UGent launches large-scale survey on pornography in Flanders
How much porn are the Flemish watching and how is it affecting their (sex) lives? That’s what UGent students aim to find out in the new Sex in Beeld survey
“Porn is everywhere”
According to the so-called Sexpert study from 2012, carried out by UGent and the University of Leuven, about three-quarters of Flemish residents have viewed porn at least once. But little is known about the motivation behind the use and its impact on users.
The online survey, Sex in Beeld (Sex in Picture) will now examine to what extent porn has an impact on self-image and sexual behaviour. Another research question is whether singles have a different attitude towards porn than people with a partner. The students also want to find out whether frequent porn users are more satisfied with their personal relationship – or if the opposite is true.
“Porn is everywhere, especially online, but it remains a taboo subject with a lot of myths surrounding it,” Els Elaut, a Ghent University Hospital psychologist and sexologist, told De Morgen. One common idea is that watching porn leads to an unrealistic view of sex. “But international research shows that other factors, like religion and upbringing, often have a much bigger influence” on people’s sex lives, she said.
Photo courtesy Allesoverseks.be
