Traditionally, pornography was often thought of as a struggle for men. However, studies show that porn use among women is rapidly increasing, particularly among younger females.
According to a recent article by Covenant Eyes, some women get pulled into pornography through seeing graphic sexual images, while many women are introduced by the combination of romantic themes and sexual arousal through graphic novels. An example of this would be the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, with the first book selling more than 100 million copies.
Society tells women that sexually explicit novels are justified due to a perceived belief that the content does not appear to be as lewd or offensive as visual porn, particularly when a "storyline" has redeeming qualities. However, as incurious as it may seem, there are many hidden destructive effects that mirror the impact of visual pornography.
According to Covenant Eyes, graphic novels cause women to separate sex from relationship, confuse fiction with fantasy and create dissatisfaction with reality.
True sexual intimacy requires accepting the imperfections and inadequacies of another individual. Husbands and wives must learn to be unselfish, forgiving and vulnerable with each other. This is exactly the opposite of what pornography teaches. Pornography trains individuals to be self-focused and isolated. Relationships are disrupted because pornography trains individuals to believe that sex is about the fulfillment of self with desires grounded in lust. Pornography must be recognized for what it is: a dangerous distortion of God's design for sexual desire.
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