Pornography exists on 12% of all websites1 and is viewed by approximately 69% of American men and 40% of American women in any given year.2
Support and public opinion for pornography have increased among young adults in the last several decades.3
One reason for the creation and circulation of pornography is the lucrative nature of the industry—in 2023 the Adult & Pornographic Websites industry in the United States was on track to match the revenue of the NCAA at $1.15 billion.4,5
Using pornography correlates with decreased sex-life satisfaction,6 increased desire for rough or violent sex,7 and increased chances of divorce.8
Adult film performers face a range of challenging issues including mental and emotional well-being (such as depression, eating disorders, and even suicide), financial struggles, physical and sexual health risks (including STDs and body modifications), strained relationships, and the distressing reality of systematic support for sexual abuse and rape.
Pornography is often overlooked largely due to the prevailing pro-porn sentiment among the general public. However, research confirms the negative consequences, and organizations are emerging to combat what has been deemed as the “porndemic.”9
Key Terms+
Addiction—“Compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms."10

Adult Film Performers—Refers to an individual who is paid to act in pornography films.

Amateur Porn Stars—“Non-professionals performing with little pay, or actors for whom this material is not their only paid modeling work.”11

Incentive Salience—A theory about brain function particularly relevant in describing the neural patterns of addicts. The theory suggests that “it is possible to ‘want’ what is not expected to be liked, nor remembered to be liked, as well as what is not actually liked when obtained.”12Dentist albany WA