“ It doesn’t turn me on anymore” : A qualitative study in young males sexual health

The purpose of this study is to investigate the consequences of young adults’ consumption of pornography and how it affects sexual health. The reason behind the study is the ongoing debate regarding pornographic effects on health. We also want to understand what meaning pornographic have regarding masculinity and how pornography creates and affects males’ view on sexuality and sex in general. In recent times, midwives and researchers within the field have warned Swedish citizens about young people’s sexual health and habits. Reports show that young people engage in hardcore sex which leads to more women having damaged abdomens. This is a new kind of behavior that researchers have not seen before, the researcher’s theory is that this type of sexual behavior is originated from pornography. According to a study made by Folkhälsomyndigheten, 41% of young adults (age 16-29) are the most frequent segment to consume pornography. Therefore, our investigation targeted this segment that is most frequently consuming pornographic. Our investigation approach is qualitative interviews. The interviews were held with ten males within the age range of 20-27 to provide insights into their relationship with and towards pornographic. We also interviewed two sexologists to get some expertise. The theoretical framework for our paper exists of Gagnon & Simon’s theory on Sexual script, Butler’s theory on Performativity, and Connell’s theory on masculinity. Our research shows that consumers of pornographic experience negative effects on their health such as shame, performance anxiety, erection problems, the complexity of the body, and expectations of sex which are incorrect. The results also showed that pornographies don’t have to be harmful, but it is important to be aware of what’s real and not. Regarding the results provided from our investigation, we want schools and parents to put more energy and emphasis on giving a more realistic view of what sexual activity is