title: Hercules and Barbie? Reflections on the influence of pornography and its spread in the media and society in groups of adolescents in Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and get a deeper understanding of how groups of young women and men reflect on and discuss pornography and its spread in the media and society, and its possible influence on sexual behaviour and relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six focus group interviews were conducted with teenagers, three with women (n = 17) and three with men (n = 18). Open questions about pornography and its spread in the media and society were discussed. The interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed according to Grounded Theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The core category 'A discriminatory sexuality' illustrates how participants felt regarding the messages conveyed by pornography portraying a man's role as dominant and a woman's role as subordinate. Pornographic messages were described as 'Fiction' depicting a distorted reality. Feelings of ambivalence towards pornography were expressed: anxiety and fear, but also inspiration. Participants said pornography occurred everywhere in the media and society, and felt pressured by messages relating to looks and sexual techniques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pornography and its spread in the media and society were considered as presenting a discriminatory image of body ideals, sexuality and relationships. Despite this awareness, both men and women considered pornography as sources of knowledge and inspiration: an apparent paradox.
authors: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. magdalena.mattebo@kbh.uu.se
authors: Magdalena
authors: M
authors: Mattebo
authors: Margareta
authors: M
authors: Larsson
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Tydén
authors: Tove
authors: T
authors: Olsson
authors: Elisabet
authors: E
authors: Häggström-Nordin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004882:Erotica / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D019212:Multimedia; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012380:Role; D012930:Social Dominance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden