el Don News
Sex and porn are cast aside as taboo subjects, but they should not be.
Staff Editorial
Conversations surrounding sex in American society have always been hushed.
Networks with advice on sex must play after a certain hour in the evenings, approving sex education in elementary is a battle in some school districts and, for many parents, explaining the birds and the bees feels awkward. Some even allow the Internet to do it for them.
Sex and porn are so engrained in our culture that it shouldn’t be taboo.
We do, however, need to acknowledge that just because the porn industry has become mainstream does not mean it does away with the dangers associated with it are eliminated.
About 70 percent of sexual abuse cases involve porn.
Sexually transmitted diseases, drugs and alcoholism all run rampant behind the scenes. A 1998 HIV outbreak caused pornographers to establish routine STD testing.
A 2012 bill requiring adult-film actors in L.A. to wear condoms met stiff opposition from pornographers who claimed that it infringed upon their creativity.
The industry’s issues cannot be ignored, and casting porn aside as taboo doesn’t help.
If we realize that sex is part of human nature, we can go a long way towards removing the stigma. Perhaps then we can learn to handle it in healthier ways that will benefit us as a society.
