… to really not understand how so many women participate in porn?

[TwoBrownSugars]

I recently watched the Thyberg movie Pleasure. I liked parts of it. It showed a somewhat young and vulnerable girl, there were elements of friendship, some competitiveness, etc. But it did make me wonder who are all these women, they are real people, and think that they all have a story.

I just can’t imagine doing something like that, even when I was young and stupid. I also cannot imagine any of my friends doing it.

I’d assume that for some it’s a mixture of coercion, trafficking and drugs?

Money? But I’d assume there is very little for the participants?

Money, obviously.

It seems to be a truism on MN that any woman who gets paid to be naked must have been maliciously coerced or trafficked, but in most cases their motivation is a lot more mundane.

Your link leads to a site that quotes Melissa Farley, long renowned for her flawed methodology, sampling bias and manipulation of data in her research in order to push her abolitionist agenda and hatred of the sex industry.

Whilst these people are certainly entitled to their views, calling them 'facts' is a bit of a stretch.

You know sexual abuse is really common, right?

It is, but we only have statistics on how many women who work in porn have a background of sexual abuse because they’re a much-researched group and therefore there’s data. Nobody has ever compiled statistics about the experiences of women who work in accountancy, or retail, or cleaning for comparison, so we don’t know.

@ilyx
No references?
No comparison to the general population?
As a PP said, CSA is very common. More so than people involved in sex work.
A bit of text on a website is an incredibly low bar for evidence.

No where in those fans does it provide a source for their statistics.

Sorry, faqs.

There is a lot of abuse in the porn industry but it’s a huge mistake to assume that every woman working in it is abused or coerced in some way.

Yes, well said. The spectrum of women who go into porn is huge.

Of course some are coerced or trafficked.
Some are emotionally damaged by abuse or neglect in childhood.

But some women just really really love sex, enjoy having sex with different men, and don't think having sex is a big deal. I know plenty of women who really get off on the idea that they're being paid to have sex, and if they weren't doing porn they'd be going clubbing every night trying to pick up different blokes to shag. Some women just enjoy having lots of sex and having sex with different men. Porn is actually safer than having lots of ONS with random men you pick up in a club.

There’s a thread on relationships about sending nudes to strangers online many women admitted doing it because they enjoy it (not even for payment) so no not everyone is abused or coerced into it.

A friend of mine actually talked about selling her used socks online which I guess is a kind of porn. I was never sure if she went through with it or not. However, she was from a perfectly reasonable background and she simply thought it would make her a bit of money.

Not something I'd have remotely considered myself, regardless, but then I've always been ok for cash.

I know someone who did it. She had a bad relationship with her parents and wanted to feel wanted. Eventually when she felt better about herself, she realised it wasn't helping her and she left it behind.

You're on mumsnet any women engaging in porn or using it must have a history of abuse any man engaging in porn if using it is an abuser thems the rules.

Lots of assertions there, zero primary sources. That’s not to say it’s wrong, but it’s very low quality evidence.

And your anecdotes don’t trump the only data posted so far which suggest otherwise.

Do you actually have any links to decent research that backs up what you are saying? Is it possible that you have a skewed sample? How have you come across all of these porn actresses?

The "data" posted previously is utterly meaningless, I'm afraid.

Fast money the kind they can't get because they aren't educated enough or have the qualifications. They can then set up webcam, only fans and escorting business. Nobody can earn 1000s fast at 18 porn /sex work allows them to do that. They might come from poverty abusive homes so allows them to leave home there's a number of reasons but sex work is very hard to leave.

There was a recent series on ITV with Olivia Atwood [?] called 'Getting Filthy Rich' which was, for me, quite sad and worrying.
The young women on Only Fans seemed to start with the confidence that they were in control, but to make money had to go into more and more explicit and graphic content. Slippery slope.
There was a very intelligent and beautiful young woman caught up in porn films who seemed very vulnerable and unhappy.
The happiest seemed to be the cam-girls who all worked in one studio location, seemed to support one another and enjoyed a good giggle about the clients who they seemed to despise.
I felt a bit ashamed of myself for watching, but I certainly didn't form the impression that the industry was a good career move for any woman.

The data suggesting an over representation of abuse victims definitely was. The data that disagreed was a fair bit better.

I don’t personally understand why porn is seen as uniquely bad. Other jobs damage the body more, and a great many jobs affect something far more important to some people, their psyche, and mental health.

My employers demand near-exclusive use of my mental faculties; most of my brain for more than ten hours per day. May brain is the very essence of who I am, it really is the whole of “me.”

My tits and bulbs are definitely important appendages, but define my person not at all.

Yes, sorry, I wasn't clear. The originally data posted is what I was referring to.

I remember seeing an interview with a porn participant on CNN a while back, and I can’t find it, but here is the BBC interview

www.bbc.com/news/av/entertainment-arts-49453376

I found her, and her story very interesting, and a good speaker too.

Id never heard of Mia Kahlifa, but a google shows she is very very pretty. She could have sex with lots of guys if she want? She would not need to participate in porn for that.

I don’t watch porn, but out of curiosity I watched some of the videos. She seems to enjoy some? Be acting in some? Some seems unpleasant? The whole family situation is challenging too, and seems like she has no rights to the material?

Im not really a porn user but Im personally conflicted by it because although I know there’s an element of exploitation ( whatever the extent of that is ) there are still women and men making their own decision to enter the profession ( which ever aspect of sex work) who I think should have agency over their own bodies. It may well be psychologically or physically damaging but then so are other jobs like the military. I’m also not sure what the individuals opposed to porn are actually expecting to happen - to eliminate it entirely? You just need one person and a camera phone and the internet and the you’re in business again.

Some people have different ideas of morality/shame/sex etc.

Many don't care what people think of them when it comes to sex. Many are willing because they think they'll be wealthy and famous. Some can't see another career available to them that pays as well. Some love sex and sexuality if any kind.

It's not always trafficking. Many do it willingly even if they're a little naive at the time they join.

@Hayva Mia is a bit of a special case. She's one of the most famous stars in the world but only actually did porn for a few months.

The fact is she wore hijab in some scenes and was put on a hit list by the Taliban. She has said she greatly regrets her choice.

She's a multi-millionaire because of it now though.

Economic circumstances. Same as prostitution.

This. For many women it’s an easy way of making money and the intimacy side doesn’t bother them.