Why the Pornhub sexual wellness centre is a good thing, and why people hate it.

Pornhub has launched it’s new project, the Sexual Wellness Centre which is directed by Dr Laurie Betito. The new site aims to teach sex education, from anatomy to talking about consent. Despite it’s good intentions, critics are denouncing it due to the fact it’s run by Pornhub. Here’s why the Pornhub Sexual Wellness centre is a good thing. 

The core problem people have with the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Centre is the fact a porn site is teaching sex education. Maybe believe it has a conflict of interest, that Pornhub does not practice what it preaches, and that it’s a way to lead people who may not watch porn into watching porn (on pornhub).

The bottom line people are wondering is where are the morals coming from.

Research has shown that porn use can cause bad health. So surely a pornsite is the last place that should be teaching health issues? What about the fact Pornhub has videos showing women in a humiliating and deglutitory way, that blurs the understanding of censorship?

The real question should be “Why are there so few resources for sex education?”. People are worried about a pornsite teaching people about sex. But why aren’t they asking for alternative resources?

The Pornhub Sexual Wellness Centre offers education

That alone makes it a good thing. Why? Because education is a good thing. Before we get into the nitty gritty debates of morals and motives, let’s just look at what the actual impact is.

Firstly, the website offers information on sexual anatomy. Is it the best? No, it’s not. But it does give a basic understanding of the human body, and the sexual organs. Things you’d think was common knowledge, but a lot of people have never really studied. The information given is written in an easy to understand language, with simple diagrams. It’s not on par with a biology textbook, but it still gives out more information than people know.

Secondly, there’s a whole section on STIs and STDs. Why is this important? Because people should be aware of sexually transmitted diseases, and because this topic is hardly ever discussed in person. It’s embarrassing, but important. It’s also likely to be extra important to those who visit pornhub, as they’re very likely to be sexually active.

Thirdly, we have a section talking about sexuality. It’s sex positive. It discusses issues on being gay, bi, transexual, polyamorous. There are Q&A sections with Dr Laurie herself. It’s a resource for many people who question their sexuality and it gives answers in a compassionate way. This is the sort of discussion we should be promoting.

Finally, it offers a section on “Real Talk”. This is where topics like consent are discussed. Important topics that people should know.

Now do you really believe that any of these topics are harmful? Or that they shouldn’t be taught? Sex Education is really lacking around the globe. I personally think it’s fantastic that there’s now another site that offers information and open discussion.

Should a porn site be offering sex education?

This is the big question. Is it right for a pornsite to be offering sex education?

They teach consent, but they offer videos showing women being humiliated and abused. They teach sexual health and safety, but studies have shown porn addiction as a serious health problem. Pornhub are a huge corporation, so what are their motives?

As Sarah Ditum from NewStatesman puts it “this is a place for people who wouldn’t usually go to Pornhub can get used to the idea of going to Pornhub”

The Guardian also argues that the Pornhub Sexual Wellness Centre “feels disingenuous because it contradicts its core business”. But states this is a problem for most business that try to work on social issues as a side project.

At the end of the day, this question comes down to one’s own personal morals and beliefs.

There’s no black and white here, and people are trying to make it sound like there is.

As I see it, a pornsite that has 70 million individual views a month is offering sex education to it’s users – people who are most likely sexually active and would benefit from the information. Whilst the Sexual Wellness Centre website is available to all, Pornhub itself is still age restricted.

I personally believe that sex education and sex positivity is sorely lacking in the world, and welcome anyone who is trying to push awareness and education forward.

Perhaps this will lead others to question the state of sexual education. It could lead to open discussions on why schools and communities aren’t providing adequate information. It might even motivate some people to start their own website or program for sexual education.

What you can do

If you are unhappy with these affairs, there are so many things you can do.

You can research sex topics yourself, becoming more knowledgable. You can open discussion with friends or peers on sexual topics. Sex and sex positivity needs to be discussed and accepted more in society, and you can help with that.

If you believe it’s wrong for Pornhub to offer this service, you can work towards providing a better alternative. This could be writing a letter to your government representative, or your education board. You could even start your own project, whether it’s just a blog or a full scale website.

The fact is, if you do any of these things you are helping. The worst thing we can do for sex education is to ignore it and do nothing.