I often find myself having conversations with my girlfriends about whether or not we watch porn. I’d say about half of my friends dabble in the x-rated genre, while the other half pretend not to. Porn is just way too interesting to pass up on. You’d think we could all be honest with one another, but it’s just one of those taboo topics people hate discussing. Why?

Embarrassment

Shame

Too offensive toward women

Unrealistic

Guess what ladies, feeling like this is completely normal. In fact, a recent study by Marie Claire reports that 59% of women are “very concerned about how the industry treats women and/or feel it perpetuates stereotypes”, 56% are turned on “but are concerned about how the industry treats women and/or feel it perpetuates negative stereotypes”, and 41% keep it as “something secretive they don’t want anyone to know about”.

So, what’s the consensus? Women watch porn and they enjoy it. Can the porn industry change its tactics? Hell yes! But will they? Probably not. Most porn sites perpetuate aggressive male behavior toward the opposite sex, which in turn teaches young men how to behave. With hostile (and quite frankly disgusting) categories like bukkake, gangbang and rough sex (yes, I did my research), are we really surprised with how young men act? Porn is in no way wholly responsible, but it certainly plays a role in the issue.

To my fellow ladies, if you’re still worried about how you may be perceived for watching porn or how in general females are treated, I’ve curated a list of female-friendly porn sites, literature, tumblr pages, etc. for you to check out. You can thank me later.

Lady Cheeky – This Tumblr site focuses on sensuality through a series of images and GIFs. Great site for first-time porn users.

Literotica – Consists of poems and stories ranging from first-time experiences to funny fucks. If literature is your thing, check out this site.

We Love Good Sex – A female-centric sexual blog focusing on our “dark sides” and what they mean. Perfect if you’re interested in exploring the depths of your own sexuality.

Bellesa – Erotica with an emphasis on female pleasure. If you’re a long-time porn user, this site will keep you very busy.

That should be a good starting point. Let me know if this has been helpful to you and your kitty or partner. And if you still don’t want to watch porn…Big mistake. Big. Huge.