Work

A Cross-Sectional Study on Pornography Use and Sex Differences Among High School Students

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIM: Pornography consumption is on the rise globally due to the widespread availability of the internet and unrestricted access to numerous pornographic websites. These sites pose various complications for consumers, and there is a noticeable lack of research on this issue in our country. Therefore, it is thought necessary to conduct this study. This study aims to measure pornography use among high school students, sex differences in pornography viewing, and the behavior of pornography viewing in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Zakho Independent Administration, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, among students of five high schools and two institutions. A paper questionnaire was handed out to the participants between April 1 and July 1, 2022. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses, including chi-square tests, were utilized to examine sex differences and explore associations between the variables. RESULTS: A total of 921 students were enrolled in this study, with an average age of 16.78 ± 1.26 years. More than half of the participants were male, 505 (54.83%); the ones who viewed pornography alone were 452 (49.08%), and 642 (69.71%) disagreed with watching porn. The first time watching pornography was more common at the age of 15-20, with over one-fourth of participants, 254 (27.58%), falling into this age group. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) in the attitude and practice of men compared with women throughout all tested variables. Out of the total number of participants, 467 (50.71%) viewed pornography at least once in their lifetime; among those, 304 (65.1%) were male participants, 163 (34.9%) of them were female participants, and 852 (92.51%) participants agreed to restrict pornography sites. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of pornography among high school students is relatively high. Male sex is an associated factor for higher pornography viewing and should be considered when designing public health interventions in a related context. Increasing education about this topic in high school settings is crucial.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.74482