Watching porn doesn't make you hate women or view them as sex objects only (like some commentators have hypothesized). According to a new study published in the Journal of Sex Research, people who watch porn are actually more likely to see and treat women as equals, and are just as likely to classify themselves as feminists as people who may be staunchly opposed to porn. 

The study, performed by a research team from the University of Western Ontario, used data from more than 28,000 people who participated in the General Social Survey, a nationally representative, annual study of American attitudes from 1975 to 2011. Survey respondents were asked if they'd watched an X-rated film in the past year, as well as several questions on their attitudes toward women — like how they felt about women working outside the home, women holding political offices, and the legality of abortion. They were also asked if they thought of themselves as feminists.

About 23 percent of the respondents said they'd watched porn in the past year, and both men and women in that porn-watching group had more equal attitudes about women working outside the home, and were generally more supportive of abortion rights compared to people who said they didn't watch porn.

All of this doesn't necessarily mean watching porn makes you a better feminist (or a worse one). The researchers found no real differences between people who watch porn and people who don't watch porn in terms of feminist identification. Both groups were equally likely to call themselves feminists, and loving or hating porn doesn't really make a difference. 

Overall, the study shows that using a sexy visual aid in your masturbation sessions doesn't necessarily seep into your political life and make you a woman-hating monster. So maybe let's stop shaming people for watching porn? Cool? Cool.

From: Cosmopolitan US