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Pornography and Young People

Pornography is not a new phenomenon; however, the rise of the internet and social media means that pornography is more accessible, diverse and normalised than ever before.

Significant concern has been raised about the potential harms of pornography, including its impacts on relationships, sexual risk behaviours, sexual violence, and body image.

Our work focuses on pornography use among young people in the Australian context, exploring trends in use, gender-differences, and sexual health and behaviour.

We are also producing evidence to understand the potential impact of interventions aiming to reduce harms of pornography. We are examining the likely impact, acceptance, and feasibility of interventions such as pornography education, age verification, and parental device controls.

2014-current

Associate Professor Megan SC Lim

Please contact Associate Professor Megan SC Lim for more information about this project.

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Publications

Publications listed below include research on the epidemiology and impacts of pornography, as well as pornography intervention.

VIEW ALL RESEARCH
Sexual Behaviors and Violence in Pornography: Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis of Video Content Analyses.

Carrotte ER, Davis AC, Lim MS

  • Journal of medical Internet research
  • 14 May 2020
A Digital Pornography Literacy Resource Co-Designed With Vulnerable Young People: Development of "The Gist".

Davis AC, Wright CJ, Murphy S, Dietze P, Temple-Smith MJ, Hellard ME, Lim MS

  • Journal of medical Internet research
  • 01 Jun 2020
A descriptive analysis of young women's pornography use: a tale of exploration and harm.

Davis AC, Temple-Smith MJ, Carrotte E, Hellard ME, Lim MSC

  • Sexual health
  • 11 Oct 2021
A Health Education Website Developed to Meet Young People's Information Needs About Web-Based Pornography and Sharing of Sexually Explicit Imagery (SCOPE): Usability Study.

Davis AC, Wright CJC, Temple-Smith MJ, Hellard ME, Lim MSC

  • JMIR formative research
  • 13 Aug 2019
Personal and reported partner pornography viewing by Australian women, and association with mental health and body image.

Laemmle-Ruff IL, Raggatt M, Wright CJC, Carrotte ER, Davis A, Jenkinson R, Lim MSC

  • Sexual health
  • 13 May 2020
What Behaviors Do Young Heterosexual Australians See in Pornography? A Cross-Sectional Study.

Davis AC, Carrotte ER, Hellard ME, Lim MSC

  • Journal of sex research
  • 15 Jan 2018
Young Australians' use of pornography and associations with sexual risk behaviours.

Lim MSC, Agius PA, Carrotte ER, Vella AM, Hellard ME

  • Australian and New Zealand journal of public health
  • 29 Jun 2017
Young People's Health Sexual + Reproductive Health
The impact of pornography on gender-based violence, sexual health and well-being: what do we know?

Lim MS, Carrotte ER, Hellard ME

  • Journal of epidemiology and community health
  • 28 May 2015

Project
Team

Meet the project team. Together, we are translating research into better health, for all.