When asked about the differences between what men and women generally want to see in porn, Heidegger explained that “it’s not so binary.”
“There are some gender differences, but many scientific studies, including Lehmiller’s book ‘Tell Me What You Want’ and other research, indicate that cisgender men and women fantasize about many similar topics,” she said. “However, the way they interact with these desires may be different.”
One difference between genders is the importance men and women place on narrative in the sexual content they consume. Generally speaking, cisgender women say they care more about context, setting and story, Heidegger said.
“This may be because people who are driven by estrogen have a more receptive desire, rather than a spontaneous desire,” she said. “That’s why many women turn to erotic audios or erotic content created by women.”
Moali agreed that women tend to gravitate toward pornography with “narratives that have emotional depth and context” and “a story or character development.”
However, men have historically been drawn to “more visually explicit content,” Moali said, “such as videos showing different sexual acts.”
“While the porn landscape has evolved over the past decade, historically explicit content has been primarily aimed at men, lacking emotional depth between characters,” she said.
Another factor to consider: Women may have underlying safety concerns when it comes to sex, making the backstory more important to their enjoyment, Moali said.
“Those who have experienced sexual trauma in the past may feel frustrated by having relationships without a relational context, as fear for the safety of everyone involved can hinder their experience,” she said. “Contextualized pornography can provide a safer avenue for sexual exploration.”
When discussing these differences, it’s important to consider the “why” behind them, Heidegger said. Some believe innate gender differences determine the sexual content that attracts us, while others recognize the role that social and cultural conditioning plays “in our beliefs about what is acceptable to us,” he said.
This “may affect what kinds of content or things we interact with, or give ourselves permission to interact with,” Heidegger said.
“In other words, are ‘boys’ simply born to love trucks and the color blue? No. While research is growing, there is still a greater need for studies that examine more diverse and cross-cultural LGBTQ+ fantasies and desires.”
This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post.