Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to pose a threat to the public health in the United States. Many sexual behaviors increase an individual’s risk of STI contraction. Chief among these are having unprotected sex, having sex with multiple partners, and either paying for sex or having sex for pay. The present study used General Social Survey (GSS) data from 2000, 2002, and 2004 to explore the association between exposure to internet pornography and these STI risk behaviors among adult US males. After controlling for demographic and individual difference covariates, internet pornography consumption was positively associated with having sex with multiple partners, engaging in paid sex, and having had extramarital sex. Internet pornography consumption was unrelated to having unprotected sex. Subsequent GSSs have not asked participants about exposure to internet pornography. As the GSS is the only ongoing, full-probability, national survey assessing social beliefs and behaviors, the present report provides unique insight into the risky sexual behavior patterns of adult male internet pornography consumers in the United States.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to pose a threat to the public health in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than 1 million US adults and adolescents are currently infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (Campsmith, Rhodes, Hall, & Green, 2008) and more than 50,000 new HIV transmissions occur each year (Hall et al., 2008). If current trends persist, approximately 50% of US Americans will contract an STI at some point in their lives (Planned Parenthood, 2011).
Many sexual behaviors increase an individual’s risk of STI contraction. Chief among these are having unprotected sex, having sex with multiple partners, and either paying for sex or having sex for pay (Campsmith et al., 2008 and Workowski and Berman, 2010). Interventions designed to reduce the risk of STI transmission rely on behavioral research to identify factors that predict an increased likelihood of risky sexual behavior (Hall, Hughes, Dean, Mermin, & Fenton, 2011). The purpose of the present study is to explore the possibility that exposure to internet pornography is a sexual risk factor for adult males in the United States. Specifically, the present study uses General Social Survey (GSS) data from 2000, 2002, and 2004 to explore the association between exposure to internet pornography and having unprotected sex, engaging in paid sex, having extramarital sex, and having sex with multiple partners. Subsequent GSSs have not asked participants about exposure to internet pornography, and the GSS is the only ongoing, full-probability, national survey assessing social beliefs and behaviors in the United States. Thus, the 2000, 2002, and 2004 GSSs provide a rare opportunity to explore at a national level how exposure to internet pornography associates with STI risk behavior among adult US males.
The present study explored associations between adult US males’ internet pornography exposure and risky sexual behavior. Internet pornography exposure was positively associated with engaging in paid sex, number of sexual partners, and having extramarital sex. Additional research is needed to determine the directionality of these associations, to more adequately control for confounding variables, to assess psychological processes that mediate these links, and to identify factors that may attenuate the effects of exposure to internet pornography on males’ risky sexual behavior.
