Porn is illegal in many African countries, but that doesn’t mean it’s not around. In fact, the internet has made porn very easy to find. But making, watching and sharing it, is a crime.

What exactly is it? Porn, short for pornography, is any material (words, sounds, pictures) designed to be sexually arousing.

Where's the harm?

• Porn is known to change how you view sex. It is most often a man’s fantasy view of sex but it is mostly fake. Normal bodies are not perfect, few penises are that big, real breasts are not enlarged with silicone and most women don’t get pleasure in the ways usual shown in porn.
• It makes rough sex look sexy. Porn images may show women in submissive or victimised roles, but most women don’t actually want to be treated like that.
• Sex has consequences that porn does not show, like sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancies, HIV or broken hearts.
• Porn can be disturbing. What one person finds sexy can be scary to another.
• Some people find that after watching porn all the time, it is hard for them to get off on sex with another person.

Remember that making, watching or sharing porn is illegal. You don’t have to look at porn. You should certainly never be tricked or forced into looking at it or making it.