Prevalence and Determinants of Problematic Online Pornography Use in a Sample of German Women

Abstract

AimTo investigate problematic online pornography use in women, an issue that has rarely been tackled to date. MethodsWe used the data from a comprehensive, cross-sectional survey of a self-referred sample of 485 German women to examine the relationships between problematic online pornography consumption and a range of sexual behaviors, trait sexual motivation, and motives for pornography use. ResultsApproximately 3% of our sample had problematic pornography use. In multivariate analysis, problematic use was significantly associated with the overall time spent viewing online pornography, greater sexual motivation, and greater emotional avoidance. Our data also indicate that the influence of sexual motivation on problematic pornography use is mediated by the amount of time spent watching online pornography. Clinical TranslationIdentifying these predictors for problematic use is important for specific prevention programs for women at risk of pathological use. Strengths & LimitationsThis study is one of the first to show that women also experience problematic online pornography use and identifies risk factors for problematic behavior. The weakness of this study is that as in all studies on sexuality, people who are interested in the topic and are comfortable talking about it are more likely to participate, thus rendering the sample nonrepresentative. ConclusionBased on our findings, approximately 3% of women experience problems associated with engaging in online pornography consumption.Baranowski AM, Vogl R, Stark R. Prevalence and Determinants of Problematic Online Pornography Use in a Sample of German Women. J Sex Med 2019;16:1274–1282.