Women watching porn: 6 surprising facts

The subject of porn has been saucing up headlines recently.

On 1 April 2019, new porn laws are being introduced in the UK, which mean X-rated websites will require you to prove your age before you can see them.

The so-called ‘porn block’ is being rolled out nationwide in a bid to stop under 18s seeing inappropriate material.

Meanwhile, a new three-part programme on Channel 4 has thrust (pardon the pun) a group of mums deep (pun totally not intended) into the world of pornography to investigate how easy it is for young people to access and, by the end of the series, produce their own sex film.

Both the mums’ porn documentary and the forthcoming law alteration are both aiming to help change the narrative surrounding porn and that has to be a good thing, because the fact is that people watch porn.

Women watch porn.

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When it comes to viewing the raunchy stuff many of us tend to hold a bit of a gender bias. But recent statistics have revealed it is time to cast aside the view that porn is the domain of man.

The truth is women are just as likely (if not more) to spend a rainy afternoon scrolling erotic sites like Redtube.

A recent study by Marie Claire found that as many as one in three (31%) women watch porn every week, while Pornhub, one of the world’s most popular free sites, recently revealed that women make up more than a quarter (29%) of its global audience.

So what’s impacting the female porn-love?

Jenny Page, relationship expert at dating site IllicitEncounters.com, believes it isn’t so much that more women are watching porn, just that they’re no longer embarrassed to admit to it.

“Women have always enjoyed watching porn,” she explains. “The difference these days is they are more prepared to admit that they are doing it, as we all get a bit more honest and grown-up about sex. That has to be a good thing.”

But while female porn watchers all have their individual boat-floating fancies, there are a few common threads when it comes to women and the world of pornography.

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Women mostly like to watch porn solo

A survey by Marie Claire about the modern relationship between women and porn found that women watch less porn with a partner with 66 percent saying they ‘never’ watch with their other half.

Less than a third 31%) said they occasionally watched with a partner while just 3% said they regularly watched with the person they were sleeping with.

Further research from Woo Woo revealed that a quarter of British women confess to watching porn alone behind their partner’s back

“Your relationship to porn is mostly about you – your sexuality, unencumbered by a partner,” the study’s author, Amanda de Cadenet, said about her findings. “Most of our respondents, at least, are using porn to find what they want, and to figure out how to please themselves.”

“There is no doubt that a sizeable number of women who enjoy porn do so on their own to enhance masturbation,” adds Jenny Page.

But those who do like to watch with their other half are increasingly doing so to get them in the mood for sex.

“Research from IllicitEncounters.com found that increasing numbers of women were watching porn with their partners as a form of foreplay,” Jenny says. “The research showed that 40% of the time, it is the woman who initiates this step. That is good news: more women taking the lead in the bedroom.”

Women spend more time watching porn than men

Surprising, but true. The same research from Pornhub found that women, on average, spend 1:14 more minutes a day on the site than their male counterparts.

Jenny Page said: “Yes women spend longer watching porn than men – and there is strong scientific support for this fact. The reason is obvious: it takes longer for women to climax when masturbating or having sex.”

Women like to watch other women

According to their recent survey Pornhub’s Lesbian category is the leading favourite among women, with Gay (male) following close at second place.

The search term ‘lesbian’ also emerged as the most searched for term by women. But women are also into multi-partner scenarios with terms ‘threesome’ coming in hot at number 2 and ‘gangbang’ in at 4th place.

It’s not just traditional porn

Though majority of women in the Marie Claire survey sought out porn online, 40 percent said they used erotic stories, and six percent said they used audio porn.

“Erotic audio books and podcasts are becoming more popular,” explains Jenny Page. “This has to be a positive trend. You can listen to the action and then let your imagination roam freely. It is a wonderful way to enhance masturbation.”

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They like a story with their porn

According to recent research by Pornhub women are twice as likely to watch ‘Romantic’ themed X-rated videos.

“There is evidence to suggest that women seek more a story narrative when enjoying porn – they like to see a couple form some kind of relationship before having sex whereas men are more action orientated,” Jenny explains.

“This trend is reflected in the huge popularity of erotic books largely aimed at women such as Fifty Shades of Grey. That was all about the gradual seduction and corruption of student Anastasia Steele by her older male lover Christian Grey.”

Porn is enhancing women’s sex lives

Fifty-one percent of respondents in the Marie Claire survey believe that porn had taught them about sex, while 29 percent said it made them feel sexy.

What’s more women are yearning to put the moves they’ve picked up on screen into RL scenarios with 12% of British women longing to make a porn film with their partner, a poll by Woo Woo revealed.

“There is no doubt that porn users tend to be more adventurous in the bedroom,” Jenny Page says. “They see moves on screen and try to replicate them in the bedroom”