Has Porn changed Sex for Indian Women?

Some decades ago prior to the advent of the internet in India, porn and Indian women were two very much disconnected entities.

Sex is a part of every community and culture. And how it is celebrated or liberated within a culture, very much depends on the openness of the specific community.

In India, despite books like that Kama Sutra being written in the country, sex has always been seen as a taboo subject. Some say it became suppressed by British colonial rule which imposed victorian views of sex on the locals.

For Indian women, the subject of sex was something not so openly discussed, as it was not seen respectable. But now, things have rapidly changed.

As more and more of the new and younger generation of Indian women are being brought up using the internet as the medium to learn from. Sex is also part of that appetite for learning. Especially, porn.

Indian women are the third largest consumers of porn according to Pornhub’s Insights Review for 2015.

The change in views of Indian women towards sex is pretty remarkable, especially in the developed cities and progressive parts of India.

No longer are they shy to talk about it but are fully willing to participate in open discussion.

This video by ‘So Effin Cray’ shows Indian women openly telling the presenter about their specific interests in the type of porn they watch and the kind of sex they like.

It can be said that the relaxed and liberal views shown by the Indian women in the video is not something commonly reflective across the country but it is showing obvious change in attitudes.

In the UK, despite it being a Western country, the attitudes towards being so open about sex may not be the same amongst British Asians.

Most young British Asian women would be very afraid or shy of appearing on camera in such a candid way.

For in the UK, the values, traditions and culture are still being held onto which were originally brought over by parents and grandparents from South Asia.

Which means that conservatism towards sex is still prevalent, despite sexual content being more openly accessible in the UK than India. For example, on television, post watershed.

This is also not to be interpreted that British Asian women do not watch porn because most likely they do, but discreetly and will not openly admit it in public.

In India, the modelling of the youth is very much influenced by the US and so are the online video channels in India. Frequently copying their format of content.

With Indian women using porn as a teacher to get educated and informed on sexual pleasure, differences in men and how to have enjoyable orgasms; there are social and cultural implications to consider, compared to the past.

Krutikaa says:

“The sex education in India is quite backward. Watching porn for women in India is battling between pleasure and education vs feelings of guilt and shame.”

Porn is seen as an equaliser in sexual knowledge. So, more and more Indian women will want to watch it for sexual awareness.

Shruti Srivastava, says:

“The expression of sex in our society is distorted. When a man can well watch porn and enjoy the content, why not a woman?

“I watch porn. I saw my first clip in college with friends. Initially disgusted, but growing up it solved many stupid questions in my mind. “

Gnithi Kunje, says:

“We do have talks about sex and porn, only in people we think can keep up with the matter with due maturity and sense. Our hostel gossip includes talking about the guys on campus, role plays, lessons in stripping, make-ups, porn fantasies, erotic scenes etc.”

This use of porn demonstrates the difference of development in Indian women from cities versus women from more rural areas, where traditions and cultural values still play an important role in everyday life.

Sangeeta, from Bangalore, says:

“Indian women are no longer afraid to express what we like sexually. Why not?! If the mind body wants it, we should get not be afraid to get it.”

The growth of sexual habits is not just limited to viewing, Indian women are now engaging a lot more in amateur porn themselves and feel comfortable with filming their own sexual acts.

Parneeta says:

“I am a 20 year old Indian woman, a virgin.

“Pornography is good, I do watch porn at times, while self pleasuring or just for the fun of it. I usually prefer one on one vanilla, while others are also equally okay.”

So, how will this newly discovered knowledge change the sex lives of Indian women?

Indian women may use porn as the measure for all things related to sex. So, their desire and views of sex will be modelled on porn, more than relationship values.

The use of porn can skew what is expected from sex in reality. So, for Indian women this can result in major satisfaction issues. Where the sex they have does not match what they see.

Indian men from families that are still conservative are likely to have problems with indian women who know what they want sexually. Especially, if they have had sexual relationships prior to marriage.

More and more Indian women will want to experiment sexually and shall want to experience sex in a very different ways, compared to men just doing what they want, as in the past.

This is not to say Indian men who watch porn are any different. The same applies, if not more so.

Saleh from India describes his view on the matter:

“Everyone watches porn! Girls love porn! They love the 50 shades series! A lot of girls I know watch and share porn! Porn is not taboo. It’s just our perspective to the issue which makes us feel that girls in India shouldn’t watch porn!”

Urban cities and the progressive parts of India with strong a youth voice are likely to accept it as a way of 21st century Indian life.

But in rural areas with more a traditional outlook, where for example, young Indian girls are not even allowed to use mobile phones; young women could endanger themselves by being targeted as ‘loose’ and shameful, if discovered.

With the age of getting married now much later and the increase in divorces filed by women higher, it shows an era of women very different to the older generations of Indian women.

Showing that the modern woman of today in India is no longer shy to communicate her sexual desires and needs, compared to once upon a time in India.