The sexually positive and pornographic content in literary works may eventually harm women’s views on sex.
I have always appreciated good romance novels. Throughout my growth, books have always been my reliable escape. Just 13 years ago, Elder Holland commented: “The dark side of the film, television and music industries is becoming increasingly obvious, including offensive language and inappropriate sexual behavior.” This statement clearly did not mention “books” as a form of entertainment. This is not to say that people cannot find explicit pornographic content. However, I believe that at that time, such content was not as easily accessible or socially promoted as it is now, and this is ultimately reflected in Elder Holland’s remarks. In the past, you could browse the young adult and youth sections and usually expect a certain degree of respect for pornographic content. Today, it is definitely not the case. More and more writers are creating explicit pornographic content for the novel-reading audience. I often complain that I cannot allow my children to browse the young adult section of Barnes & Noble like I did when I was growing up, because I am not sure if these books contain appropriate content. In fact, they probably do not. My casual attitude towards literature in the past has long gone.

Expanding Our Understanding of Pornography
When I was in my adolescence, it was not uncommon for prophets, apostles, or authorities to give talks on the prevalence of pornography. Usually, the audience was male, but not always. As Elder Holland’s earlier statement demonstrated, discussions of pornography often took place in the context of visual stimuli such as movies or pictures. Research shows that men are typically more interested in visual pornography, so it makes sense to discuss such topics in this context. Large movements like “Resist the New Drug” have particularly emphasized video and online pornography and its impact on relationships. Typically, arguments against this form of pornography involve sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and other forms of abuse and distorted depictions. While this is a valuable movement, it does indeed focus on visual stimuli rather than other forms of pornography.

More and more writers are beginning to create explicit pornographic content.

There is a clear lack of discussion here about literary and/or audio forms of pornographic works, which might lead some to say these are “lower forms” of pornography or not pornography at all. They are not exploitative, so what’s the problem? It doesn’t involve actual people; it’s “just” mental imagery. So the question we need to ask is: If pornography is not exploitative, can it still be wrong and/or harmful? Are these other forms of explicit content really pornography, or are they different?

With this in mind, we must point out what pornography actually includes. More generally, pornography refers to “explicit media primarily aimed at arousing the sexual desire of the audience”, which includes literary and audio forms. Therefore, when we discuss the harmful effects of pornography on individuals, we are referring to the comprehensive definition of pornography, not just the more common concept. It is worth noting that women are visually stimulated less than men and usually require more “mental mapping”, that is, women typically appreciate stories and “settings” more than men. Forbes points out that 90% of women use this mental framework to arouse sexual desire. Therefore, pornographic books and audio forms of pornography (including but not limited to audiobooks) are often more attractive to the female population, but they are still harmful to the listeners/readers.

Romantic Novels and “Sexual Empowerment”
In today’s society, romantic novels have become one of the fastest-growing media markets in the past few years. It is no surprise that some reports indicate that 82% of romantic novel readers are women. Interestingly, this significant growth coincides with the normalization of erotic novels in the public domain. With the release of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” popular culture began to shift towards the acceptance of literary pornography. Notably, this book has sold over 150 million copies worldwide and spawned a film series, generating millions of dollars in revenue for the genre. Although not all explicit erotic books are as well-known or fall within the same romantic category, the rising acceptance of such content is astonishing. The promotion and normalization of sexual content seem to echo the focus on sexual empowerment and sexual positivity within the feminist movement.

There is a notable absence of discussion regarding pornographic literature and/or audio formats.

Sex positivity is defined as “a social and philosophical movement aimed at changing cultural attitudes and norms around sex and promoting the understanding that sex is a natural and healthy part of human experience.” This movement includes the promotion of masturbation, pornography, sex workers (a more inclusive term for prostitution, stripping, escorting, and other forms of sexual activity for pay or reward), non-monogamy (open relationships and marriages), polyamory, and many other things. Most erotic novels seem to conform to the view that female empowerment lies in sexual empowerment. They tend to discuss and “educate” the audience about concepts such as “consent” and “slut-shaming,” while promoting character arcs based on sexual identity and discovery. In fact, in this secular worldview, the self is ultimately discovered through understanding one’s sexual behavior.

Some arguments in favor of explicit content in books point out that women have learned new things that have brought pleasure to their sexual lives with their partners. Additionally, from a secular perspective, women (and men) can learn more about consent, safe sex, and healthy sex. Exposure to such content has “positive” effects. In fact, although pornography usually reduces men’s sexual desire, there are reports that it increases women’s sexual desire. In fact, many Instagram short videos and female influencers joke that their husbands and partners buy them books for these reasons. The “educational” purpose of fictional pornographic works may be persuasive; however, in a study of women who read pornographic content, it was pointed out that the primary reason women want to read such materials is that it distracts them. Although this may not be universal, it does raise the view that pornography is essentially an anesthetic, similar to other potentially addictive materials. Moreover, the types of sexual life promoted in these stories can permeate our understanding of human sexual behavior as a whole. Reading explicit sexual material, especially when these views are based entirely on secular understanding, may distort the meaning of sex. Taking these sources as authoritative is equivalent to acknowledging that we consider sex purely as a transaction for personal pleasure. Therefore, this is not just sex education, but bad sex education rooted in extremely negative concepts. No matter how important it is to establish a healthy sexual relationship with a spouse, it is not the only purpose. When we consume sexual life materials that contradict what we believe, we may overlook this. After all, it is well known that the media we consume affects our views and understanding. Even if we know that sex should go beyond simple pleasure and transaction, if the content we read only focuses on sex, eventually, it may affect our understanding of sex and lead us away from the truth.

Then what?
Significant improvement in certain aspects of sexual life does not necessarily mean that other forms of sex education more in line with the gospel cannot produce the same effect and excitement. There is a difference between educating with a spouse by reading or viewing charts, stick figures and other images and using these materials to stimulate pleasure alone. In this area, the application of just insight is crucial. Our intention in accessing sexual materials is important, but pure intention does not exempt us from wrong behavior.

Pornography is a kind of narcotic.

As a counselor, I have worked with couples and individuals with religious backgrounds to help them address sexual issues. I believe that receiving adequate sex education is worthwhile. In fact, for me as a professional, the lack of dialogue about sex and intimate relationships is somewhat like talking to oneself (please refer to this article on the “reasons” for the “purity laws”). However, reading pornographic materials for educational purposes (perhaps to “add spice”) indicates that there is no better, more Christ-centered way to improve sexual relationships. Moreover, it perpetuates the false notion that such materials do not have a negative impact on those who read them.
I admit that there are currently no good resources (or at least not very well-known ones) to help couples understand the mechanics of sexual behavior from a Christian perspective. While I understand the necessity of keeping sacred things sacred, when Christian couples have not engaged in such activities before marriage, we need to find ways to help them prepare for sexual intimacy while also promoting an accurate gospel perspective on human sexuality.