Porn impacts sexual behavior in teens but not too much, says Dutch study

Porn affects the sexual behavior of teens but only moderately, according to a new study.

Researchers in the Netherlands found that pornography was a small-to-moderate factor in casual and adventurous sex among teens.

The findings temper earlier studies that have linked porn with sexual aggression, risky behaviors and losing one's virginity early.

The study looked at 4,600 young people.

It asked them about their sexual activities along with their porn viewing habits.

Most consumed porn at some point or another and mostly via the internet.

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Porn viewing under the age of 21 has shot up since the 1970s.

Researchers found that there was a small link between behavior such as paying for sex or having sex with several people at once but that link was tenuous.

Instead, there are many factors involved like education, income and family life.

"So it really confirms that it's not one thing, it's not just exposure to pornography or sexually explicit materials," said Susan Tortolero of the University of Texas in Houston who commented on the research.

"It really is the entire environment that young people live in."

The findings were published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.