe sex and communciation they got afterwards.

Nothing should happen without consent. I would never judge someone on what they enjoy in bed because hey, a love tap, a swat, some cursing, pinching, biting, hair pulling etc at just the right moment can heighten pleasure for some people if that is their thing. But that is not for everyone and is something to be discussed with partners and asked for, explained why they like it, when, where and in what manner it should happen. Otherwise it is is assault. The fact so many men now think slapping women, pulling their hair etc. somehow makes sex better is ridiculous, and so many women just go along with it as though it is normal.

That is the real crime of porn. It is normalising acts without communication and consent. The acts themselves arent the problem, its the behaviours of the people and their lack of commication and consent.

gnilliwdog · 12/08/2022 15:19

@ANewNameANewDay the BDSM community always used to acknowledge they were niche. They had their own groups and clubs and were really hot on consent and safewords. Sexual harassment was absolutely not tolerated in fetish clubs But we are talking about anal, arguably a BDSM practice being mainstream with none of those safeguards.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 12/08/2022 15:19

TSIFT · 12/08/2022 14:08

Don't sleep with so many men.

When do schools go back again?

ladymaiasaura · 12/08/2022 15:21

msssm · 12/08/2022 15:04

That's not what I'm seeing here. What I'm seeing is judgement of women by women. No one is saying that the article is not true nor that education is not all important to safe sexual practices.

A PP said that it was nonsense to say that male and female anuses are different. The article explains that they are. There are lots of defensive posts from people who enjoy it which isn’t really relevant to whether or not it’s safe. And yes, there is also a hell of a lot of judgement.

msssm · 12/08/2022 15:22

ANewNameANewDay · 12/08/2022 15:14

There's some blatantly ignorant and foolish comments here, from anal-ers and anal haters alike.

My thoughts:

Porn is without a doubt a contributing factor in male violence towards women.

Women are very capable of enjoying anal without attributing that to men. It's banal (excuse the pun) to keep frothing that they don't.

It's not wrong to enjoy choking/anal/BDSM. If it's not for you stick to vanilla and move on.

Women are never going to be able to have a nuanced discussion on the risks/impacts/safety measures of our sexual wellbeing whilst we argue amongst ourselves over each other's arseholes.

Well put.

Boybandfacedfannyfart · 12/08/2022 15:23

I want to pick up on something grumps said all the way back on page 1 4 hours ago.

the word “practice”.

there you go your vanilla prudes, you just need to put in the hours. It’s a bit like parallel parking, keep on trying and you’ll learn to love it and do it safely. Even better, men admire women who can do it!

signed, a former “cool girl” who did it to impress but now understands she was coerced by porn-addled saddos.

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