Layden discusses negative aspects of pornography
Annie YangIn a lecture Thursday, Mary Anne Layden said that pornography, which is a visual invasion of a person’s body, is not a victimless crime.Layden is a psychotherapist and author based at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program as well as the Social Action Committee for Women’s Psychological Health.According to Layden, selling the body is considered sexual exploitation and stealing the body is considered sexual violence."Sex is now a product, and the body is now a commodity," she said.She added that sexual exploitation and sexual violence are a seamless, interconnected continuum.Layden said that there are many studies that provide scientific evidence of the negative consequences of porn.According to Layden, brain images of porn users look similar to those of teenagers and cocaine users, only with less gray matter."Internet pornography is the new crack cocaine," she said.Moreover, according to Layden, about 58 percent of all male pornography users, with an average age of 25, had erectile dysfunction when engaging in sexual relations with women but not while viewing pornography.Layden said that there are many false messages in pornography, including the idea that sex is adversarial or a one-way street.