Sex Positive

Adult performers who get work elsewhere can be fired if their past comes out -- and there's no legal recourse

Female porn stars are healthier and happier than other women, according to a new study. The Journal of Sex Research discovered than women working in the adult entertainment field tend to have a better body image, increased self-esteem, and higher energy levels than their non-sex worker peers.

Researchers compared 177 porn stars with a similar sampling of women employed in less erotic careers, according to Now.MSN.com. If the Journal of Sex Research study is accurate, the findings shatter some commonly held stereotypes about adult film actresses.

The study reportedly discovered that female porn actresses were not more likely to have been sexually abused as children than the average American woman. Feminist commentator Dawn Foster warns that the Journal of Sex Research study should not be used as an excuse to “gloss over” the “exploitative aspects” of the porn industry.

An excerpt from the study reads:

“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. Some descriptions of actresses in pornography have included attributes such as drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, desperation, and being victims of sexual abuse.”

Merriam-Webster defines feminism as an organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests. Instead of porn stars being considered the objects of exploitation, perhaps they should be noted among the ultimate feminists. The adult women who work in the erotic entertainment industry willingly enter a career which pays them a lot of money for doing a task. Since female porn stars are often paid more than their male counterparts, an equal pay argument could be for men in the industry.