I have heard some amazing stories from people outside the industry, about what they think goes on behind closed doors on porn sets, and let me tell you, not one of the stories I’ve heard has truth behind it! So here are 10 myths about porn debunked for your viewing pleasure!

1. We are all riddled with STDs. If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard this I’d be… well… I’d be richer then I am now. People associate those who have multiple sexual partners, with STDs, they assume that everyone in the porn industry is unclean because we have frequently changing sexual partners, sometimes a few in a day. What people don’t realise is that having sex with someone in the adult industry, is probably the cleanest, safest sex you can have. Not only are we well versed in our own sexual and personal hygiene, but we are also frequently tested for STDs for work. To shoot in the adult industry, performers must present a certificate of sexual health taken within the last two weeks, occasionally studios will accept 21 days for tests, but it is now common for tests to be every 10 to 14 days. We need a signed, dated certificate of health, which we can only get after a full NEGATIVE STD panel and after showing our photo ID, to make sure the cert and the ID name match. If someone tests positive for anything, all their scene partners are notified, they immediately begin treatment and they cannot work until they have a clean bill of health. We are pretty on top of our sexual health… can you, as a civilian, say the same?

2. Fluffers are a real thing. Fluffers are a funny one because I believe they did once exist, a long time ago. But nowadays giving a person the job of getting the performer hard for the scene is ludicrous - here is why : an extra person on set is usually better avoided if possible just to make the day move swiftly and smoothly, an extra person to pay is almost unthinkable in the current age of internet porn, where budgets and rates are being cut left, right and centre. Most performers with penises use viagra or caverject (an injection into the base of the penis that creates a solid erection) or will watch porn on their phone and masturbate to get hard before a scene, in many cases the scene partner may assist to help the scene get going quickly. So no, we don’t have fluffers.

3. We are horny all the time. WRONG. Most performers have so much sex at work that by the time they get home they just want to throw on a tracksuit and watch trash TV like everyone else after a long hard day at work. Set life can be gruelling and when you feel touched out and you’ve shot a long scene, plus stills, the last thing you feel like doing is having actual real life sex. Whilst porn definitely allowed me, and many of my co stars, to live out fantasies, desires and scenarios we may not be able to in real life, it actually damaged my own personal sex drive in my private life.

4. People do porn as a last resort, because they are too stupid to do anything else. This couldnt be further from the truth, I have met some of the most intelligent and business savvy people, particularly in the female performer world, that left jobs as lawyers, police officers, government officials and many others for a career in porn simply for the freedom, the money and the love of sex and travel. The people I have met in this industry have PhDs and masters degrees, I have met classical musicians and graphic designers and videographers, people that take their skills and use them to create a business and a brand in the adult industry, I myself studied audio and music production and have used that knowledge to write and produce music for high end porn movies alongside performing, I also then went onto study design and womens wear and have made my own dresses for award shows and so on… it is easy to judge those that do sex work as stupid of lazy, because that is what the mainstream media wants us to be. But we are so far from it. I have never met more professional and hard working individuals, as I have in the adult industry.

5. Porn performers are all trafficked and abused. Whilst I never want to cast aside the terrible cases of human sex trafficking that sadly occur globally, in the mainstream porn industry this is never the case. We have agencies and companies and ID checks, STD certificates, consent interviews and so on and so forth, everyone on set is there because they want to be there, they made the choice to do the job and enter the industry, whether it was for love of money or sex, for freedom, to be their own boss or anything else. In the mainstream adult entertainment industry we have to be focused on consent and legality at all times.

6. All Pornstars are blonde, tan and big breasted. As a pale 5 foot something, brown haired girl with freckles, people were often shocked to learn about my career ‘but you don’t LOOK like a pornstar’ they would exclaim! Back in the 80s and 90s the thin, tanned, blonde, fake breasts and no pubic hair look was the image of a pornstar, nowadays this is an outdated view. Porn performers come in every size, shape, gender and race. Skin tones vary, tattoos vary, pubic hair varies. Whatever you want you can find, and whatever your look is I’ll bet theres a performer out there that has a similar look to you, the industry still has ways to go in way of representation, just like every other industry, but it’s coming on leaps and bounds every day.

7. Watching Porn leads to sexual violence towards women and sexual offending. Data actually shows that sexual crimes are lower in areas with greater access to porn. Watching porn and masturbating is not pathological and does not indicate psychological problems. Several scientific research studies show that people watching porn do not have more misogynistic views towards women compared to those not watching porn.

8. Porn creates relationship problems. Whilst porn is an easy target to throw blame at, and it is important to talk to and communicate with your partner if you feel uncomfortable about their porn usage and explain why and how it makes you feel, porn does not create problems within relationships. Look first at what is the root of the issues - sexual shame, high morals, contempt, anger, power struggles, low self-esteem, distorted beliefs about sex and relationships, insecurities and jealousy to name a few, could be at the root of the problem that some believe is caused by porn. Once you talk to your partner, alone or with the help of a therapist, it will be easier to unravel the true root of the issues that are seemingly caused by pornography.

9. Watching porn causes erectile dysfunction. This is a popular anti-porn campaign slogan, but it is factually incorrect. Several scientific studies have debunked this myth, in actuality, being shamed for watching porn is much more likely to cause erectile issues, than porn itself. Those that suffer from erectile dysfunction or sexual issues may turn to porn as it is easier to explore and enjoy ones sexuality without the pressure of ‘performance’.

10. Porn is addictive. Scientific studies have further debunked the idea of porn as an addiction. Although it is of course true that some people do struggle with their use of pornography. But because this is not a character defect nor it is an addiction, the best thing that we can do is to stop demonising the porn industry and focus on the root issues : poor sex education, sexual shame, moralistic values surrounding porn and sex, insecure relationship dynamics, pre existing sexual conditions or simply an unsatisying sex life with a partner. The best way to work through any of these is to see a ‘sex positive’ psychosexual or relationship therapist that can help you work through any of the above!