Briefing Paper: Impacts of Pornography

porn and censorship

September 24, 2025

In Summary

Pornography is a diverse medium, depicting a wide variety of bodies, sexualities and sexual practices. Porn consumers overwhelmingly prefer porn depicting mutual pleasure, and pornography can play an important role in healthy sexual development and exploration.

Most pornography is not designed to provide relationships and sexuality education. Without appropriate alternatives, pornography can fill the informational vacuum and become young people’s main source of information about sex.

Young people of all ages require evidence-based, age-appropriate relationship and sexuality education and media literacy education. This should include non-stigmatising discussions about consent, pornography, and negotiating with intimate partners.

Evidence-based policymaking and service-delivery require ideological transparency. Australian politicians, policy-makers, educators and service-providers must ensure that responses to pornography do not advance ideological agendas that undermine the safety and rights of sex workers, women and LGBTQI+ people of all ages.

Briefing Paper: Impacts of Pornography - Scarlet Alliance

Briefing Paper: Impacts of Pornography