Pornography is the (consensual) creation of graphic, auditory, or written content, meant to be sexually arousing. It can present bodies in a sexual manner, sexual interactions, arousing noises/voices, and sexual descriptions of bodies and acts, which are made for public consumption (Sullivan, 2015). In the production of pornography, consent means informed and voluntary participation, fair working conditions, and shared agreement to its distribution, but consent in the pornography industry is a complex, evolving, and deeply contested issue. While there is more adoption of “ethical/feminist” porn practices that center on explicit communication, the broader industry, particularly mainstream and hetero-patriarchal porn, still blurs, ignores, or commodifies consent (Heredia, 2022). In the following text there is mention of sexual violence and examples of how labour laws are not respected in the pornography industry.
Framing & Perspectives
One way to ensure consent is granted and maintained while producing pornographic content is by establishing working contracts. Written contracts frequently outline what the porn actor agrees to do and what their limitations are (Harayda, 2023). The issue with modern agreements is that most do not cover health insurance, a retirement plan, or contraceptives. The actors need to provide these for themselves (Volastro & Privitera, 2014). The primary lobbying group for the porn industry, the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), mandates STD testing every 14 days for porn actors, which is used as proof that the actors’ health is taken care of (McQueen, 2023). Another issue with standard modeling contracts in the pornography industry is that they often demand performers give up their rights over their public persona and sexual material they produce, having no say where they are displayed and for how long (O’Bryan, 2024).
The issues of porn actors’ safety and the ethics of porn are debated through feminist discourses, with the “pro-porn” and “anti-porn” movements being highly controversial. The “anti-porn” movement started within the second wave of classical feminism (1960s til 1980s) and included various radical movements that sought to address deeper societal issues beyond legal equality. Within these claims were demands for sexual liberation and reproductive rights. Pornography was seen as hindering this movement by exploiting female bodies. Fourth-wave feminists allowed more ambivalence toward pornography, mainly to avoid shaming women and to support them in their fight for a safe working environment (Cosslett, 2022). Modern “pro-porn” feminists support the actors’ rights to safety in their chosen profession and want to decriminalize pornography. Having said that, modern “anti-porn” feminists are still against pornography due to the belief that pornography as a whole is a display of sexist beliefs and images that damage everyday individual women.
A way to solve both issues presented by modern “anti-porn” feminists and porn actors’ lack of good contracts is the promotion and creation of ethical porn. Ethical porn is porn produced legally that respects the rights and consent of performers. It provides decent working conditions and showcases both fantasy and real-world sex while celebrating sexual diversity (Scott, 2016). Pornographic content that is made following the rules of ethical pornography has had a positive effect on sex and how individuals experience and perceive it. Some individuals report that it has helped them to develop more egalitarian views on sexual relationships and gender roles (Chettiar & Syed, 2016). Feminist porn is considered ethical because it challenges myths about pornography consumption and its creators, promoting female-centered, de-stigmatizing, sex-positive content (Heredia, 2022). Feminist pornography is an alternative form of 21st-century pornography that includes “post-porn.” Post-pornography is a movement that aims to change the state of modern porn by presenting other identities, bodies, practices, and sexual pleasures beyond the male heterosexual norm that currently dominates the pornography industry (Heredia, 2022). Mainstream pornography tends to depict sexual and physical violence against women, thereby reinforcing existing patriarchal norms, power dynamics, and gender stereotypes (Hald et al., 2010), which the post-pornography movement is challenging.
Relevance
Porn managers identify authenticity, as opposed to economic incentive, as a crucial component of better performance from actors, echoing antiporn feminist opinions that view commercial sexuality as a threat and authentic sexuality as its remedy (Berg, 2017). In porn productions that prioritize authentic sex, the actors themselves are generally more satisfied with their work. When porn consumers were asked what distinguished harmful and beneficial pornography, the main difference stated was the presence of consent (McKee, 2006). If the people who watch the most pornography also considered the ethics of their consumption, they would seek out content from sites. In turn, this would promote ethical pornographyand make it more mainstream.
Keywords: Sex Work, Labour Rights, Sexual Liberation, Bodily Autonomy, Sexual Objectification, Human Trafficking
Connected terms: Nonconsensual Pornography, Human Trafficking, Bodily Autonomy, Sexual Objectification
References
Berg, H. (2017). Porn work, feminist critique, and the market for authenticity. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 42(3), 669–692.https://doi.org/10.1086/689
Chettiar, C., & Syed, S. (2016). A study of the relationship between the attitudes towards pornography and women amongst urban males. Indian Journal of Mental Health (IJMH), 3(2), 162.https://doi.org/10.30877/ijmh.3.2.2016.162-166
Cosslett, R. L. (2022, February 14). When it comes to Porn’s damaging effects, millennials and gen Z feminists are united. The Guardian.https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/14/porn-damaging-effects-millennials-gen-z-feminists
Eaton, A. W. (2017). A sensible Antiporn feminism. Aesthetics, 470–474.https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315303673-94
Hald, G. M., Malamuth, N. M., & Yuen, C. (2010). Pornography and Attitudes Supporting Violence against Women: Revisiting the Relationship in Nonexperimental Studies, 36(1), 14–20.https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20328
Harayda, J. (2023). Why sex workers want ‘rights, not rescue’. Medium.https://medium.com/the-book-cafe/why-sex-workers-want-rights-not-rescue-d4c61d0abea
Heredia, A. V. (2022). Feminism and pornography: From mainstream pornography (hetero-patriarchal) to post-porn (non binary). The Age of Human Rights Journal, (18), 221–238.https://doi.org/10.17561/tahrj.v18.7025
McKee, A. (2006). Censorship of sexually explicit materials: What do consumers of pornography have to say? Media International Australia, 120(1), 35–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1329878×0612000108
McQueen, M. (2023). Does the porn industry have an STD problem?. Exodus Cry. https://exoduscry.com/articles/std-problem/
O’Bryan, J. E. (2024). “the only thing I want is for people to stop seeing me naked”: Consent, contracts, and sexual media. Hypatia, 39(2), 282–298.https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2023.110
Scott, K. (2016, December 21). Is the porn you are watching ethical?. ABC News.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-21/ethical-porn-does-it-exist-and-where-do-you-find-it/8091266
Sullivan, R. (2015). Pornography: Structures, Agency and performance. Polity Press.
Volastro, A., & Privitera, A. (2014, March 21). How do porn stars plan for retirement?. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2014/03/21/-porn-stars.html
Women’sAid. (2025, October 23). Sexual violence in porn is putting young people at risk. Women’s Aid.https://www.womensaid.ie/get-informed/news-events/media-releases/facing-reality-failure-to-tackle-the-harms-of-pornography-is-undermining-equality-and-putting-new-generations-of-young-people-at-risk/
