JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background Drug-facilitated sexual assaults in youth partying contexts represents a serious public health crisis in Spain, affecting half of women and one in four men. This situation intersects with the widespread consumption of pornography and a lack of comprehensive sexual education. Many young people turn to pornography as a source of sexual knowledge. However, pornography can be a source of misinformation, portraying violent representations of sex featuring practices characterized by aggression. It includes scenes of non-consensual sexual activity while someone is asleep, unconscious, or under the influence of psychoactive substances like alcohol or other drugs (named as DFSA pornography). Objective This study examines the prevalence of DFSA porn consumption and its connection to either having experienced or perpetrated DFSA in party settings among young people. Methods A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted with individuals aged 18 to 35 residing in Spain. Results The results highlight the widespread use of pornography among young people. Notably, individuals who frequently use pornography are more likely to watch sexually violent content. Regarding the type of pornography viewed, over 20% of men and 10% of women report consuming DFSA porn. Using this type of content correlates with an increased risk of having perpetrated DFSA while partying by up to four times. In turn, the risk of having experienced DFSA while partying doubles among users of such porn content. Conclusions Addressing the impact of pornography as a primary source of sexual knowledge and misinformation is crucial. Sexual education must include accurate messages about how pornography can misrepresent sexual consent, especially regarding scenes that depict impaired consent due to substance use.