Pornography and Committed Relationships: How Pre-existing Factors within a Dyad Change the Effect of Pornography on Heterosexual and Homosexual Couples
Pornography and its effects have been the topic of debate for decades now. Much of the pornography debate centers on whether or not male pornography consumption is detrimental to men’s perception of, communication with, and treatment of women. As Charlotte Witt claims, “feminist debates over pornography originate in fundamental philosophical disagreement” (165). Many feminists and feminist groups critique pornography for its degradation of and violence towards women. Andrea Dworkin, a feminist against pornography, states that “the fact that pornography is widely believed to be ‘sexual representation’ or ‘depictions of sex’ emphasizes only that the valuation of women as low whores is widespread and that the sexuality of women is perceived as low and whorish in itself” (201). However, some couple therapists support pornography and prescribe its use to aid couples struggling with intimacy. It is primarily used as a way to bring the couple together through the intimacy created when viewing pornography together as well as to help the couple regain their sexual stimulation
