If you believe that female porn stars have low self-esteem and are less psychologically healthy than other women, it may be just sour grapes rationalization because they get a lot more sex than you.
A study in the Journal of Sex Research compared data taken from 177 adult entertainment actresses with a sample of women matched for age, marital status and other factors. The actresses ranged in age from 18 to 50 and had an average career of 3.5 years. Over one-third were either married or in a serious relationship, and 44% were single. The analysis found no evidence to support the "damaged goods hypothesis" that actresses involved in the porn industry come from desperate backgrounds. Rather, the researchers found the women have higher self-esteem, a better quality of life and body image, and are more positive, with greater levels of spirituality.
"Some descriptions of actresses in pornography have included attributes such as drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, desperation and being victims of sexual abuse," the report said. "Some have made extreme assertions, such as claiming that all women in pornography were sexually abused as children.
"Stereotypes of those involved in adult entertainment have been used to support or condemn the industry and to justify political views on pornography, although the actual characteristics of actresses are unknown because no study on this group of women has been conducted."
Women working in porn tried more drugs, had sex at a younger age and had more sexual partners than those in the sample group but those are all things some demographics are lobbying for more of, so that can't be so bad.
Citation: James D. Griffith, Sharon Mitchell, Christian L. Hart, Lea T. Adams&Lucy L. Gu, 'Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis', Journal of Sex Research DOI:10.1080/00224499.2012.719168
Porn stars more positive, spiritually healthier than other women: Study - Toronto Sun
